Once upon a time at the Sabarmati Ashram, a mother brought her son to meet Mahatma Gandhi. There were hundreds of people in line, all waiting for a chance to see Gandhiji.
When their turn finally came, the mother asked Gandhiji if he could advise her son to stop eating sugar, as he was addicted to it.
Gandhiji listened quietly and then said, “Please come back to see me in two weeks.”
Though puzzled, the mother agreed and left.
Two weeks later, the mother and son returned to the ashram and waited in line once again. When they finally met Gandhiji, he turned to the boy and simply said, “Don’t eat sugar. It’s very harmful.”
The mother was surprised and couldn’t hold back her question: “Bapu, why didn’t you say this two weeks ago? We had to come all this way again.”
Gandhiji smiled gently and replied, “Two weeks ago, I myself was eating sugar. How could I advise your son to do something that I wasn’t practicing myself? So I first gave it up before asking him to do the same.”
Moral of the story: People often give advice they themselves don’t follow.
And yet, here I am about to do the very same — offering a bunch of suggestions I might not follow myself!
If you want to improve, you need to do the work. The kind of work may differ from person to person, but working itself is non‑negotiable.
The real roadblock, however, comes from distractions. With thousands of distractions around us, it’s becoming harder than ever to focus. Some people seem naturally blessed in this regard, but not everyone is.
Over the years, I’ve come across many tools and techniques to fight distractions — though I must admit, I’ve rarely applied them consistently. Here, I’ll share what I’ve learned, and finally, what actually worked for me.
Step one: Understand why and how you get distracted
Why do we get distracted?
- Limited attention span: Our brains can only focus on one thing for so long before drifting.
- The work isn’t enjoyable: We rarely get distracted when we’re doing something we love. Watching a great movie, for instance, makes us forget how time flies.
- The work feels too hard: Personally, if I’m stuck on a tough chess position and can’t see a solution, my mind tends to wander. Interestingly, this doesn’t happen during actual games — only during training. (Proof: after writing the previous sentence, I caught myself watching a reel on my phone!)
- Routine and boredom: Repeating the same tasks every day can get dull, and boredom naturally invites distraction.
How do we get distracted?
- Our mind drifts to something else.
- We pick up the phone and start scrolling.
- (There can be many more ways — it’s useful to identify your own patterns.)
Understanding both why and how you get distracted is crucial. Once you see the pattern, it becomes easier to break it.
Some advice (found online, in books, or from people I respect)
I’ll be honest: I’ve rarely stuck to these for long — but they might work better for you.
1. Keep your phone away
A friend of mine, who knows is friends with a top player, once told me to switch the phone off completely while working. The logic is simple: our phones are often the single biggest source of distraction. Removing them removes the temptation. Placing the phone in a completely different room is even better
2. Pomodoro Technique
Set a timer for 25 minutes. Focus solely on work during that time. Afterward, take a short 5‑minute break. Repeat. You can adjust the time blocks to suit yourself.
One story that really stayed with me is about GM Krishnan Sasikiran — one of India’s strongest players, former India No. 2, and a grandmaster who has defeated several of the world’s best.
This was shared with me by GM Swapnil, who once roomed with Sasikiran during a tournament or training camp. Swapnil noticed something remarkable about how Sasikiran worked:
Sasikiran followed a strict routine of working in two-hour deep work blocks. During those two hours, he would be completely absorbed in chess. After finishing a block, he would then take a proper break to relax and recharge.
This method is very similar in spirit to the Pomodoro technique but on a larger scale: instead of 25-minute sprints, it’s about immersing yourself deeply for two hours, then stepping back. It shows that productivity isn’t only about pushing harder or working longer; it’s about working deeply and deliberately, and then truly resting in between.
4. Time blocking
Create a schedule: for example, 10 am–12 pm for calculation practice, 12 pm–1 pm for openings, and so on. During each block, do only that task. You can mix this with Pomodoro to handle attention span issues.
5. Do the hardest task first
Life is unpredictable: sudden errands, unexpected visitors, family obligations. By tackling the most important and demanding task first thing in the morning, you ensure that even if your day doesn’t go as planned, the key work still gets done.
What actually helped me
Going to an academy/Working with a coach
Whenever I’m at a chess academy, I rarely get distracted. Even when solving tough positions, I force myself to complete them. The answers may or may not come, but I put in real effort — which matters most. Unfortunately, where I live there isn’t an academy I can attend. In that sense, I feel people in cities like Chennai are lucky.
Working with a friend or colleague
Whether online or over the board, working with someone keeps me focused.
Things to watch out for:
- If you’re too close, you might end up chatting instead of working.
- Your tasks might not benefit both equally.
- When solving together, the first person to find the answer could spoil the process for the other.
The unconventional path: Multitasking
Yes, I know this goes against all common advice — but it worked for me for quite a while.
For example, I’d do opening prep while watching a movie or web series on the side.
Why it helped:
- It made difficult work feel lighter and more enjoyable.
- It countered my short attention span: if my mind wandered, it wandered to the movie, then naturally came back to work.
- Overall, I got more work done this way when working alone at home.
Things to keep in mind:
- The quality of your work might drop.
- Solving very complex positions isn’t ideal while multitasking.
- You need to ignore the guilt that multitasking is “bad.”
The goal, after all, is simple: get the work done.
Disclaimer: I’m not sure this will work for everyone. It worked for me, but try it cautiously.
In the end, fighting distraction is a deeply personal journey. What works brilliantly for one person might fall flat for another and sometimes, even what once worked for us stops working later. I’ve shared the tools, stories, and experiments that helped me at different times, though I haven’t always followed them perfectly myself. The important thing, I’ve realised, isn’t to aim for flawless focus every day, but to keep observing, keep adjusting, and keep trying. After all, progress in chess or in life — often comes not from never being distracted, but from learning how to return to the work again and again.
Suggested book reads for getting rid of distractions and getting the work done
2. “Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction” by Chris Bailey
3. “Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life” by Nir Eyal
4. “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown
Suggested videos for getting rid of distractions
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