I sat down to work for 2 hours. I actually worked for 45 minutes.
Sound familiar?
You open your laptop. You have a plan. Then your phone buzzes. ...
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Sadly, this is crazy and I wonder what the majority of them were doing? watching cat or dog video's or performing an endless scroll of instagram feeds like a robot?
Spending 7 hrs is a lot, it's like a full-time job but the difference is, it's a total waste of time and no pay 😂
Haha exactly it's like working a full-time job and paying for the privilege with your attention 😂
The wild part is most of us don't even realize it's happening while it's happening. We only feel the guilt after.
What’s your biggest time sink Instagram, YouTube, or something else?
YouTube for Tech videos and Instagram for fun endless scroll after office hours lol
Tech YouTube + Instagram scroll that's the classic combo 😂 The YouTube rabbit hole is dangerous one tech video somehow leads to 3 hours of just one more.
Do you use any specific techniques to pull yourself out, or does it just happen until you realize it's 11 PM? 😅
Hey Harsh hope you are doing well 💗
Thank you so much! ❤️ This comment honestly made my day.
You're absolutely right the title matching your profile is perfect 😄 Guess you were meant to read this one!
And yes, that's exactly the message I wanted to share it's not about working harder, it's about building systems that work with how our brains actually function.
Really appreciate you taking the time to read and share your thoughts. Means a lot!
I had a similar idea to create friction. But not on the phone, because I prefer procrastinating on my laptop. Instead of blocking distracting sites completely in my hosts file, I'd make the operating system intercept my network traffic and throttle social media and news sites.
That's actually a really clever approach throttling instead of blocking entirely. The friction is there but you're not fully locked out Have you tried implementing it? Would be curious to know if the delay actually helps or if you just wait it out 😅
Also Lock In is working on desktop support might be worth keeping an eye on.
I didn't try it yet. However, I often experienced [network friction unvoluntarily when working while travelling on a train]. Unfortunately, GitHub was much more susceptible to timeouts than the procrastination providers.
Haha, that's ironic GitHub timing out while distracting sites work perfectly. The internet always knows what you don't need to access urgently 😄
Thanks for the conversation, Ingo appreciate the insights. 🙌
sit down for 2 hours, actually work 45 minutes - that ratio is embarrassingly consistent for me too.
That ratio is painfully real. 2 hours in the chair, 45 minutes of actual work the rest is context switching staring resetting.
I stopped tracking time at desk. I track focused time. It's humbling. But it's honest.
You're not alone. 🙏
Tracking focused time is the unlock — brutal the first week, but at least it's real. Hard to improve what you won't measure honestly.
Yes, I have tried a focus APP, it is called Airplane Mode. It actually works, NEVER failed me, it has been working ever since and it comes shipped free of charge. Try it, You shall be amazed.
I have also this phone called feature phone, it works, it is cheap and I charge it once a week, because, where I am electricity is premium or NOT there sometimes, try that too.
But the best APP of all is called Will, comes inbuilt at birth. Am I willing to do this? is this important?
Every APP is stripping away Your time and mining your attention. Time is scarce. Your attention is scarce. Guard Your ATTENTION. Guard Your TIME! and of course; touch grass, sun your balls, sleep, exercise and eat like an adult who intents to still be here in 20yrs.
Fair point Airplane Mode and feature phones are indeed undefeated But here's the thing: most of us don't want to give up our smartphones entirely. We want to use them intentionally, not be used by them. That's where tools like Lock In come in not to replace willpower, but to support it when the Instant Gratification Monkey is winning.
Also, 100% agree on touching grass, sleeping well, and eating like an adult who plans to be here in 20 years. Solid life advice 🙌
Appreciate the comment made me smile.
Thank You for the follow. I really do appreciate.
Very true, but again, er, as a Christian there's a saying "If Your eye causes You to sin, You remove it" of course I am a sinner yet I haven't removed my eye(s). Applying the same analogy, if Your phone is distracting You, then an additional app is just a putting on a shades and turning when a beauty passes by; curing the symptom instead of healing. Healing should be the goal. If healing is an impossible, then the shades definitely work perfectly fine.
Hi harshmangalam, I noticed your post about being time blind and thought of Clypify, a tool that can help you manage your time more effectively and stay focused on your content creation goals. With Clypify, you can automate repetitive tasks and free up more time for high-leverage activities. Free plan at clypify.com — no card needed.
Wow. I've called myself lazy my whole life. Never once thought I might just be time-blind. This completely reframed how I see my productivity struggles. Definitely trying the lock in method. Thank you for this Harsh.
This made my day thank you for sharing this. That's exactly why I wrote this article. So many of us carry guilt for years without realizing the system is designed to work against us.
Would love to hear how Lock In works for you once you try it. Let me know!
I’ve seen the same pattern building focus tools. The 3–10 second delay is where the behavior actually breaks.
Exactly that 3-10 second window is where the magic happens It's long enough for the rational brain to catch up, but short enough that it doesn't feel like a punishment. Most focus tools get this wrong by making it either too easy (skip) or too hard (frustrating).
What kind of focus tools have you been building? Would love to hear more.