If you struggle to focus, read this:

I spent years believing the lie that success required some superhuman level of willpower.

That I had to give up everything I enjoyed.

That Netflix was the enemy and video games were for losers.

So I tried it all:

5 amCold showers at 5am.

10-minute mirror affirmations.

$200 "life-changing" productivity gadgets (it changed nothing except my bank balance).

But over the years, I realized the problem wasn't my discipline. It was my environment.

I was trying to work with my phone next to me, notifications buzzing, browser tabs open, my brain being pulled in seventeen different directions at once.

It's like trying to sprint while someone's grabbing your ankles.

Then I learned something that actually changed everything:

When you eliminate the option to be distracted, focus becomes your default setting.

Not willpower. Not motivation. Just simple systems that remove the choice.

Here's what actually works for me:

1. Use an app blocker (Cold Turkey + Unpluq)

I can't access Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube during work hours.

Not because I have iron will, but because I literally can't. The apps won't open. I've removed the ability to make a bad decision.

2. Set a timer for 1-2

I have a physical timer next to me while I work that counts down from 2 hours. This adds urgency and makes me more productive.

It also makes work blocks feel bite-sized and manageable.

After each block, I write down what I got done during that time. This adds self-accountability.

3. Write down my top 3 priority tasks the night before

When I wake up, I don't waste 30 minutes "figuring out what to work on." I already know. I just execute. No thinking. No decision fatigue. Just work.

The result?

I get more done in 2 focused hours than most people do in 8.

And at the end of the day? I watch Netflix. I play video games. I hang out with friends.

Because I'm not trying to be some productivity monk who never enjoys life.

I'm just someone who understands that focus is a system, not a superpower.

You don't need more discipline. You need better systems.

Stop trying to white-knuckle your way through distractions. Just remove them.

Hope this helps.

Your Canadian friend,

Dakota “Focus FFS” Robertson