“Let it sink…”

This is self-therapy, and it works. I found journaling as a way to dump my thoughts to be a very useful experience. I remember once feeling anxious and being unable to figure out what it was about. So, I just started to offload what was on my mind. It took about 7 minutes to calm down and see exactly where I was overthinking. For full transparency, I have yet to stick to this habit permanently.

Power moves

I want to be honest with myself.

Which means - there’s no way I could live without distractions and guilty pleasures.

We’re all human.

Yes, including me (this newsletter is 100% manually written, after all).

Modern distractions, though - they’re a piece of art!

• Video games

• Insta reels

• Hi-res video on demand

• 65+ inch TVs

• Instant communication with friends around the globe

Many of these have become the new normal, taken entirely for granted.

They’re designed to keep us “engaged.”

My willpower and discipline are nothing compared to when I was a young boy.

I should thank the universe that smartphones and YouTube weren’t a thing back then. Chances are, I’d have traded my time for dopamine bursts.

The bill for that would’ve been huge: family, career, mental health, relationships - everything would’ve been impacted.

Life would’ve been pure chaos and addiction.

Why am I so sure about that?

Here’s what happened to me just a few years ago:

It was the post-COVID era.

A massive chip shortage had created a significant gaming console deficit worldwide, including in the U.S. market.

Long story short, I got lucky and snagged a PlayStation 5 at retail price (about 2/3 the reseller price at the time).

On Friday morning, I got a notification that my order was ready for pickup.

That was my most anticipated moment in a while. With Monday being a federal holiday, I was looking forward to an epic gaming weekend.

What happened next was a huge “WTF” moment.

I picked up the console that afternoon, came home, and unboxed it.

It was Friday night. I pressed the "On" button.

The next thing I knew, it was Monday.

I was exhausted.

I hadn’t slept enough.

I hadn’t gone outside the entire weekend. A few short workouts here and there, but that was it.

By Monday noon, I hit the "Off" button, opened Facebook Marketplace, and listed the PS5.

By Tuesday, it was sold - for a $70 profit.

Cash.

That experience taught me the importance of setting boundaries - not just with gaming, but in other areas of life too. For example, now there is a rule: No gaming consoles in my house.

Building on this, we created more rules:

• No purchased pastry in the house (dark chocolate is not a pastry!). If we want some, we either make it ourselves with 50% less sugar than the recipe requires, or we go out for a date. This has an added bonus: I’m even more motivated to take my wife on a date. She’s happy; I’m happy. Win-win.

• No Netflix subscription by default. If there’s a specific show we want to watch, we subscribe for a month, then cancel - whether we finish the show or not. (If we don’t finish, it probably wasn’t worth bingeing anyway.)

To stick to some rules, I’ve made a few tweaks to my routine.

For instance, I don’t rely solely on willpower to avoid Instagram; I’ve removed the app from my phone entirely. If I need to check messages (once a month or even less), I use my MacBook and set a 20-minute timer.

TikTok? Haven’t opened it in over a year.

Facebook? Maybe a few times a year - mostly for Marketplace to sell stuff we no longer need.

Unwanted items we don’t feel like selling? We give them away through a local “Buy Nothing” group, using my wife’s account. She has better self-control, so I don’t feel guilty delegating that task.

Do I live like a monk now?

I wish.

As I’ve mentioned, I have a YouTube Premium subscription. I am a YouTube addict.

• Need to fix something around the house? YouTube/LRN2DIY.

• Want to learn a concept? YouTube/Veritasium.

• Need a workout class? YouTube/CarolineGirvan.

• Want ad-free music? YouTube/MusicLabChill.

And yes, sometimes I want instant entertainment - so, YouTube.

But this blurs the line between YouTube as a learning tool and YouTube as a distraction.

That’s why I came up with another fundamental rule:

Time-boxing distractions.

What does this mean?

I allow myself to indulge in distractions a few times a day under specific conditions. Mostly:

1. While eating alone. I watch something on YouTube in the background.

2. Before bed. I spend 30–45 minutes on YouTube and then read for another 45–60 minutes. This sequence helps calm my mind and makes it easier to fall asleep.

The goal isn’t to be perfect.

It’s to try. To set boundaries, even if I sometimes stumble. To own my time instead of letting it own me.

Yes, I still get my dopamine hits - plenty of them.

But they’re on my terms. Or at least, that’s what I want to believe.

Till next time!

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Add this to your shelf

It is harsh to realize we are all cheaters. Yes. We. All. However, some only cheat as long as they continue to consider themselves relatively honest people. I love Dan Ariely’s experiments on humans. We hide a lot of unpleasant truths.

Unpacking the routines of interesting people

Daniel Ek - is the Swedish mastermind behind Spotify, the app that changed how we listen to music.

Unfortunately, we were not able to find any information about Daniel’s nutrition preferences.

However, here are some other interesting facts:

• Morning walks: Daniel makes sure to go for a walk every day, no matter the weather or time of year. He says it’s when he does his best thinking.

• Limiting meetings: To avoid feeling overwhelmed, Daniel only schedules 3-4 meetings a day. This gives him time for other spontaneous meetings and creative thinking.

• Selective socializing: Daniel focuses on spending time with his family and turns down many social events to keep his attention on family and work.

• Personal philosophy: Known for his persistence, Daniel often says he’s “really annoying” when pursuing his goals

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Here’s a great technique to help you move through that frustration.

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