Experiments in Focus
I started 2026 with a plan, and so far, it's going great
In recent weeks, I’ve had a few friends reach out with a text message along the lines of, I notice you’ve been really quiet on our Discord/WhatsApp/Signal chat. Everything okay?
Yes, everything is great, I’ve typed back. I just got a new computer for Christmas.1 And I’ve blocked all social media and messaging apps on it. Even email, too. So I’ve been in a state of blissful silence working! Sorry I didn’t warn you!
In my defense, I didn’t know how long this experiment would last. Then, once I’d actually been away from the internet for a few days, the thought of ever returning to it…
Ugh. That would require walking into another room and turning on my laptop and just ugh.
So I’ve barely touched my laptop. And the days of focus have accumulated.2
As I was sinking into the vast empty clarity of this new computer, I also happened to listen to a podcast by famed author and computer scientist Cal Newport on neuroscience and phone use. His message really resonated with me.
As you all know, I’ve done everything to make my phone as boring as possible. But I still can’t seem to stop myself from grabbing for the dang thing constantly. It doesn’t matter that there ‘s nothing to do on it, my fingers move of their own accord.
According to Newport (who’s looking at the science here), this constant “grabbiness” is because of the ubiquity of the phone. That fact that it’s in my pocket means I’ll always be reaching for it, seeking dopamine to relieve any brief moment of boredom or discomfort in my life.
And it’s true! Be honest: how often do you check your phone simply because you’re walking from one room to another? That three second lull in mental activity is enough to send me grabbing, certainly. Even though there is literally nothing to do on my phone but look at the occasional WhatsApp or Signal message.
But I don’t want to be like that!
So I was determined to start this year by removing my phone’s ubiquity.
The only reason I haven’t taken this nuclear option before is because I have to be “on call” for my daughter. Her asthma means I might get a phone call from the school at any moment, and that fear of missing an emergency means I’ve never committed to putting the phone far away or even locking it up as some people do…
But if ubiquity is the problem, then surely I can find a solution!
And I have.
Shortly before New Years, I hooked up my ancient Coros Pace 23 to receive phone call notifications.4 It’s not a glossy interface, but the watch beeps at me if a call is incoming.
Otherwise, all other notifications are silenced. Meanwhile, my phone itself is all the way on the other side of the house. Far enough away, in other words, that inertia works its magic.
After three weeks wtith this experiment, the results have been amazing. Unsurprisingly, I don’t need to check my email 8,473 times a day. Twice a day is plenty. And unsurprisingly, there haven’t been any conversations in my group chats that I haven’t been able to catch up with later in the day.
Do I still reach for a phone? Yes! That first week, big yes. I’d hit a pause in my work or reach a point where difficult thinking (ugh) was required, and I’d find myself leaning back in the chair and searching for a phone…
But it wasn’t there.
Then I’d laugh at myself, sigh, and get back to the work.
Now look: I want to be clear that I’m not trying to become an ascetic. I don’t want zero contact with the outside world and nary a disruption to slow my writing.
My goal here isn’t “improved productivity.” In fact, my aim for 2026 is to focus less on work and more on my health and my day-to-day relationships. But phones are active impediments to that!
The reality is that being a parent…or simply being a human can be so stinking boring sometimes. But I hate feeling as if I’d rather be checking my email than engaging with the person directly in front of me.
For that matter, I hate that I can’t walk down a flight of stairs and not reach for my phone in my back pocket. That’s ridiculous. And unhealthy. (I literally broke my heel bone and two metatarsals falling down stairs because I was on my phone. Yet who still keeps reaching for her iPhone?)
The reality is that less I’m on my phone or even on my browser surfin’ the web, the happier I am as a human being.
Addiction runs strong in my family, and I fell down the slippery slope of substance abuse when I was in my late teens/early twenties. Ever since coming out the other side of that, I’ve tried to acknowledge and subsequently manage anything that feels like it’s hijacking my brain and behavior. Sugar, caffeine—even those I have to manage lest they take charge.
But the phone has been this one thing I can’t seem to truly control. Or rather, the one thing I can’t stop from controlling me.
So for now, the phone will continue to stay in Time Out all day, tucked over in a shadow by the refrigerator, while my shiny new computer will remain blocked of all things alluring online.
Wish me luck!
Do you have any kinds of focus-building or tech-limiting plans for 2026?
The Frenchman built me a gorgeous new gaming computer. It’s so slick, guys, with a wooden chassis and enough memory to have ALL my Steam games installed at once. 🥹
Hilariously, despite being a beautiful gaming computer, I’ve yet to play a single game. I’ve tinkered with building games, though, and coded a lot! And written many words of fiction!
This is a running watch and my normal day-to-day watch, as well. No bells and whistles, but it will happily tell me how very slow I am.
If there’s any kind of work-related emergency as well, my agent will always call. So I don’t need to be glued to my messages or email.
There is something hilarious about reading this on my phone while paused in writing. I turned off most notifications on my phone sometime in December to focus better (which is why I’m rare in the discord now!), and it’s been huge. It’s so easy to lose minutes and hours scrolling social medias.
I hope you enjoy that new gaming computer!
I'm happy for you that you found something that works for what you want!
I feel aware, as you are, of the importance of not being on a phone "just because" (sort of thing) or of being "glued" to a phone. The way I approach my phone feels very freeing to me: when I use it, I use it most of all to message my loved ones or to take pictures of and with my loved ones, and sometimes to check email, do research or work on my book.
Another thing that I find helps is to use the phone with intent. If you want to check messages or send something to a loved one, then the phone comes out. If you want to exercise for 15 minutes, then the focus is on exercising for those 15 minutes. Do you know what I mean?
As with many things, moderation is key; too much phone time (especially if it's something one is doing subconsciously, such as scrolling without focus, rather than interacting with others) can replace things you actually value more, so a healthy balance can feel very freeing and enable you to focus on what really matters most to you. I think the key for someone is to find the right balance for them, and keep prioritizing what is most important to them (loved ones and health, for example).