How to Lock In 🔒

My Guide on How to Avoid Distraction and Get the Work Done

If you’re reading this, thanks first of all.

Finish it, then put your phone on Do Not Disturb and lock the f*ck in.

We live in a time of max distraction. There is a great irony in that we have more tools and assets at our disposable to get all kinds of work done, but those very same tools can debilitate us from making any progress on our goals if we use them incorrectly.

Phone and social media addiction may be one of the biggest economic burdens the world has ever faced, because the lost opportunity cost of dreams being unfulfilled because you need max out screen time is pretty much unquantifiable.

What is quantifiable is the number of times the average person checks their phone each day: 352

Or the percentage of Americans who say they spend more time on their phone than with their romantic partner: 71%

And the average daily phone screen time: 4 hours

And if you work in tech, you know what there are teams dedicated to optimizing experiences to ensure you spend as much time as possible on the phone, using their app, devouring an endless stream of content, and watching ads. If something’s free, you are the product so on and so forth….

But people are beginning to wake up. The Surgeon General wants a warning label on social media sites, new startups are creating attachments that literally brick your phone, and even schools are beginning to ban devices.

So how we can break free from the chains of our VC backed tech overlords and lock in on pursuing our dreams? Here’s what I do…

My Work Habits

I work about 70-80 hours a week. And that is not something that comes easily but I manage it through forming habits I don’t love to break. Here’s a breakdown of my daily schedule on a workday—

• 5:00AM: Wake up, try to not check the phone immediately. Studies show your brain needs time post-sleep to wake up on its own, and you’re actually in a state of association and creativity leftover from REM sleep. Its difficult but I have been trying to resist this urge lately.

• 5:30AM: Pull up to Equinox. If I am not running, I go to the gym and lift weights. I like work out early in the morning because it sets the tone for the day and helps me wake up. I also like to move my body and get some momentum. After working out I steam, and try to meditate on the day ahead and what needs to get done.

• 7:00AM-9:00AM: This is when I write this newsletter. Oftentimes, the day before I try to bookmark potential topics and stories. And I have a content calendar to help me keep track of longer term ideas and projects than cannot be completed in this short window.

• 9:00AM-Noon: Now I get to work. This is pretty self explanatory.

• 12:00PM: I’m currently working from home, but plan to get an office next month. I have the ability to cook a meal whilst at home, so I do that. Then I go for a walk outside to get sunlight and clear my head.

• 1:00PM-6PM: Now I am back working. I work with a lot of West Coasters so I take a lot of meetings in the afternoon.

• 6:00PM: If I don’t have dinner plans, I’ll cook at home or grab something (oftentimes Sweetgreen LOL) and go for a walk to get more sun. I’ll typically bring a book and read at Central Park.

• 8:00PM: I use these late night hours to get ahead on the newsletter or work on other creative projects.

• 10:00PM: Around this time, my eyes have begun to glaze over and I turn off the desktop screen and try to wind down. I have a robust American Psycho level skincare routine so I do that.

• 11:00PM: Then I try to sleep but spend way too much time scrolling random Wikipedia pages.

But getting out is important, so oftentimes this schedule gets a bit shifted to take a lunch or a dinner with someone close to me or new. And on Saturdays I try to do absolutely zero work, then get back on the grind on Sunday.

I do not really believe in ‘work-life balance’, a key hallmark of many Gen Z workers. Luckily, I like what I do and I find it enjoyable. But also I think life is a constant battle of ‘you can have everything, just not all at once’

If you’re in your 20s or 30s, you have more energy and potential now than you will later in life, and I think the sacrifices I make now will pay off.

But staying consistently focused for such a long duration is difficult, so how do you actually lock in?

How to Actually Lock In

As I said in the beginning of this letter, distraction is the easiest thing to come by these days. The internet and our phones have made getting real deep work done hard. Here a few simple tricks and methods I use to minimize distraction—

• Pomodoro Method: Just like distance running, you have to pace yourself. I use the Pomodoro method to set out clear times of deep focus work, then short breaks. You can use the timer I linked, and set a timer for 25 minutes. You work at one singular task for that period, then take a 5 minute break. Repeat over and over again, then take a longer 25 minute break. This method helps break up long work days and gives you a rewarding break.

• Green Noise: I personally need background stimuli to help focus me on the task at hand. For me, I like to listen to a vacuous, ambient green noise, set at a frequency that stimulates mental function. This is the best for writing, as there are no lyrics to distract you. If I am working on a more visual task, I’ll switch to a podcast or a music with lyrics.

  • Side note: I also love Apple Music’s guest DJ series: Beats in Space for some electronic music.

• Airpods Max: You need these to silence out any noise no matter where you’re working from.

• Adaptogenic Mushrooms: My friend Sammy got me some mushroom powder for my birthday. It helps boost cognitive function. I’ll blend it in my coffee. Speaking of which…

• Pour Over Black Coffee: I am a coffee snob through and through. If I am out and about I love to grab a cortado or cold brew. But at home, I like to keep good beans and make a pour over. I typically have about 3 coffees a day (morning, midday, late afternoon)

  

  If thats too much caffeine for you (my tolerance is so high, I could have an espresso after pasta at 11pm and be in bed at 11:30pm) try VYBES new low caffeine energy drink. Go read my interview with their founder here.

• Put the phone away and on DND: While doing focused work, I keep my phone as far away as possible. If its on my desk, I try and check it too often.

• Zyn: Don’t need to explain this one.

100 Day Method

I really believe anyone is only 100 days of focused work away from making a meaningful change to their lives.

About 50 days ago, I set the goal of having a Locked In Summer.

I wrote out where I want to be, what I want to have, and how I am going to get there.

Once you have your big goals set, figure out what daily habits you need to form to achieve them one small step at a time.

Then each week, check your progress and hold yourself accountable for failures.

I use Notion to track everything and keep things in order. Then, Google Cal to schedule out when I’ll be doing specific tasks and what to focus on.

An Example of My Content Calendar

Otherwise, its easy to sit at the computer and just scroll around without getting anything done.

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The tools, channels, and platforms the internet has given us allow us to project our talents and thoughts to the world.

No matter what your niche interest is, there is space to build a community, and meet people that will change your life for the better.

When I started this newsletter, I had no idea how big it would get, or the opportunities it would present me. One day I just looked at my schedule and realized there were 2 hours every morning I was wasting, so I filled them with something meaningful.

If there’s something you want to do, now is the time to do it. And everyday you don’t lock in, you’re kind of betraying yourself.

So hopefully you found these tips useful.

But I am curious: how do you lock in? Let me know in the comments.

Now put down the phone and get to work…

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Jake Bell is a content marketing, creative strategist, and designer based in NYC. He specializes in brand building, content creation, branding, art direction, creative strategy, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio