Starve Your Distractions

“Starve your distractions, feed your focus.”
(attributed to Ralph Smart)

Every notification, every unnecessary scroll, every mindless habit—it’s all stealing your time.

Time you could use to build, create, and grow.

Want to become more disciplined?

Put your phone on Do Not Disturb – We live in an age of constant digital noise. A simple buzz or notification can break your concentration and pull you into a 30-minute rabbit hole.

Try setting your phone to Do Not Disturb for a few hours during deep work sessions. If you’re worried about missing important calls, allow exceptions for family or urgent contacts.

Example: Set aside 8 AM – 11 AM as uninterrupted work time. Silence all notifications and put your phone out of reach. You’ll be amazed at how much you accomplish.
Block out deep work time – Your brain does its best work when it can focus deeply without interruption. Schedule specific time blocks in your day dedicated to high-value tasks. Use a timer, such as the Pomodoro technique (25-minute focus sessions with short breaks), or dedicate 60-90 minutes to a single task before taking a break.

Example: Instead of answering emails randomly throughout the day, schedule 60 minutes in the afternoon for focused email responses. The rest of your time is reserved for high-priority tasks.
Replace distractions with purpose-driven actions – Distractions often fill the gaps where purpose and structure are missing. Rather than reaching for your phone out of habit, create a system that keeps you engaged in meaningful work. If you’re tempted to scroll social media, replace that habit with something that fuels your growth—reading, exercising, journaling, or working on your goals.

Example: If you usually scroll through Instagram while drinking your morning coffee, swap that time for reading 10 pages of a book, writing in a journal, or planning your day. Small changes lead to big results.