July 6, 2020

Friction

You might think of friction as a bad thing, but it’s actually neutral. It can be good or bad. In fact, you can use it to your advantage.

For example, if you find that you’re exhausted and depressed at the end of the day because you spent three hours after dinner compulsively doomscrolling social media, then try deleting social media apps from your phone.

Sure, you can still reach those media outlets via your mobile web browser or on your computer (or you could reinstall the apps on you’re phone), but the added friction of having to do so will probably save you in your moment of weakness.

Here’s another example...

Let’s say you’re working on a book but you are having a hard time finishing it. Instead of closing out of your text file at the end of a writing session, try leaving it open on your computer all the time.

Whenever you switch between applications, you’ll see the exact spot where you left off and - not incidentally - could pick right back up.

This will create an environment where you could literally be distracted into writing your book, instead of your current environment where pretty much everything distracts you from writing your book.

Here’s the thing...

If you decrease friction for good behavior and increase friction for bad behavior, you’ll find yourself improving automatically.

Decide what you want to be doing more of and then figure out how to make doing it frictionless.

Yours,

—J

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