How to get unstuck?

‘Declutter’: That’s the mantra we can use when we are stuck. What does it mean? Well, I guess you already know but let me still explain.

If you are stuck, if you are unable to move forward, the thing that works for me is to declutter. I remove everything from my visual field except the thing that I need. I go to extreme measures at times by working in the dark with only my MacBook on my table.

But I have seen that the seemingly benign clutter, in the form of wires, or unnecessary devices, or stationery, or anything that is not specifically needed for the next task, causes the brain to get distracted.

The worst thing is to keep your phone on the desk and to keep the pinging apps on your phone. Ideal to keep the phone on silent in a drawer in another room.

On the computer, consider installing freedom.to and block all the websites that you use to procrastinate or try disabling your wifi router if you can’t do that. Getting back to deep work after watching YouTube or Instagram is almost impossible. Better to not keep the greasy snacks near you if you don’t want to eat them.

These are a few things that can help you get back on track.

If they seem extreme, we have to remember that these are dangerous times, Harry.