Let's talk about the other kind of drag: Digital.

Your phone is not a tool. Not the way you're using it.

It's a casino in your pocket. Designed by the smartest engineers in the world to keep you scrolling. Every notification, every red badge, every infinite scroll—engineered to hijack your attention.

And you think you can out-willpower it?

You can't. I couldn't. Nobody can.

For five years, I told myself I just needed more discipline. I'd delete Twitter for a day, reinstall it by evening. I'd set screen time limits and immediately bypass them.

The problem wasn't willpower. The problem was I was bringing a knife to a gunfight.

Billion-dollar companies vs. your morning motivation. Not a fair fight.

Here's what actually worked:

1. Delete the apps. Not the accounts. The apps. Make it inconvenient. If you have to open a browser and log in, you'll do it less.

2. Remove the phone from the equation. Phone charges in a different room. Laptop closed when not actively working. Remove the option entirely.

3. Replace, don't just remove. Empty time gets filled with old habits. Replace scrolling time with something else—reading, walking, anything with friction.

"But I need social media for my business."

Use it intentionally. Scheduled times. On a computer, not your phone. Post and leave.

You're not going to out-discipline an algorithm. Stop trying. Change the environment.

Done negotiating.

-Joel