The 5-Minute Boredom Rule

When coding gets difficult, the brain registers it as discomfort and searches for immediate, zero-friction dopamine (e.g. playing chess or checking Facebook). To break this loop:

When the impulse to distract strikes, do not struggle. Force yourself to close all tabs and sit doing **absolute silence for 5 minutes**. Do not read, do not scroll, do not code. Usually, the boredom will make your brain crave the stimulation of coding again.

Environmental Friction Rules

• Grayscale Phone Screen: Accessibility settings ➡️ Grayscale. Makes visual layouts incredibly dull to the brain.
• Log Out of Addictive Apps: Force a login screen block. Adding 10 seconds of password-entry friction halts automatic opening habits.
• Use The Parking Lot: When a new side-project idea occurs, immediately park it in a note instead of starting it.

The 2-Minute Execution Rule

If an incoming task (like replying to an email, confirming an event, or editing a config file) takes less than 2 minutes to complete, execute it immediately. Do not park it, do not dump it, do not add it to a backlog. The cognitive load of tracking it later is higher than the energy cost of doing it right now.

The Ivy Lee Method

At the end of each work session, write down the six most important things you need to accomplish tomorrow. Do not write more. Order these six items in terms of their true value and impact.

When you start work tomorrow, focus solely on the first task. Do not look at the others until the first one is completed. Repeat this sequence until you finish all six.