Dopamine Detox : a short Guide to Remove Distractions and Get Your Brain to Do Hard Things

Beware of open systems
The activities with the biggest potential for distractions are usually
part of an open system.
What is an open system?
An open system is simply an application or situation that provides
you with a continuous and never-ending supply of external stimuli.
Some examples are emails, Facebook, YouTube, and, more
generally, the internet as a whole.
Whenever you enter an open system, you risk becoming
overstimulated. For instance, if the first thing you do in the morning is
to check Facebook, you might find yourself:
Scrolling down your newsfeed for no reason,
Watching one video after the next, or
Messaging a friend and entering a long conversation.

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Once you finally close Facebook, you might find yourself so
stimulated, you’ll struggle to begin work.
This is why you must guard against entering an open system—and
understand the risk you take if you do so. With open systems, there
is no end to reach, no point at which you can ever be finished, and
an almost infinite number of ways to become distracted. As a result,
you can end up wasting hours of your time each day. In short, open
systems create distractions. Instead, you should strive to design
closed systems.
What are closed systems?
These are systems that offer little or no room for distractions. As a
result, they force you to work on your task—and only on it. Some
examples are Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, or PowerPoint
presentations.
These days, I strive to open the file for the book I’m currently writing,
before doing anything else on my computer. I also avoid checking
my phone. In other words, I start my day with a closed system, and I
encourage you to do the same.
When you begin your working day with a closed system, you can
avoid becoming overstimulated, which will make it easier for you to
work on challenging tasks. And as you do so each day, you’ll feel
better and will want to work on even more tasks. So, perhaps one of
the biggest secrets to overcoming procrastination and becoming
more productive is to start your day with a closed system. This way,
you can avoid countless distractions.
Remember, what you do first thing in the morning matters far more
than you think. Just one tiny decision can have a dramatic effect on
your day’s productivity.
Action step

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Using your action guide, write down a few examples of open
systems that lead to you becoming distracted. Then, write down one
closed system you could implement to help you increase your
productivity.

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