My phone is why I have a garage full of half-done projects

I keep seeing people talk about never finishing what they start, and I think phones are a big part of it. Last month, I was painting a bookshelf I found at a thrift store. I had the primer on and was ready for the color coat. Then I got a notification about a sale online, so I looked it up. Before I knew it, I was browsing for an hour and the paint dried all lumpy. Now the shelf is just sitting there, ugly and unfinished. It feels like my phone always pulls me away right when I'm getting somewhere. I wonder if setting it to silent or putting it in a drawer would help. Maybe others have tips for staying focused without these distractions.

2 comments

2 Comments

felixh455d ago

But what if the phone is just an easy thing to blame? In my experience, people got distracted by other stuff long before phones were everywhere. Could be that learning to use it for project timers or quick how-to videos might help you finish things instead.

cameronb974d ago

Remember reading about how phone apps are literally designed to hook your brain in ways old distractions weren't. Saw this article where a designer said they use triggers for "intermittent rewards," like checking for likes, which is way more addictive than just daydreaming out a window. So yeah, people always got sidetracked, but now the distraction machine is in your pocket and built to keep you there. It can be a tool if you fight the design, like you said with timers, but that's the real battle, not just the device itself.