How To Attack Bad Habits With Inconvenience (DIGITAL VERSION)

[mikecarlooch]

Question - how many times have you tried to stop yourself from going on websites that just screw up your entire life because you just can't stop?

How many times in your life have you felt like total crap after wasting 2-3 hours watching WWE videos or UFC highlights, or MrBeast brain rot?

Cold Turkey..
Freedom..

Do they work? Temporarily.

The problem is, you can turn them off so easily.

As @MJ DeMarco says in Unscripted - we need to attack bad habits with inconvenience.

This means it CANNOT be easy to DO the bad habit.

One of the biggest frustrations many of us have had that stops us from being able to be productive and focus is that it's very difficult to find one of those ways to turn off brain rot websites like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, etc.

They make it very hard (why wouldn't they?)

But there is a way, to block a website and make it extremely inconvenient to get back on it.

It lies in the clunky files and command prompts in your computer:

View: https://youtu.be/U4kik-iNCQ8?si=UP1h9CdsxMAeyYvm


The trick is to do this one time for each website you want to block (it's super inconvenient) and then forget about it.

It'll be like when you want to get ice cream but you have to drive to the store. If you want to go on YouTube or TikTok you need to go through all these clunky files and do it.

Google stuff! If you have a problem with going on YouTube on your safari even after deleting the app and watching shorts, google how to block youtube from your safari completely!

Hope this helps someone, I wish I figured this out years ago.

Example just now: I blocked YouTube after watching that video, so I can't even click on the video here on the forum or on google or bing and watch it. YouTube is blocked and I forgot totally how to turn it back on already.

 

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[DoTheWork]

Here are some other ways that I use to turn this up I notch:

• Have a second phone that is wifi-only where you can keep any tempting apps installed. Sometimes I NEED to use YouTube or Instagram for something, but unblocking and reinstalling the app on my main phone can open up problems again.
  • Every extra level of difficulty makes a difference. Disconnect this second phone from your wifi so you need to manually type in your wifi password each time you want to use it. Eventually your brain will decide it's not worth the trouble.
• Use a minimalist phone launcher. No icons, colors, or distractions. See my photos below. That's my home screen and apps list.

 

[amp0193]

I've got my tirgger sites blocked in the host file like in the vid (sometimes this site goes in there when I need to focus on an important task/project that I don't want to do).

It's extra annoying in my case because windows won't let me edit the host file without disabling the anti-virus software, which requires a password input to disable.

It is inconvenient enough that it keeps me from wasting time. But easy enough to undo if I actually need to access that website for some productive purpose.

On my iphone, I block reddit behind a screentime passcode that I don't know what it is. The only way to reset the passcode is to wipe and reset my phone. Needless to say... not something I do often, and my life is better for it.

 

[mikecarlooch]

Here are some other ways that I use to turn this up I notch:

• Have a second phone that is wifi-only where you can keep any tempting apps installed. Sometimes I NEED to use YouTube or Instagram for something, but unblocking and reinstalling the app on my main phone can open up problems again.
  • Every extra level of difficulty makes a difference. Disconnect this second phone from your wifi so you need to manually type in your wifi password each time you want to use it. Eventually your brain will decide it's not worth the trouble.
• Use a minimalist phone launcher. No icons, colors, or distractions. See my photos below. That's my home screen and apps list.

View attachment 55605
View attachment 55604

Do they have this for IPhone?

 

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[mikecarlooch]

On my iphone, I block reddit behind a screentime passcode that I don't know what it is. The only way to reset the passcode is to wipe and reset my phone. Needless to say... not something I do often, and my life is better for it.

This is good... Great idea

 

[random_username]

Question - how many times have you tried to stop yourself from going on websites that just screw up your entire life because you just can't stop?

How many times in your life have you felt like total crap after wasting 2-3 hours watching WWE videos or UFC highlights, or MrBeast brain rot?

Cold Turkey..
Freedom..

Do they work? Temporarily.

The problem is, you can turn them off so easily.

As @MJ DeMarco says in Unscripted - we need to attack bad habits with inconvenience.

This means it CANNOT be easy to DO the bad habit.

One of the biggest frustrations many of us have had that stops us from being able to be productive and focus is that it's very difficult to find one of those ways to turn off brain rot websites like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, etc.

They make it very hard (why wouldn't they?)

But there is a way, to block a website and make it extremely inconvenient to get back on it.

It lies in the clunky files and command prompts in your computer:

View: https://youtu.be/U4kik-iNCQ8?si=UP1h9CdsxMAeyYvm


The trick is to do this one time for each website you want to block (it's super inconvenient) and then forget about it.

It'll be like when you want to get ice cream but you have to drive to the store. If you want to go on YouTube or TikTok you need to go through all these clunky files and do it.

Google stuff! If you have a problem with going on YouTube on your safari even after deleting the app and watching shorts, google how to block youtube from your safari completely!

Hope this helps someone, I wish I figured this out years ago.

Example just now: I blocked YouTube after watching that video, so I can't even click on the video here on the forum or on google or bing and watch it. YouTube is blocked and I forgot totally how to turn it back on already.

It's not clunky, it's just the way computers work. Hosts files are available in every OS, this works in Windows, MacOS and Linux. There are other apps that can do that "less clunky" but you are sacrificing security of your computer for something that takes you 5 minutes to learn. Theoretically it would work in Android and iOS, but to get access there, you need to root your phone, which is idiotic, I hope nobody does that. One problem is that this is super easy to turn off for someone who is at least basically comfortable with command line. I personally add about 1k newlines and then add those lines, so I have to manually scroll to get to enable something.

For apps on your phone just delete or disable them, and then allow them only when you need them. For everything else, on Android there is extreme power saving mode which disables almost everything, or Focus mode which you can set up for your liking. You could even turn your screen grayscale to use everything less. I just throw my phone somewhere where I can't see it, and I haven't turned sounds on in years, but that might not work for people with family to take care of.

 

[Johnny boy]

Why does one man ‘need’ to make bad things inconvenient while another man can be sitting right next to it and have no problem refraining?

His beliefs. Deep, usually unconscious, subtle beliefs… They are usually connected in odd ways. Most people do not even understand their own beliefs. You could even notice it, explain it back to someone and they would not even admit that they had that belief.

When your beliefs change, your behaviors change.

It is simple to change all habits.

I stopped drinking, having caffeine, any porn, I take no stimulants, I dumped my girlfriend I was having sex with, I avoid procrastination, I go to the gym every scheduled day, I work 16 hours a day and only relax for a few hours on Sunday.

This comes from a change in beliefs.

I don’t have to hide things away from myself.

If you ‘want’ to avoid something, but you do it anyway, you are saying it is good to do in a way.

You are saying “this is actually good to do because it feels good, and in this moment, feeling good is more important than anything else”.

You can also just look at the actions you’re doing and realize how embarrassing it is.

Imagine seeing yourself doing what you’re doing. Aren’t you embarrassed? Isn’t it pathetic? Then stop immediately.

 

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[DoTheWork]

Do they have this for IPhone?

I doubt Apple would let you change the UI like that, unfortunately.

 

[Antifragile]

Question - how many times have you tried to stop yourself from going on websites that just screw up your entire life because you just can't stop?

If only there was something humans had between our ears that could help us make decisions?

Hmm ….


Jokes aside, Johnny Boy above nailed it.

Changing habits is impossible unless you can change your beliefs. Who are you? Are you the kind of person who struggles all the time and can’t quit a simple website? Or are you a leader creating amazing things and have no time for time wasting activities?


When you create your “I want” list. It’s exactly like it sounds, list all the things you want from life… at that time, will you be able to spend time on websites that “ruin your life”?

How the F*ck are you supposed to find the time?

Edit: put it another way. Can you imagine an Olympic athlete in training stopping mid set to check on some website? Getting totally distracted? Or an NHL player during playoffs game, while sitting on a bench waiting for his ice time “just checking this website folks, I’ll be right there”. It sounds ludicrous, doesn’t it?