Separation of Work and Pleasure: My Path to Increased Productivity

Date: July 3, 2024

At 14 or 15 years old - I don't remember exactly - I bought a Mac for programming. Even then, it was clear to me that I needed a Unix system again (as a child I had Linux), and my current gaming PC was unsuitable for that.

However, programming was only one of the reasons for buying the Mac. I was very addicted to computer games at the time. I knew that with a Mac I could hardly play games anymore. If I really wanted to play, I could always use my father's laptop at the time, but that was not nearly as comfortable and nice as on my high-end gaming PC, which I had sold to afford the Mac. Through this difficulty of access - although it was still technically possible - gaming suddenly lost its appeal and was no longer as tempting as before. With this system, I managed to overcome my addiction. 

Disclaimer: I know addictions often cannot be overcome with such tricks; I don't want to say that someone is weak if my trick doesn't work. However, it worked for me.

Atomic Habits

With my modern knowledge (as of 2024), I can connect these thoughts of mine with the book Atomic Habits. I used all the rules the book has to offer:

My New Idea

A few years later, I'm still free from my gaming addiction and significantly more productive. However, I've noticed that I waste a lot of time with YouTube, Netflix, and similar platforms.

That's why I decided to apply my proven tactic again and strictly separate work and entertainment.

My Mac remains my work device, on which only work-related programs and files are stored. My few games are on an external hard drive that is only connected when needed. The crucial step, however, was to block all platforms like YouTube on my work device.

To still be able to access them occasionally, I loaded all the corresponding apps onto a cheap tablet that is kept in the closet. This makes access deliberately difficult and requires more effort. My brain is simply too lazy to constantly run to the closet, which has drastically reduced my usage time. After each use, the tablet is neatly stored back in the closet, so it's out of sight and out of mind.

- Marwin