Friction

I had to remove my TV from my room. It just was way too easy to get sucked into the world of video games. Propped up against some pillows, the lights dimmed, and my PS4 controller within reach, it took between 3-5 seconds for me to go from “dark room, ready for bed” to “nighttime gaming session.” You can guess, my sleep suffered. I tried to set schedules. I had a book on my nightstand as if that would entice me to change my habits. It didn’t matter. Falling into this trap was as simple as sitting down.

I had to build friction.

Why do people spend so much time on social media? Yes, we can spend a while talking about how it is designed to keep us glued to our screens. However, the first step is going and clicking on the app in the first place. Where is your Instagram icon located on your smartphone? How easily are you able to access TikTok or Reddit?

When you want to stop a habit, you have to build friction.

Cal Newport suggests in his book Digital Minimalism that we actually would be best to delete social media apps off of our phones. We can use these services intentionally through other means if we need to, for example, see pictures on Facebook of someone’s wedding. However, the more we are able to reduce the ease at which we grab our phones will help us live a deeper and more fulfilling life.

And building good habits? James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says it best:

Whether a response occurs depends on how motivated you are and how much friction is associated with the behavior. If a particular action requires more physical or mental effort than you are willing to expend, then you won’t do it.

James Clear – How to Start Habits that Actually Stick

It’s great you want to go to the gym. Are your clothes laid out? Are your shoes ready by the door?
Journaling is a great habit. Do you have time set aside in the morning or evening to do so? Do you have your pen and notebook ready?

There are simple tasks that take an initial effort, but make the repeatability so much easier.

To build a habit, you need to remove friction.

I still have a ways to go when it comes to how easily I can sit down and play video games. It’s still one button and my PlayStation powers on and all of my favorite games are instantly accessible. Perhaps I need to start hiding the remote…