Foundation, clear thinking and learning, in practice

In an earlier post I wrote about three things: strong foundation, clear thinking and continuous learning.

But I didn’t get into the practical details. So here they are, from what I’ve actually done myself.

Strong foundation

I tracked when my bad decisions show up. The pattern: not enough sleep, skipped meals, and right after scrolling that makes me feel insecure.

What I changed:

  • My bedtime is locked. I don’t wait for work to be finished.
  • Morning exercise. Not for my body, for my head.
  • Prayer is a daily anchor, not something I do when I have time.
  • When I’m tired or emotional, I’m not allowed to make decisions. I put them off.

A foundation isn’t about adding new habits. It’s about no longer making decisions when you’re in bad shape.

Clear thinking

Clear thinking means auditing everything that goes into your head. What I did:

  • Deleted TikTok and Instagram, and cut back on YouTube Shorts. If I need them, I open them on my laptop.
  • Deleted apps I hadn’t opened in the last 2 weeks, except the admin ones (like the BPJS social security app and mobile banking).
  • My home screen only has apps that help me focus on my main work.
  • Bills? All on auto-payment. Including saving and monthly budgeting.

So my brain isn’t busy dealing with things that can run on their own.

About screen time: I know it isn’t easy, especially if your work involves a lot of coordination.

But try this: only pick up your phone when you have a specific intention. Want to reply to a chat? Reply to the chat. Done, put it back down.

Idle time? Better to be bored. Better to think. Better to do anything at all, rather than opening your phone as your default escape. Little by little, your screen time drops on its own.

One thing that often gets overlooked is notifications. Try counting how many times your phone buzzed today. Every buzz, your brain switches. Every switch takes time to get your focus back.

So I audited the apps on my phone and laptop:

  • Apps I haven’t opened in 2 weeks? Uninstalled.
  • Discord, Telegram, groups that aren’t crucial? Notifications off, or moved to the laptop.
  • My phone is a communication tool. Not an escape when I’m bored.

Continuous learning

I stopped taking classes that aren’t connected to the projects I’m working on right now.

There’s just 1 filter: where will I use this in the next 90 days? If there’s no answer, it goes on the wishlist. Not a priority.

And a test for specific knowledge: if tomorrow you had to teach 1 thing with no preparation, what would you be most ready for? That’s your starting point.

None of this is glamorous

Enough sleep, deleting apps, putting off decisions when you’re tired, learning what connects to your work. It all looks trivial.

But when you think about it, what keeps you stuck isn’t the big things either. It’s the small things that pile up every day and never get cleaned up.