For more than two decades, I’ve had a daily ritual: scanning tech news to catch the latest trends in the web industry. Hacker News quickly became my go-to source—it’s by far my favorite daily read. Every day, an endless stream of fascinating articles gets shared, covering every imaginable topic. The sheer variety constantly fuels my curiosity, sometimes leaving me deep in thought during any spare moment—and, admittedly, occasionally a little lost in those thoughts.

This constant exposure is also a wellspring of creativity. The “Show HN” section, for instance, is where people put their passion projects and prototypes out into the world, seeking feedback or just engaging with the community. Watching these creators share what they’ve built is incredibly motivating. It keeps my outlook positive and sparks new ideas almost daily.

But there’s a flipside: news burnout. I’ve found myself endlessly consuming content, almost addicted to the flow of updates. Take a look at the weekly screen time report on my iPhone and Mac—my top app is NetNewsWire: rock-solid, lightning-fast, totally free, and always quietly working in the background. It’s almost too easy to get caught up in this constant feed.

There’s a parallel in how we use Instagram. Have you ever fallen into the trap—scrolling through Reels, only to look up and realize you’ve lost hours to random, forgettable content? I was always wary of Instagram for privacy reasons and its tendency toward overexposure. Still, a few years ago, my wife started sending me Reels—fun snippets about our projects or memories. Before I knew it, checking Reels became a routine, especially after I’d finished reading the day’s news. Sometimes I’d use Instagram to hunt for ideas, whether for house makeovers or just cool things to build—but their algorithm is engineered to keep you hooked. Two hours later, you come up empty-handed, with nothing actionable to show for it.

I’ve realized that being efficient in daily life relies on three things:

• Allocated, focused time
• A distraction-free environment
• Regular breaks between tasks

For a while, I had none of these. I kept piling more onto my schedule. About six months ago, I made the decision to slow down, reclaim focused time, and breathe a little deeper. My goal: accomplish things in a more intentional, targeted way. Yet, I noticed another crucial factor—choosing what truly interests me.

Looking at my personal to-do list sometimes feels like peeking into an untouched storage box—cluttered, neglected, gathering dust. Holidays would come, and I’d tell myself, “This time, I’ll tackle those lingering tasks!” But routines would resume, and those ambitions drifted to the background, replaced by a mental loop of half-formed plans.

In recent months, I’ve started to face this cycle head-on. I’m learning to make clearer decisions about where to invest my time and energy, and giving myself space to actually create and finish things that matter to me.