Willpower fails. Systems win. BETA launch 🔥

I spent this summer building…

An app to help us get screen smarter.

Along the way, I learned something obvious but huge:

👉🏻 I cannot rely on my willpower.

Systems beat willpower all day, every day.

If I fight my willpower, I lose. And I feel inadequate.

If I design the right systems, I automate good decision-making.

The Digital Void

This week, I made a big architectural change to the unhookd app.

While testing, I created a Peek - a quick way to access a blocked app temporarily - for Instagram.

Set the duration to 2 minutes.
Chose my reason reason.
Got in. Easy.

Here’s what that looks like:

But… little did I know, I had introduced a bug. The timer never reset the block.

So, while working, I slipped through.

I fell into the digital void for 10+ minutes, scrolling endlessly. I didn’t even notice time passing.

It was the best validation I could ask for 😄 That moment reminded me why I’m building this!

Discipline on Easy Mode

Discipline is one of my core values. But the older I get, the more I realize:

Discipline is not about willpower. It’s about environmental design.

This morning I struggled to get out of bed. My body clearly needed more sleep. Instead of beating myself up for “no willpower,” I accepted it…

But, because I had packed my gym/work bag the night before, the second I got up I was ready to go.

No second guessing. No decision fatigue. No excuses.

That’s discipline on easy mode.

The same principle applies digitally: add friction where you need it, remove it where you don’t.

Not a Sales Pitch (But an Offer)

unhookd is nearly ready. The MVP is signed off, just some minor tweaks left.

This week I’m doing a BETA launch! 🎁 The first 10 testers to download the BETA app will get a free lifetime subscription!

👉 Sign up here

Your feedback will directly shape how people improve their digital health.

Plus, you’ll start getting unhookd this week, in time for the weekend.

Final Thoughts

Nothing annoys me more than slipping into the digital void.

One or two taps… suddenly ten minutes gone. And the guilt after? Not fun!

What about you? Do you ever get this feeling? Hit reply and let me know.

See you next week,
George

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