Embrace fewer tools to amplify creativity and focus

Ella’s desktop was a zoo: sticky notes plastered on her screen, three note-taking apps open, half a dozen Word docs nesting in folders. Every time she wanted to jot an idea, she hesitated—should it go in the notebook, the phone app, or her desktop file? She’d lose minutes and momentum.

One morning she pared down to just a small paper notebook for quick thoughts and her slip-box app for everything permanent. The relief was immediate. When inspiration struck on the train, she wrote in one place. Back at her desk, she transferred it straight into the slip-box without guessing where it belonged.

In a week, not only did she fill more cards in her slip-box, she finished a full draft of an article without staring at menus or dialogs. Her mind felt clearer, the process freer.

This is the power of straitjacketing your tools: by choosing less, you remove decision friction and let your creativity breathe.

First, list every app and notebook you use to capture ideas. Pick one for on-the-go notes and one for your slip-box, then disable or delete the rest. Stick with those two for a week and watch how quickly your note-taking and drafting regain flow. Try it tomorrow morning.