When Tools Become Friction
About the days when I sit down to write but end up doing nothing but organizing my tools.
I sat down to write, but I’ve been choosing a font for 30 minutes. I’ve changed the line spacing twice and tidied up the color tokens once more. I haven’t written a single line, but the build log keeps getting longer.
Tools create friction. At first, I believe that refining the tools will lead to better results, but at some point the refining becomes the work itself. The tools take the place of the work I meant to do. If I don’t break away quickly, the day belongs to the tools.
So sometimes it’s better to write with a deliberately rough tool. Open a notes app, somewhere with no option to change the font, and just write. The friction should be in the thinking, not in the tool.