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Promise Uzoechi

Solo Devs: How Do You Escape the "Work Vortex"

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The hardest part of building alone? Fighting your brain’s addiction to distractions.


I’ve lost days to:

  • Refactoring code that already works

  • Calling Reddit/HN doomscrolling “tech research”

  • Endless npm package debates (yes, I use tabs over spaces)

What barely works:

  • Blocking rabbit holes (Ashdeck kills my YouTube/Reddit addiction)

  • Shipping code so janky it’d make Uncle Bob faint

But the vortex still drags me back.

How do you stay on track?

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Rohan Chaubey

Hey Promise!


Distractions are everywhere. I’ve been there — “researching” on HN / X / Reddit for hours.


What’s helped me:

  • ruthless timeboxing (25-min sprints, no exceptions — thanks @nireyal)

  • a barebones task list (3 must-dos max)

  • and site blockers (not just willpower)

Perfection’s a trap, just ship it! Experiment and optimize. :)

Hussein

@nireyal @rohanrecommends Task Lists for the day are a underrated. People tend to write big To-Do Lists and find themeselves never starting, because it is too much or they feel overhelmed. Having the three most important ones is better and if you have time left, perfect, then you can do more.

Tania Bell / Product Delights

apart from trying Ashdeck ;), one thing that works is introspection - try to understand why you'd rather spend your time on these distractions. that really helps. there are free resources that can help - the school of life YT channel is great

Hussein

As a solo dev, distractions can be a real beast. One thing that helps me stay on track is setting really clear, small goals each day and rewarding myself when I hit them—kind of like a mini-celebration to keep the motivation high. Additionally, Setting deadlines helps staying on track and not wasting any time.

dev.bearjb

I'm having the same experience 🥲
Breaking your tasks into smaller chunks and going for frequent “small wins” helps keep you focused on the core work instead of wasting energy elsewhere. Of course, you’ll sometimes need to fix those annoying details, but setting a strict time limit really helps—like “I’ll give this 30 minutes and then get back to my main task.”


Ultimately, it’s about building the right routine and staying motivated. If you actively block distractions and regularly check (and record) your progress, it starts to become a habit. Even if you’re working solo, having a system to hold yourself accountable can make a huge difference! 🔥

Hussein

@mocus Love this 👌