I realised I don’t have a focus problem - I have a setup problem.

For a while I thought I just couldn’t focus.
I’d sit down to study or work, full of motivation… and then lose half of it before I even started.

The problem wasn’t distraction, it was setup friction.
Every session started with the same routine:

Opening notes, spreadsheets, timers, and docs

Hunting for the right tab or file

Setting up my music, environment, etc.

By the time I was “ready,” my brain had already burned through the energy I was supposed to use for the real work.

A few months ago I started experimenting with ways to make that setup phase automatic; checklists, scripts, templates, even a small prototype that opens everything I need for a task in one click.

What surprised me is how much easier focus feels when you remove the decisions before the work.
It’s not about willpower; it’s about designing an environment that starts you already in flow.

I’m curious:

How do you reduce the friction between “I should work” and actually starting?

Have you found any tricks or routines that make getting into focus smoother?

Would love to hear how other builders handle this.