16 Hours Gone: My Wake-Up Call on Focus
Last week was, by all accounts, productive. I knocked out important tasks, stayed focused through multiple meetings, and hit some key benchmarks. But despite everything I accomplished, I walked away with a lingering thought: It could have been more.
That realization didn’t come from a place of dissatisfaction or burnout—it came from a place of curiosity and self-awareness. I started wondering what it would look like if I intentionally packed more value into each day. So this week, I began pushing myself to see just how much I could truly get done.
Now, don’t get me wrong, life throws plenty of curveballs throughout the day. Random distractions are real. People walk into your office, texts come in, and unexpected issues arise. But for my high-priority projects, I’ve developed a routine that helps me zone in: I shut my door, set my Pomodoro timer for focused sprints, and get busy. When I do this, I can lock in and move mountains.
I usually arrive at the office between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m., long before most people have hit snooze on their alarms. And even when I leave in the evening, I still feel sharp, with about 35 to 40% of my “battery” left. But last week, something felt off. One day in particular, I got a low battery warning far earlier than usual—physically and mentally. Before I even made it to my car, my phone had died. That was unusual.
Curious, I started digging.
First, I discovered that my mobile hotspot had been running on my phone all day, connected to my laptop, slowly draining my battery like a slow leak in a tire. Problem identified, right? But while I was poking around, I stumbled on something that gave me an even bigger shock: My weekly phone usage report.
In the past 7 days, I had spent 16 hours on social media apps.
Sixteen hours out of 168. That’s nearly a full waking day lost to scrolling. Granted, part of my role does require posting and engaging online. But the number didn’t lie, and I knew I had been pulled into those rabbit holes far too often.
There was one night that stood out in my memory like a flashing neon sign. I got home, had dinner, and sat down to relax. I opened TikTok “just for a minute”... next thing I knew, it was 2:00 a.m.
That night alone robbed me of energy the next day. And it made me wonder: How many people are silently losing hours of productivity, not realizing the mental drain that comes from scrolling?
Let’s be honest, social media is designed to be addictive. Endless content, infinite scroll, dopamine-triggering likes and follows. It’s a digital trap, and even the most focused among us can fall into it.
As I reflected, I was reminded of Napoleon Hill’s powerful book Outwitting the Devil. In it, Hill talks about the concept of drifting, that mental state where you move aimlessly from one thing to another without intention or purpose. According to Hill, only 2% of people break free from drifting and live a focused, intentional life.
That hit me hard. Because that 16 hours of social media time? That was drifting.
It wasn’t purposeful. It wasn’t productive. It wasn’t part of my mission.
So this week, I’ve decided to revisit Outwitting the Devil as part of my reading list. Not because I’m beating myself up over wasted time, but because I’m recommitting to staying sharp. Because I believe I was meant to be a thinker, a builder, a doer, not a drifter.
There’s a massive, infinite ocean of opportunity waiting out there. But you only reach it by staying in the zone, not floating wherever the current takes you.
Social media can be a powerful tool if used with intention, but left unchecked, it will quietly steal your energy, your time, and your dreams. I’m not here to say we should eliminate it completely. But I am saying we should be aware.
So here’s my challenge to you, and to myself:
Take a look at your screen time report.
Ask yourself if those hours reflect your true priorities.
Then set a timer, close the door, and get in the zone.
Because the difference between a good week and a great one often comes down to how much time you spent drifting… versus how much time you spent doing.
Let’s stop drifting and start dominating.