Using Linux daily on my MacBook Air is like taking a cold shower - a small act of discomfort that builds confidence. It's too early to say if my knowledge of computer systems is improving, but I can see my confidence soaring. Every morning is a pleasant reminder that I am choosing to use a system that pushes me to learn more. I sometimes have to tinker with things that work intuitively on macOS.
Once Linux was installed on my Mac, I was eager to solve my workflow to publish regularly - writing in a notebook, which worked well for regular journaling, was not translating into publishing. The biggest advantage of notebooks is that they are distraction-free by design. If I opened my notebook, it was just me and my notebook. I could scribble and doodle my time away, but I was forced to sit with my thoughts.
Zoho Writer, the word processor I use at work, wasn't working for me - I still couldn't focus. Maybe it was the buttons, the menus, the sheer number of options on the screen including opening other tabs? I needed a different solution. Suddenly, I was reminded of a software I had used a decade ago. Back then, struggling to make progress on a document, I convinced myself that I didn't have the right tool to write. A few Google searches later, I found FocusWriter, a writing tool designed purely for focus. It did the job, and I did complete the document on time. I remember feeling proud of myself - I had figured out a way to complete a massive writing task by using distraction-free writing software.
As luck would have it, it was available for Asahi Linux. As the software was being installed, I decided to read up on reviews of the software. I clicked on a review and the second paragraph titled Distraction-free, what? caught me off-guard. The author, Igor Ljubuncic, whose impressive list of achievements just left me in awe, writes -
"Before we actually test FocusWriter, I do need to focus [sic] on the phrase distraction-free. I don't like it. It's part of the modern jargon, the new generation fad where life is supposedly so full of distractions that people can't get things done - an easy excuse for underachieving and procrastination. I also don't really understand how and why are static toolbars in application menus somehow distracting. Why would a person not actually write? Who ever looks at the shiny buttons in a UI and gets lost there? Well apparently, this is a thing - even though it might be a solution to a problem that does not exist. But then, maybe there is some merit here."
It felt like I was hit by a brick. I quickly opened a blank document on Zoho Writer and stared at the screen. Am I really distracted by all these menu options? The answer was painfully obvious. I had been subconsciously blaming buttons and menu bars for my underachievement and procrastination. This was just another example of me creating a Knowing-Doing gap for myself. I barely needed to finish Igor's review - his rant on distraction-free was the jolt I needed.
I didn't need a new tool; I needed to take responsibility. I didn't need FocusWriter - I just needed to write. So I opened Zoho Writer and got to work.