I'm a fan of John Cleese's theory of "open" and "closed" modes of thought: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijtQP9nwrQA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijtQP9nw

I'm a fan of John Cleese's theory of "open" and "closed" modes of thought: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijtQP9nwrQA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijtQP9nwrQA While his idea of being "creative" (as a writer & performer) is perhaps different than mine (as a programmer), I still find his advice helpful in giving myself space for creativity. Sure, some days it's best for me to just buckle down on serious work and crank things out (the "closed" mode, as it were). But my best work comes from the days when I don't feel the need to punish myself for making mistakes or for letting my mind wander. Being in the "open" mode does require freedom from distraction, but it also requires breaks and must be very clearly time-boxed in order to succeed. I'd be afraid that, in attempting to "let go" of distraction and procrastination permanently, I'd be fating myself to a life in the "closed" mode, where nothing is more important than my productivity and everything (even boredom) has the potential to get in its way.