How can I avoid distractions and stay focused?

Productivity
,
1

This is what happening with me, every time, things are distracting me like

Chess game
Social media /reels/YouTube shorts

Because of these, I lost my productive time

And every time, new distractions came out

And I don’t even know that this is the restriction like

Rather than making a store testing products, making money, what I do is research researching about how Steve Jobs become so productive and how Elon musk works all that I do and most of the time I got distracted by my own Phone I am in iOS user

How can I make my day focus?

How can I spot that this is the distraction?

The problem with me is my product research is on Instagram, so for the product research scrolling is necessary

Tell me, is this distraction or not? Researching about Steve Jobs/Elon musk

How can I know this is distraction by my own?

2

I think the important thing is to separate the tool from the way you’re using the tool.

Instagram isn’t automatically a distraction if product research is part of your work. The problem starts when you open Instagram to research products but end up watching Reels, researching Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, etc. for an hour without moving your store forward.

A simple test I use is: “Is what I’m doing right now directly helping me complete the task I planned?”

Before opening Instagram, set a specific goal, for example: “I’m going to find 10 potential products in 30 minutes.” Then stop when you’ve reached the goal.

You can also use iPhone Screen Time/app limits and reduce the content you don’t actually need. The goal isn’t necessarily to eliminate Instagram, it’s to make it harder to drift from product research → entertainment.

On Instagram itself, you can also train the algorithm to show you more of what you want and less of what you don’t:

  • When you see irrelevant content (Reels, motivational videos, etc.), tap the 3 dots (⋯) → select “Not Interested”
  • Use “Interested” on product research content you actually want more of
  • Unfollow or mute accounts that consistently distract you
  • Search and engage more with product research keywords (this helps the algorithm adjust faster)
  • Avoid spending time on Reels if your goal is research — Reels heavily shape your feed

Over time, Instagram will start aligning more with your behavior, but only if you’re intentional about what you interact with.

And honestly, researching how Steve Jobs or Elon Musk became productive can itself become a form of procrastination if you’re using it instead of doing the work. You probably don’t need another productivity strategy you need to start testing products.

3

whats my mentality become is watching about elon musk and steve jobs is good for me it makes me knowledgeable…

and also this helps me for increased knowledge

but from the bottom of my heart i know i am doing wrong…

i have wasted 3 months on it mo progress

anything in mindset level

4

I believe that you have already identify the key thing yourself.

From the bottom of my heart I know I am doing wrong.

Watching Elon Musk or Steve Jobs isn’t necessarily bad. Learning isn’t bad either. The problem is when learning becomes a substitute for doing.

There is a big difference between:

“This is useful knowledge.”

and

Is this useful for what I need to accomplish right now?

You can spend another 3 months learning about successful people and become more knowledgeable, but still have zero progress on your store.

Maybe try changing the question in your head from:

Is this helping me become more knowledgeable?

to:

Is this helping me move my store forward today?

And don’t try to fix your entire mindset overnight. Give yourself a very small rule:

Every day, I must do one uncomfortable action that directly moves my business forward before I consume motivational/productivity content.

For example: research 5 products, contact a supplier, build a product page, run a test, analyze an ad, etc.

If you’ve already lost 3 months, don’t spend the next month feeling guilty about those 3 months. Use them as proof that your current approach isn’t working.

You don’t need to become Elon Musk. You need to become the person who actually takes the next step on their own store.

Knowledge is valuable. Applied knowledge is what creates progress.

5

One more thought: if you’ve identified that execution is where you’re getting stuck, you don’t necessarily have to do every single task yourself.

There’s nothing wrong with learning and understanding your business, but you can also leverage people who are already good at the parts you struggle with.

For example, you can decide what product you want to test and why, while someone experienced helps you with the store setup, product page, technical work, or other execution.

That way, you’re still learning but as well you’re not waiting until you become an expert at everything before you start moving.

Sometimes the fastest way to learn is actually to work alongside someone who has already done it, rather than spending months trying to figure out every piece alone.

Incase you’re still curious if you had to pick just one area you feel is holding you back the most right now (product selection, store setup, or actually launching/testing), which one would it be?

6

I am a beginner i dont wanna waste money on hiring someone

I leave social media endless scrolling only do scrolling for product research

7

That’s fair. Honestly, if you’re a beginner and you haven’t even validated a product yet, I wouldn’t rush you to spend money hiring someone either.

And if you’ve managed to stop the endless scrolling and you’re now using social media specifically for product research, that’s already a big improvement.

The thing I’d watch now is whether “product research” has become another form of endless research.

Give yourself a clear finish line.

For example:

30–45 minutes → find 5–10 products → write down why you think each could work → stop researching → take one action.

The goal isn’t to find the “perfect” product. It’s to get to the point where you actually test something.

You can learn everything yourself at this stage. Just don’t let “I’m still learning” become a reason to postpone launching for another 3 months.

And when you eventually reach a point where you’re stuck on something technical or time consuming, then you can decide whether it’s worth paying someone. There’s no need to spend money before you know what you actually need help with, and i will be here to help you anytime, anyday.

8

Thank you

I know that I am wasting my time

To research about all the successful people

What the thing is, I got manipulated by myself

I myself manipulated that I get the knowledge from the research

And the knowledge is actually helping me

But the problem is, I infinity searching

Rather than making money

I am completely distracted

And I am struggling, I don’t know what to do

9

I think you’ve actually figured out the problem now.

The knowledge isn’t the enemy. The infinite loop is.

You research – you feel productive – you feel like you’re improving – you research more – but you don’t have to face the uncertainty of actually testing something.

So don’t try to completely change your personality or stop learning. Just put a boundary between learning and doing.

For the next 7 days, try this:

1. No motivational/productivity research before doing your business work.

2. Give product research a fixed time limit. For example, 45 minutes. When the timer ends, research stops, even if you haven’t found the “perfect” product.

3. Every day, you must produce one tangible result.
A product shortlisted, a product page created, a supplier contacted, an ad prepared, a test launched, etc.

4. At the end of the day, ask yourself one question:

“What did I actually create or test today?”

Not how much you learned. Not how many videos you watched. What changed because I took action?

And if you catch yourself opening another video about Elon Musk, don’t beat yourself up. Just recognize it:

“I’m looking for more knowledge because taking action feels uncomfortable.”

Then close it and do the smallest next task.

You’ve already spent 3 months in the research loop. Don’t spend another 3 months trying to research your way out of it.

You don’t need more motivation right now. You need a small amount of action repeated every day. Start with one task today friend.

10

Bro, if you can help me, I’m stuck

What happened is? I am doing a product research and I have some products.

And what I do is first check demand on Facebook ads before ordering any inventory

What I do is, I ran at ads on Facebook

Then, if I got the result, then I order the inventory

So I’m confused on my first batch of testing

In India, what happened is the market is cash on delivery

So I have to check the delivery data

For that, I have to order a minimum inventory

So I am confused, what should be my minimum first batch inventory?

Like if I order product less pieces

I get that product more more expensive

So that I am confused

I the course of someone

But in that course, asked me to buy one more course that is out of my budget

How can I learn this game myself?

11

Bro Yes, his is something you can learn without buying another course.

And I think the confusion is coming from trying to answer “How many pieces should I buy?” before calculating “How much am I willing to risk to validate this product?”

For your first test, I wouldn’t choose the quantity based only on getting a lower per-unit price.

I would work backwards:

1. Decide your maximum testing budget.
This should be money you’re genuinely comfortable risking if the product doesn’t work.

2. Calculate your landed cost per unit.
Product + shipping to you + packaging + any other unavoidable costs.

3. Estimate your selling price and margin.

4. Consider COD/RTO.
With COD (Cash on Delivery), the customer pays only when the product is delivered, not in advance. This often leads to higher uncertainty because not every order converts into a successful paid delivery.
With RTO (Return to Origin), it means the shipment is returned back to the seller (or warehouse) if the customer refuses delivery, is unreachable, or cancels at the doorstep. You still pay shipping costs for both forward and return movement, which directly impacts profit.

So COD orders are not equal to confirmed sales, and RTO is a key hidden cost you must factor in.

Then you can calculate how many units you can realistically afford for the first batch.

For example, if your maximum risk budget is ₹20,000 and your landed cost is ₹400, you obviously shouldn’t order 100 units just because the supplier gives you a better price. You might decide that a smaller batch is worth paying a little more per unit while you validate the delivery/order economics.

Also, your Facebook ads can tell you whether people are interested enough to click/order, but they can’t fully validate your COD delivery economics until you actually ship.

So I’d separate the testing into two questions:

Demand test: Will people actually want/order this product?

Fulfillment test: Can I deliver those orders profitably, including COD/RTO?

Once you have those numbers, your first inventory decision becomes much easier.

12

Okay, i understand

Can you tell me the process of product research?

Like what I do is check, what’s viral on foreign market in USA, UK etc

Then check the availability in India

If the product is easily available, I skip the product

If not And, it is viral on foreign market

Then I Test demand through Facebook ads

Then, if I get a good matrix, then I order inventory

Like for product research

What are the steps to validate the product?

What are the free resources for product research?

13

Yes bro. Your current process is not completely wrong, I’d just add a few steps so you don’t spend money testing products that look viral but aren’t actually good opportunities for your market.

I would think about product validation in this order:

1. Find potential products
Look at TikTok/Instagram/Facebook, Meta Ad Library, Amazon best sellers, Google Trends, competitor stores, etc. Don’t look only for products that are viral. Look for products that solve a clear problem or create a strong desire.

2. Check the Indian market
Search Amazon India, Flipkart, Instagram, Google, etc. Check:

  • Are people already buying it?
  • What are competitors charging?
  • What complaints do customers have?
  • Is there room to differentiate?

And I wouldn’t automatically reject a product just because it’s available in India. Competition can actually be evidence that there is demand. The question is whether you have a reason to sell it differently/better.

3. Check the economics BEFORE running ads
Calculate:

Selling price − product cost − shipping − packaging − payment/COD costs − expected RTO/returns − ad cost = potential profit.

If the numbers don’t work on paper, don’t waste money testing it.

4. Check demand
Now use your Facebook/Instagram ads to see whether real people are interested enough to click, visit the product page and place orders.

Don’t judge the product only by likes or cheap clicks. You’re looking for buyer behaviour.

5. Test fulfillment
This is especially important in India because of COD. Once you start getting real orders, measure:

  • confirmation rate
  • delivered rate
  • RTO rate
  • actual cost per delivered order
  • profit per delivered order

6. Then decide inventory
Only after you have enough information about demand + delivery economics should you increase inventory.

Free resources you should start with

Meta Ad Library: see what businesses are currently advertising.

Google Trends: check whether interest is growing, declining, seasonal, or just a temporary spike.

Amazon/Flipkart: understand existing demand, pricing and customer complaints.

TikTok/Instagram/YouTube: useful for discovering products, but don’t confuse virality with validation.

Reddit/Quora: useful for finding people’s actual problems and complaints.

And one important mindset change:

Don’t ask “Is this product viral?”

Ask:

“Is there a painful problem/desire, are people willing to pay for a solution, can I acquire them profitably, and can I deliver it profitably in India?”

That’s much closer to actual product validation.

You don’t need another course to understand that framework. Start testing small, record your numbers, and let your own data teach you what works.