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📖 Reading time: 5 minutes
I want to tell you something most people will not say: your attention is not yours anymore. And that’s the reason you are not reaching your goals.
By the end of this letter, you will know how to take it back.
Everything starts with a hook
A hook is the first few seconds of a video. The first line of a book. The headline of the news.
If the hook is strong, you keep watching. You keep reading. And you stay hooked.
Hooked (adj.) → you can't stop looking at it.
Movies use hooks. TikTok uses hooks. Instagram, YouTube, ads, news — they all use hooks.
This is not all bad. The problem is what you are hooked on and for how long.
The wrong hooks are stealing your life
The average person spends 2.5 hours a day on social media.
That is 912 hours a year.
But you know in 912 hours, you can:
Learn a new language
Start a small business
Get in the best shape of your life
But most people use that time on memes, cat videos, celebrity videos, and endless scrolling.
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Think about a street magician. He steals your wallet in 3 steps:
The hook — he shows you a shiny coin.
The distraction — you watch and follow his hand. You don't see the other hand.
The theft — next thing you know your wallet is gone.
Social media does the same thing:
The hook — "Just one more video!"
The distraction — you scroll for 1 hour.
The theft — your time, focus, and energy are gone.
A magician steals your wallet. Apps steal your life.
And they $$$$$$ with your time and attention.
10K Steps Is a Myth–Try This Instead
When motivation is lacking, jumping into heavy routines is the fastest way to burn out. That’s why millions of people are turning to walking as the foundation of their fitness journey.
Walking lets you enjoy the outdoors, clear your head, and practice mindfulness. It’s simple, sustainable, and can support lasting weight loss if you know how much you need. The “10,000 steps a day” rule is outdated; everyone’s lifestyle is different.
With Simple, you’ll get access to habit-based coaching that’s helped users lose over 18 million pounds. Take the quiz to discover your personalized walking target.
3 ways to take your attention back
1. Fix your environment.
Unfollow accounts that waste your time. Turn off notifications. Follow people who teach you something.
2. Use the 2-minute rule.
If something good takes less than 2 minutes, do it now. Read one page.
Listen to one podcast. Small wins grow into big change.
3. Spend time on high-value activities.
Read. Exercise. Practice English. Learn a skill. The more you do good things, the less you want bad ones.
Your challenge for the next 24 hours
Every time you pick up your phone, ask:
"Is this helping me or hurting me?"
If the answer is "hurting me," close the app.
Read for 5 minutes instead.
Small change → big results.
If you made it to the end of this letter, comment how long it took you to read it.
Thanks for reading,
Ziyad at theenglishzone.co
Social media is a magician