Meet the 30‑day Constraint Diet

A Constraint Diet is a short, focused experiment: for 30 days you deliberately limit your options to boost momentum and creativity. The rules are simple:

• One app: a single place to plan and track.
• One tool: the core instrument you’ll use (pen, IDE, camera, piano—whatever your craft needs).
• One hour: a daily, protected block to do the work.

Constraints sound restrictive, but they’re rocket fuel. With fewer choices, you spend less time deciding and more time creating. Boundaries give your brain a clear sandbox to play in.

Why it works

• Less friction: No dithering over tools or tabs. You just start.
• Deep focus: A predictable hour cues your brain for flow.
• Better ideas: Limits force inventive solutions (think “one lens” photographers who become masters of composition).
• Measurable progress: Same inputs daily make outcomes easier to track and improve.

How to run your 30‑day experiment

1. Pick one domain
   Choose a single area that matters this month: writing, coding, design, content, study, fitness programming, music—just one.
2. Choose your “one app”
   Keep it simple. A plain notebook is fine. If you prefer digital, use a lightweight planner that doesn’t invite rabbit holes. Many readers use Meloplan to plan a 30‑day goal and tick off daily sessions because it’s clean and keeps you honest without the fluff.
3. Choose your “one tool”
   Examples:
   • Writer: a single A5 notebook and one pen, or one document template.
   • Developer: one editor, one language, minimise libraries.
   • Designer: one sketchbook or one design app, one colour palette.
   • Photographer: one prime lens.
   • Musician: one instrument, one scale set per week.
4. Lock in your “one hour”
   Same time daily if possible (e.g., 6:30–7:30am). Put it in your calendar, set Do Not Disturb, tell your household or team. If an hour feels scary, start with 40 minutes and build.
5. Define the rules
   Write a short contract with yourself:
   • Purpose of the 30 days.
   • My one app, one tool, one hour.
   • What counts as a successful session (e.g., 600 words drafted, one bug crushed, one sketch completed).
   • Two “joker” passes for genuine emergencies—use and move on.
6. Set simple metrics
   Track inputs and outputs:
   • Input: Did I show up for the hour? (Y/N)
   • Output: What did I ship or learn? (one sentence)
   • Friction: What slowed me down? (one word: context‑switching, fatigue, scope creep)
7. Prep your environment
   Clear your desk. Remove extra apps from the dock. Put other tools out of sight. One glance should tell your brain, “We only need this.”

Your daily session recipe (60 minutes)

1. 3 minutes: Plan — Write the single outcome for today.
2. 50 minutes: Make — No switching. No new tabs. Keep a “later” list for ideas and interrupts.
3. 7 minutes: Ship/Log — Save, share, or file the output. Jot one insight and tomorrow’s first step.

Optional: If you finish early, polish—don’t expand scope.

A weekly cadence that compounds

• Week 1 — Friction hunt: Notice what slows you down and remove it.
• Week 2 — Speed: Keep the same task types and aim to complete them faster with the same quality.
• Week 3 — Stretch: Add a mild constraint inside the constraint (e.g., writer uses only active voice; developer limits functions to 30 lines).
• Week 4 — Ship: Focus on finishing and publishing. Fewer drafts, more delivery.

Real‑life mini stories

• Jess, product designer: Swapped an overflowing toolbox for one sketchbook and a black fineliner. One hour each morning led to four polished concepts in a month—double her usual output.
• Arun, software engineer: One editor and the standard library for 30 days. Fewer dependencies meant faster builds and clearer thinking. He shipped a small CLI app in 10 days.
• Meg, writer: One doc template, same heading structure daily. The repetition removed the fear of the blank page; she drafted 19 publishable posts in 30 days.

Troubleshooting common hurdles

• Boredom: Add a micro‑constraint (e.g., three colours only; 500‑word limit; no mouse for coding).
• Scope creep: Define “done” before you start and stop there. Extra ideas go on the “later” list.
• Missed day: Don’t chase streaks—protect momentum. Do a half session next day and carry on.
• Interruptions: Use a visible sign (headphones, a note on the door) and enable DND. Keep a 10‑second template reply: “In focus hour—back at 11.”
• Travel or chaos days: Minimum viable session = 20 minutes. Keep the habit alive.

The one‑page Constraint Canvas

Copy these prompts into your notebook or app:

• Goal for 30 days:
• One app:
• One tool:
• One hour (time):
• Success definition (per session):
• Two improvement levers (what I’ll tweak weekly):
• Obstacles I expect + pre‑decided responses:

Using Meloplan as your “one app”

If you prefer digital planning without the bells and whistles, Meloplan is a simple way to set a 30‑day goal and track daily progress. Create your project, list your daily sessions, and tick them off while adding a one‑line note. It keeps you focused on doing, not decorating your system.

After 30 days: keep the gains

• Review your best outputs and the habits that made them happen.
• Keep any constraint that clearly helped. Drop the rest.
• Consider a new cycle with a different “one tool” to broaden your skill while preserving simplicity.

Remember: the point isn’t perfection—it’s momentum. Constraints help you move, and movement creates mastery.