In an age where smartphone addiction is rampant, a writer shares their struggle to focus on writing a novel while constantly checking their phone. After discovering the Brick, a device priced at $59 USD, that locks distracting apps using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, they found a solution to regain control over their time. Unlike app-based restrictions that are easily bypassed, Brick requires users to physically tap it against their phone to unlock apps, creating a necessary hurdle. The author reports transformative effects, spending more time reading and thinking, and finding it easier to focus on their writing. Although the device hasn't completely cured their addiction, it has restored the essential pause between impulse and action, allowing for greater mental clarity and productivity.