Boredom can be a quiet enemy. It doesn’t announce itself with noise. For many people, this is the toughest stage of working towards anything meaningful.
Think about the year so far. Back in January 2025, the energy was high. The goals looked fresh. Resolutions felt possible. But fast forward to September, and the shine has faded. Some people look at their lists and sigh. It’s understandable.
You promised yourself a new skill, a healthier body, a business plan, or savings you could be proud of. Instead, you’re still battling with the same obstacles. The temptation is to give up and wait for another January, but this is where locking in makes the difference.
Locking in is the opposite of drifting. It is the decision to tune out distractions and stay with a task long enough to push it past the boring, repetitive stage. It is the mental posture of saying, “I no dey leave this thing until I hack am.”
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The Nature of Boredom
Boredom is not a sign that you are on the wrong path. It is part of the grind. Psychologists often describe it as the brain’s search for stimulation. When the mind has adjusted to a task and it no longer feels new, the brain craves escape. That’s why your phone suddenly becomes attractive when you are working on a spreadsheet. That’s why scrolling Instagram feels easier than finishing that chapter.
The danger here is that boredom tricks people into abandoning work that matters. Instead of pushing through, they chase something that feels exciting in the short term but adds little value. Yet those who have achieved anything lasting know that boredom is simply a checkpoint. It asks: will you keep going when things no longer feel fun?
Different Paths to Locking In
People don’t lock in the same way. Some are structure-driven. They create rituals: waking at the same time, setting aside fixed hours, or breaking the day into sizes. For them, discipline is less about willpower and more about routine.
Others rely on accountability. They work better when someone else is watching, whether that is a coach, a study group, or a friend checking in.
Competition also plays a role. Some people lock in because they imagine someone else putting in the work. They refuse to be left behind. This may look like an unhealthy comparison, but it can fuel effort.
And then there is regret. Some lock in because they cannot stand the thought of reaching December 2025, looking back, and realising nothing has changed since January. That fear of regret, that whisper of “omoo, make e no be say I waste this year,” can be enough to spark focus.
What’s the Goal? Eyes on the Prize
Locking in is not only mental. It has an emotional layer. For a person to push through boredom, the goal has to mean something beyond the task itself. A student who studies for exams without believing in the purpose of education will burn out faster. But when the same student connects the study hours to a bigger dream. Maybe financial stability, opportunities abroad, or making their family proud, the hours, though boring, become bearable.
The same applies to fitness. Lifting weights for the sake of lifting feels dull. But lifting with the thought of long-term health or a sharper body image gives the repetition meaning. Na the meaning dey make the lock-in make sense.
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Locking In the Right Way
Locking in is powerful, but there is a right and wrong way to do it. Done wrongly, it turns into burnout. People mistake “lock in” for “never rest.” They sit at a desk for ten hours straight, their mind wandering, their body drained. That is not locking in. That is punishment.
Locking in the right way means:
1. Break goals into small pieces. The brain hates vagueness. “Finish my book” is overwhelming. “Write 500 words today” is manageable. Each small win keeps the mind engaged.
2. Embrace rhythm, not marathon. Focus in short bursts. Twenty-five minutes of work, five minutes of rest. Repeat. Many people find this method (some call it the Pomodoro technique) keeps boredom at bay.
3. Remove easy exits. If your phone is beside you buzzing, boredom will always win. Put it in another room. Lock apps. Create small barriers so distraction doesn’t come cheap.
4. Tie the task to meaning. Ask, “Why am I doing this?” If the answer is shallow, motivation will fade. If the answer runs deep, boredom will be easier to endure.
5. Balance effort with rest. The body is not a machine. Rest is not laziness. It is part of the cycle that keeps focus alive. Even locking in needs a pause.
6. Find small joys in the process. Play music while working. Tweak your environment. Celebrate micro-progress. If the process feels less like punishment, boredom loses its grip.
Locking in the right way is about persistence with wisdom. It is saying, “I will give this my attention, but I will also respect my limits.”
So as the year closes, the question is not whether boredom will come. It will. The real question is how you will respond when it does. Will you run from it, or will you lock in, even if it means sitting with the dullness until progress appears?
For those who choose the latter, the year may yet end with more wins than they imagined. “Na small small e dey happen. Just hold body.”
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