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What tool do you use to focus?
6 points by throwaway209 on Jan 19, 2011 | hide | past | favorite | 11 comments
What technique do you use to focus while working? in the sense methodology like GTD, ZTD, Pomodoro or softwares like OmniFocus, Things etc



On the Mac, Self Control every time! It'll block access to domains you define for a set period, e.g. news.ycombinator.com, email.

http://visitsteve.com/made/selfcontrol/

http://gregdetre.blogspot.com/2009/10/self-control.html

The only downside is that I can't seem to block reader.google.com without also blocking all of google.com...


There's a really nice, and free, extension for chrome called StayFocusd that I use.

https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/laankejkbhbdhmip...

You can mark sites you visit as "time wasters" (e.g. news.google.com, hulu.com, HN, etc.) as well as how much time/day you should be allowed to waste during work hours (customizable). It then logs the time you spend on those sites and after you've reached your daily limit, it will redirect you whenever you try to visit them.

Of course, you can work around it, but I find their redirect page wakes me out of an almost knee-jerk reaction to waste time throughout certain times of the day.


I follow Pomodoro Technique with the timer-applet on GNOME panel with work and break presets.

Oh, and 'The Bomb Run' theme from Dr. Strangelove as the alarm sound.


I turn off the internet if I need to do something task wise and have a shitty computer to get stuff done on that its a really old battered mac.

Not a fan of software since i'll try override any settings etc.


This. Do the same thing, but with variations based on how badly I need to focus.

- First is a battered old internet-free linux box with a text editor and a few basic tools for focussed work / dev.

- Second is to sit somewhere unfamiliar in the office / home with grid paper and a pen

- Third, if something needs some proper, hardcore thought applied - hardcopy whatever I need, drive somewhere with a table (cafe, park, whatever), turn off all my devices and sit. Sit, read, think, write, repeat.


Music (specifically stuff I’ve listened to for years so I don’t get distracted by something new and catchy).


I've tried many things but nothing has helped more than turning off the internet.


This is more of a methodology than a tool, but I uninstall Starcraft.


Full-screen shell & text editor.


Brainwave Entrainment ("music")


A lens.




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