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If you are really trying to solve procrastination, you have to address the distractions.

Now, here is what I would like to see: the OFF switch. Hitting a button that would block all electronic distractions (turning off television etc) and block distracting sites (like youtube/reddit/HN) and disable distracting apps (like iPhone games) for half an hour.

This most likely will involve special outlets or plugs that can be turned on/off via wifi.



SelfControl on OSX is game-changingly good --

http://selfcontrolapp.com/

Only one piece of the puzzle, but a big one.


Off switch did not work for me because I could not switch off staring out of my window or biting my nails.

One day I watched a talk by Tim Ferris and he mentioned the so called flash diet - in order to lose weight you take a picture of every meal you eat which is supposed to make you aware of your decisions that were previously habitual or subconscious and change your behaviour.

I realized this could also work when you are trying to fight procrastination. I created a little anti-procrastination tool based on that idea: http://www.simplyeasy.cz/war-on-procrastination. It's dead simple to use... all I have to do before I start wasting my time is to press the "pause" button. To my own surprise it really works for me. Tim Ferris might be on to something.


Rescuetime does this sort of thing, blocking distracting sites http://www.rescuetime.com/tour "Block Distractions and Get Focused"


A bit off-topic, procrastination vs. focus is a very different problem (imo), but try the "Strict Pomodoro" Chrome Extension, has helped me improve quite a bit.


Don't you get interrupted while in the zone? 25 minutes is about the time you actually get deep into something and the mind can easily focus 1-2 hours on task at hand, especially if you do something interesting.


Yes, good point. I often find myself ignoring the "pause" notification. I use it more as a take-off.


Or magically sends you away from home without any of those devices.




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