5 ms·

Ask HN: How do you focus? tools and other

18 points by esseti 10y ago

How do you people avoid distraction when working (I code mostly)?. What tools do you use (I'm a Mac user, no relegion wars pls) Personally: - Quitter to quit thunderbird, skype, etc after 10mins. Slack is just hidden. - Leechblock (FF) to avoid more than 10mins on distractions website - Timer.app (http://martakostova.github.io/timer/ you can compile it) for pomodoro with a script that kills Slack when a pomodoro starts and reopens it once finished. The script was setting the DND but the notifications keep popping up (the red dot), which bother me, so I switch it off. I think that messages can wait 40 mins, if not they can call. - I don't keep thunderbird open (see point 1), but I've a plist script that opens it at 11 and 15, so I check the emails every now and then. - Rescue Time and Waka to keep track of my habits and productivity - Trello (was BulletJournal but i'm not alone anymore) to schedule stuff. - In the open space nice pair of headphones, a good music, and avoid to reply when asked questions if i'm in a "pomdoro" or working. - A reason to leave work

esseti 10y ago
SelfControl is nice, in the end it adds an entry on your /etc/hosts . For what is worth the script for the timer app tokill slkck and set DND START: if application "Slack" is running then tell application "Slack" quit end tell end if do shell script "curl 'https://slack.com/api/dnd.setSnooze?token=<YOURTOKEN>&num_minutes=$duration'" https://slack.com/api/dnd.setSnooze?token=<YOURTOKEN>&num_mi... END: if application "Slack" is not running then tell application "Slack" to activate end if do shell script "curl https://slack.com/api/dnd.endSnooze?token=<YOURTOKEN> https://slack.com/api/dnd.endSnooze?token=<YOURTOKEN>
tbirrell 10y ago
Pssh... You just need to adjust your setup (filthy mac user). I code in assembly on Windows 95 and IE 1. Nothing works on the computer and nothing loads on the browser. Ergo, no distractions!
jventura 10y ago
I use the Pomodoro technique with this app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tomato-one-free-focus-timer/id907364780?mt=12 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tomato-one-free-focus-timer/... I do tasks in 30 minute chunks with 5 minutes to go to the bathroom, get up, stretch, etc.. On my best days I can do 11 pomodoros, but my average is 6/7 pomodoros. I'm currently lecturing on a local university, so the pomodoros are mostly for when I'm preparing classes, and I try to do as few as possible, which means I'm freeing my time successfully..
urahara 10y ago
I don't use any specific tools as they are time consumers themselves. I just: 1) don't turn on anything I don't need for work (tools, browsers, soft, sites, etc) 2) rest well when I feel I need a break (one of the most counter productive things is to proceed working when you're tired to the point you can't focus.) Works great for me.
tedmiston 10y ago
15-minute time boxing 24 hours a day When I'm working, I use a physical egg timer on my desk. I also don't check Slack when I'm coding. I keep my MacBook and iPhone in Do Not Disturb mode. I take an nx 15-minute break when I need one. A typical ratio is 75% work to 25% breaks where break could be doing something enjoyable either fun or actual work but a task I'm really excited about. Throughout the day I accumulate the number of 15-minute periods of good work for personal reference. A pocket notebook to write down random thoughts that pop into my head while working. I don't have one myself, but I've heard good things about Saent [1] which seems like a slightly more polished version of this workflow. [1]: https://www.saent.com https://www.saent.com
fatherofone 10y ago
I just finish my work first, once finished I don't care what I do. So, that means I don't need to use other tools or techniques. I think its just a habit, I find very annoying to see task assigned to me being in ToDo Status. I want to make that resolved as soon as possible.
mythrwy 10y ago
Your distraction prevention tool stack sounds like it would be a major distraction for me.
rtcoms 10y ago
I just install SelfControl app on Mac. Haven't wasted time on facebook after that. So that's a goo start :)
Bvalmont 10y ago
- SelfControl app, you can change the timer to 1 month instead of 24 hours, so you are not forced to click it every morning. - Simple Pomodoro timer, which honestly I use more as a signal for me to get up and stretch my legs a bit. - Disabled all notifications on phone, macs. - Things as my todo list, simple and tells me what to focus on every day with recurring todo's. - Only really visit 3 websites: HN, Designer News & Stack overflow, tagging the interesting posts in the morning, then reading them on Kindle in the evening. Or sometimes between Pomodoro breaks, like now. - I block all the news websites and other useless information with Opendns. - Bought a Wacom pen and a mac so I can't play videogames. - Podcasts for when I'm doing the dishes, Spotify for when I'm doing work. - No mail, slack before 1pm, I'm most productive in the mornings. I read in Do The Work that the best thing is to not think, but just start. So I meditate in the morning and try to be completely free of thoughts when I arrive at work, sit down and just start. That was the single thing that made the biggest difference for me. Don't give The Resistance a chance.

18 points by esseti 10y ago

esseti 10y ago

SelfControl is nice, in the end it adds an entry on your /etc/hosts . For what is worth the script for the timer app tokill slkck and set DND START: if application "Slack" is running then tell application "Slack" quit end tell end if do shell script "curl 'https://slack.com/api/dnd.setSnooze?token=<YOURTOKEN>&num_minutes=$duration'" https://slack.com/api/dnd.setSnooze?token=<YOURTOKEN>&num_mi... END: if application "Slack" is not running then tell application "Slack" to activate end if do shell script "curl https://slack.com/api/dnd.endSnooze?token=<YOURTOKEN> https://slack.com/api/dnd.endSnooze?token=<YOURTOKEN>

tbirrell 10y ago

Pssh... You just need to adjust your setup (filthy mac user). I code in assembly on Windows 95 and IE 1. Nothing works on the computer and nothing loads on the browser. Ergo, no distractions!

jventura 10y ago

I use the Pomodoro technique with this app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tomato-one-free-focus-timer/id907364780?mt=12 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tomato-one-free-focus-timer/... I do tasks in 30 minute chunks with 5 minutes to go to the bathroom, get up, stretch, etc.. On my best days I can do 11 pomodoros, but my average is 6/7 pomodoros. I'm currently lecturing on a local university, so the pomodoros are mostly for when I'm preparing classes, and I try to do as few as possible, which means I'm freeing my time successfully..

urahara 10y ago

I don't use any specific tools as they are time consumers themselves. I just: 1) don't turn on anything I don't need for work (tools, browsers, soft, sites, etc) 2) rest well when I feel I need a break (one of the most counter productive things is to proceed working when you're tired to the point you can't focus.) Works great for me.

tedmiston 10y ago

15-minute time boxing 24 hours a day When I'm working, I use a physical egg timer on my desk. I also don't check Slack when I'm coding. I keep my MacBook and iPhone in Do Not Disturb mode. I take an nx 15-minute break when I need one. A typical ratio is 75% work to 25% breaks where break could be doing something enjoyable either fun or actual work but a task I'm really excited about. Throughout the day I accumulate the number of 15-minute periods of good work for personal reference. A pocket notebook to write down random thoughts that pop into my head while working. I don't have one myself, but I've heard good things about Saent [1] which seems like a slightly more polished version of this workflow. [1]: https://www.saent.com https://www.saent.com

fatherofone 10y ago

I just finish my work first, once finished I don't care what I do. So, that means I don't need to use other tools or techniques. I think its just a habit, I find very annoying to see task assigned to me being in ToDo Status. I want to make that resolved as soon as possible.

mythrwy 10y ago

Your distraction prevention tool stack sounds like it would be a major distraction for me.

rtcoms 10y ago

I just install SelfControl app on Mac. Haven't wasted time on facebook after that. So that's a goo start :)

Bvalmont 10y ago

- SelfControl app, you can change the timer to 1 month instead of 24 hours, so you are not forced to click it every morning. - Simple Pomodoro timer, which honestly I use more as a signal for me to get up and stretch my legs a bit. - Disabled all notifications on phone, macs. - Things as my todo list, simple and tells me what to focus on every day with recurring todo's. - Only really visit 3 websites: HN, Designer News & Stack overflow, tagging the interesting posts in the morning, then reading them on Kindle in the evening. Or sometimes between Pomodoro breaks, like now. - I block all the news websites and other useless information with Opendns. - Bought a Wacom pen and a mac so I can't play videogames. - Podcasts for when I'm doing the dishes, Spotify for when I'm doing work. - No mail, slack before 1pm, I'm most productive in the mornings. I read in Do The Work that the best thing is to not think, but just start. So I meditate in the morning and try to be completely free of thoughts when I arrive at work, sit down and just start. That was the single thing that made the biggest difference for me. Don't give The Resistance a chance.