| I've been using focusmate for four months. It's been absolutely revolutionary for me. (I work remote at home, so YMMV.) Here are some of the ways: (1) I’ve been getting a ton more done and feeling better about it. (2) It really does help me focus. I hardly ever get distracted from the task at hand. I used to get distracted a lot. The focus does not come from being watched, but because I’m "working together" with someone else, and I don’t want to let them or myself down. And because of the built-in break/recovery schedule. It's like a hack for my brain. (3) I schedule back-to-back sessions, so I have 50 minutes of 100% focus and then 10 minutes between. In the 10 minutes I use the bathroom, get coffee, clear my head, walk around, or stretch. These things I’m sure help enable the 100% focus for the 50 minutes. I don’t feel as worn out at the end of the day (and I get more done). (3) Declaring my goal for the session at the beginning and then reporting on it at the end has caused me to become much more realistic about how long things take. (4) Being more realistic about how long things take has made it possible to plan out my week. I’m now planning my day and week in "focusmate session sized blocks" of work. I do have to adjust the plan, but making the plan has been a huge help. (5) Setting a focusmate appointment in the morning causes me me to get started at a constant time — for the first time in my life. Knowing that someone else is relying on me to be at the session makes me show up. (6) The little bit of social connection helps working at home to not feel lonley. |