Ask HN: Have you tried this productivity hack from John Carmack?

[db42]

This blog post suggests that John Carmack uses a timer to measure his productivity - http://bookofhook.blogspot.in/2013/03/smart-guy-productivity-pitfalls.html.

I wonder if a substantial number of people do these kinds of hacks. Do any of you use some kind of timer or application to keep track of your productive time? Do you maintain logs of what you got done today? And if you do, how much do you think it helps you.

[pedalpete]

I use a pomodoro timer and find it is amazing at keeping me focused and makes you realise how long your spending on a simple problem.

At the same time, it's amazing to see how quickly 25 minutes goes, and sometimes it's a bit stressful to see the clock ticking down.

I don't track my time in a log.

[satjot]

My friend has a 25 minute timer, during which time, he only focuses on the task in front of him. It is more to curb ADD but ends up helping with productivity.