It’s quite easy to let yourself get distracted by less-than-urgent projects, or time sink requests. That’s all before you factor in outside distractions. Social media, entertainment, and more are all vying for your clicks and time. I keep pretty strict standards for my work life to remain productive and focused, but some days it’s hard to stay disciplined.
So I’ve been experimenting with a productivity app called Freedom that I original heard about from Craig Mod. You install it on your devices, set up the sites and apps you want suppress, and then set a schedule you want to abide by. Anytime you try and visit one of those sites while the app is active,Freedom shows a simple message instead, and refocusing you back on the work.
Initially it’s a little jarring to see how often I idly was checking certain sites for updates, only to be presented with a blocked message each time. But now a week or so into the process, I’m getting used to it. And I now find most of the temptation to visit the distracting sites is gone. Of course you have to maintain some balance—I build in breaks where the app pauses. In doing this, taking some time to visit a favorite blog or catch up on social media feels more like a treat than the idle, mindless scrolling exercise it once was for me.
It’s well worth a try.