My personal productivity hack for deep work

Published on 16th Feb 2023
an wide-angle shot of ajmal standing up and looking at his watch while the there‘s a reflection of his setup on the mirror behind himan wide-angle shot of ajmal standing up and looking at his watch while the there‘s a reflection of his setup on the mirror behind him
an wide-angle shot of ajmal standing up and looking at his watch while the there‘s a reflection of his setup on the mirror behind him

Over the years, I've noticed that any kind of productivity routine or hack I discover to increase focus always starts strong, but eventually plateaus. To maintain focus, I've found that having a "social contract" or "over-the-shoulder" buddy for self-accountability helps. These are the top hacks I've been able to stick with for some time now:

Hustl Mac App

I like this app because it's independent; you can get started without worrying about who your accountability buddy is or the technical setup. So, before I start any deep work like designing, I just turn Hustl on.

Focusmate.com

I use this less often because I'm on the free tier for now. But I do jump into this sometimes, especially when I'm on my Mac Mini setup (for which I don't have a license for Hustl).

Private Youtube Live

This probably takes the most time to set up but the ROI is worth the effort. Most of the time I often find myself working alone. However, sending links to close friends and family is fun because, suddenly, friends can join the YouTube chat and start interacting with me. If you're looking for a bit of unexpected fun while focusing on your work, I highly recommend this!

This note was last updated on 1st Nov 2023,
by
Ajmal Afif
Ajmal Afif

Older note

Note to self: always do the tutorials!

I always have to learn this personal lesson the hard way, every time! It‘s so tempting to jump right in, then found myself stumbled around most of the time 😅

Last updated on 1st Nov 2023

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