I define a set of rules and processes I set for myself to follow together with my 6 life habits. The rules act as a framework for how I lead my life and keep my focus.

Focusing on what's important

I use 2Do as my general task manager. Trello as a way to manage projects and track which ideas & things I am learning now. I love that Trello allows focusing in on cards so I can only see the cards I am working on now and nothing else.

Compared to:

I use 2Do's recurring scheduled tasks as a way to remember to complete my day/week reflections & plans.

I also use 2Do to keep track of my bigger goals in life.

I schedule events in my calendar and plan the day/week in context of my tasks & priorities.

I try to limit the scope and number of projects I am working on at any given time to a minimum and give all my mental energy into completing each project to the best of quality.

I use & build tools to make the process of completing my tasks as smooth as it can be.

Focus sessions

I use Focus app as a recurring Pomodoro timer which lets me work in sessions of 80 minutes with 10 min breaks by blocking distracting websites and apps.

Only on breaks can I visit these websites. I also get 20 minutes of optional break time every 3 hours. And I can start 5 min breaks during my Focus sessions with a macro.

The things I work are often defined by events set in Fantastical. I sometimes set all day events to bring focus to a day in terms of what I work on.

If no event is set, I work on most prioritized tasks I have set for the day. Those either live in 2Do or the respective tracker for the project.

If there are no urgent tasks. I code and build ideas. Learn. And share my learnings.

I limit apps that can send me notifications to only essential things and turn off sound for all of them.

I focus on solving problems & limit distractions. I follow rules to maintain my focus throughout the day.

I support my happiness by working on projects that I care about and looking after my health.

Notes

• You can't manage projects. You can only manage actions related to projects.

• ​Brains aren’t for holding info, they’re for thinking. So if you can empty your brain out by writing stuff onto a todo list, onto your calendar, etc, your brain will have more space for the high level stuff that’s a bit harder to get on paper. And if you wrote down “do thing” on the todo-list… well you just have to do the thing afterwards. There’s nothing to think about or redigest if you write out the things in more detail​

Links

• ​Maker's schedule​

• ​Productivity - Amazing post by Sam Altman. (HN comments)

• ​Shipping vs. Fiddling - Sometimes it's best to focus on getting things done and not fighting the tools/software.

• ​It or Nothing (2019)​

• ​Be Too Busy to “Do Coffee”​

• ​Ask HN: What tools/methods do you use to focus your time well? (2019) (Lobsters)

• ​Ask HN: How do you stay disciplined in the long run? (2019)​

• ​How to Focus on What’s Important, Not Just What’s Urgent​

• ​Prioritizing (2019)​

• ​Lobsters: What is procrastination, exactly? (2019)​

• ​The Power of Shower Thoughts: Trusting Your Mind to Work in the Background (2019) (HN)