Levels of focus

The first part of the course was based on “levels of focus” introduced by David Allen in his book “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity”. He uses different terminology and does not consider the level of “Responsibilities”, but in general, his “Getting Things Done” or short the GTD methodology is quite useful. 

• There is a TEDx talk by David Allen providing an introduction to GTD.

To-do List Software

There exists a whole range of great applications that can help you to track your tasks and projects. Consider the following points when choosing one:

• It should be cloud-based, so it syncs over all your devices

• It should make it very easy for you to capture ideas, tasks, etc.

• Use your gut feeling. You will spend a lot of time in this application, and you really have to like it

• Start with a simple application and then move on to more complex ones if you run into limitations

• Make sure it works on your computer as well as on your mobile devices

• Consider using only pen and paper (a lot of people do!)

Here are a couple of possibilities:

• Todoist

• Omnifocus (Apple products only, quite complex and expensive, but very powerful)

• Google Keep (Googles’s notes application)

• You can also use Apple’s Notes or Microsoft’s OneNote

In principle, any services that synchronise text and lists via the cloud can be used, e.g., Evernote, Google Documents, text files in Dropbox, etc. In recent years, Notion has gained a lot of popularity due to its flexibility and Obsidian due to is ability to make connections between different projects.

TED talks of interest

• “Inside the mind of a master procrastinator” by Tim Urban [14 mins]

• “The power of vulnerability” by Brené Brown [20 mins], she has also written a few books on her research

• “All it takes is 10 mindful minutes” by Andy Puddicombe [10 mins]

• Collection of TED talks on general productivity and on how to manage stress

• “The surprising habits of original thinkers” by Adam Grant [15 mins], he has written a few really good books

• “Tribes we lead” by Seth Godin [17 mins], also one of my favourite productivity authors

Morning/Evening rituals

• I have written a blog post on how to structure an effective morning ritual and another to help you transition from workday to private life at the end of your working day.

• The most famous book on this topic is “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod. You can see him talking about it on this (a little bit longer) YouTube video [1h23m].

• If you want to know more about evening routines, check out this blog post over at Asian Efficiency.

• Most smartphones/tablets nowadays have an option to reduce blue light when it’s dark. For example, on iPhones this called Night Shift mode. Androids have similar features.

• Get inspired by other people’s morning routines [link].

Meditation

Videos

• Great talk by Jon Kabat-Zinn on Mindfulness given at Google [1h12min]. He brought meditation into mainstream medicine!

• A good start into mindfulness is Jack Kornfield’s [YouTube channel].

• Other people you might want to check out are Thich Nhat Hanh, Tara Bach, Joseph Goldstein, Trudy Goodman, and Robina Courtin. They are all quite different in their styles. See which ones resonate with you.

Podcast

• “10% Happier” with Dan Harris (intentionally secular)

• “Heart Wisdom” with Jack Kornfield

Applications for Guided Meditation

• Buddhify

• Headspace

• Insight Timer

• Oak (very simple)

• There are many more out there!

Books

• “The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation” by Thich Nhat Hanh (very short read) - The author has a number of short books on mediation in daily life.

• “The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology” by Jack Kornfield - Great stories about compassion and mediation.

Pomodoro

• I have written a blog post on the Pomodoro Technique.

• There are a lot of Pomodoro applications out there. Most of them cost very little or are free. Here is a list of some of them [link].

• There are also numerous free online (web-based) Pomodoro trackers available, like https://pomodoro-tracker.com

• You can also simply buy a physical kitchen timer or use the timer on your phone

Eating the Frog

• I have written a blog post on how to eat your frog.

The Rule of Three

• If you want to keep focus on your big goals, have a look at my blog post on the Rule of Three.

Music and noise

I have written a blog post on this topic. In the last couple of years, there has been a trend to make interactive web pages, so-called Ambient Noise Generators, that let you play and mix different kinds of relaxing sounds and noises. Most of them also have a (paid) version for your smartphone.

• I wrote a blog post on Ambient Noise Generators with a list you can choose from.

• There are a lot of free online radio stations available, e.g., https://www.internet-radio.com.

• One of my most favourite stations is SomaFM. Most of their songs are without lyrics – Great for focusing!

• Some people are big fans of focus@will, a service that claims to “scientifically optimised music to help you focus”. They offer a free trial.

• Weightless by Marconi Union, which is considered the most relaxing piece of music in the world. 

• More exotic ambient noise generators are Purrli (purring cats) and Horrorli (horror sounds).

Avoiding Distraction

• Here you can find more information on how to switch off your notifications on your iPhone [link].

• And here for Android phones [link].

• Rescue Time - Application that tracks all your activities so you see how much time you spend in different applications. They offer a trial version. Note that it might not work if you use a uni-controlled computer.

• Momentum - Browser plugin to prevent you from moving unconsciously to your social media sites or other online distractions. It’s available for different browsers.

• Specific applications that limit your Internet access, e.g. https://freedom.to.

• TEDx talk by Cal Newport “Quit social media”.

Worksheets from the Workshop

If you want to do the exercise from the workshop again, you can download the worksheets here. [link].