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 levels of “Responsibilities”, but in general, his “Getting Things Done” or short the GTD methodology is quite useful. 

• I have written a small introduction on GTD on my blog [link]

• The University of Bristol gives you access to LinkedIn Learning. You can log in here  https://www.linkedin.com/learning/login-ent. Look for Getting Things Done by David Allen; however, there are many other interesting courses.

• There is also 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, but very powerful)

• Google Keep 

• 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, nvALT (Mac), Google Documents, text files in Dropbox, etc.

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]

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

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

• “The surprising habits of original thinkers” by Adam Grant [15 mins]

• “Tribes we lead” by Seth Godin [17 mins]

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.

• 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.

• They also have an evening challenge starting [here].

• To avoid blue light on your screen, use f.lux (Mac)

• Note that on the latest iPhones you can use the Night Shift mode to achieve the same effects. 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 quite different in their styles.

Podcast

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

• “Heart Wisdom” with Jack Kornfield

Applications for Guided Meditation

• Buddhify

• Headspace

• Insight Timer

• Oak

• 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

• “The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology” by Jack Kornfield

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 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 about 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), Horrorli (horror sounds) and background noise from science fiction movies [link].

Avoiding Distraction

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

• And here for Android phones [link].

• Rescue Time - Application to track 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”