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Everything for focus

531 entries pulled from 54 stacks. Default order is consensus: the number of tracked people who have publicly backed each one.

93 entries

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  • HabitFREE, no cost01

    Daily reading

    A fixed daily reading block, usually books rather than feeds

    Backed by 24 of 54 stacks: 22 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost02

    Daily meditation

    10-20 minutes of formal practice, most days

    Backed by 20 of 54 stacks: 16 do it, 1 recommend it, 3 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost03

    Deliberate solitude

    Regular time with your own thoughts and no other inputs

    Backed by 12 of 54 stacks: 9 do it, 3 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost04

    Early rising

    A fixed, early wake time, often before anyone else is awake

    Backed by 11 of 54 stacks: 10 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost05

    Morning sunlight exposure

    Bright outdoor light soon after waking, 5-30 minutes and no sunglasses

    Backed by 10 of 54 stacks: 6 do it, 3 recommend it, 1 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost06

    Daily writing

    Write something every day, published or not

    Backed by 8 of 54 stacks: 6 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost07

    Environment design

    Change the room instead of relying on willpower

    Backed by 7 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 5 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost08

    Deep work blocks

    Long, scheduled, distraction-free sessions on one cognitively hard task

    Backed by 6 of 54 stacks: 5 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost09

    Napping

    Short early-afternoon naps: useful, but easy to get wrong

    Backed by 6 of 54 stacks: 4 do it, 1 recommend it, 1 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost10

    Phone out of the bedroom

    Charge it in another room and buy an actual alarm clock

    Backed by 6 of 54 stacks: 4 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost11

    Phone-free first hour

    No email, news or social media until you have done something of your own

    Backed by 6 of 54 stacks: 4 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost12

    Time blocking

    Give every hour of the workday a job before the day starts

    Backed by 6 of 54 stacks: 4 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost13

    Pre-workout music

    Headphones on, a set playlist, and a fixed cue to switch into training mode

    Backed by 5 of 54 stacks: 5 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost14

    Daily prayer

    A fixed time for prayer each morning, before the phone and before the day starts

    Backed by 4 of 54 stacks: 4 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost15

    Personal mantra

    A quote kept where you will see it before you perform, taped up or written on your gear

    Backed by 4 of 54 stacks: 4 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost16

    Thinking retreats

    Blocks of time cleared of the schedule to sit with one hard problem

    Backed by 4 of 54 stacks: 3 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost17

    Circle of competence

    Work only inside the area you can genuinely evaluate, and know exactly where its edge is

    Backed by 3 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 2 recommend it, 1 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost18

    Margin notes

    Writing in the margins while reading, especially where you disagree with the author

    Backed by 3 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost19

    Written goal sheet

    Goals written down, in numbers, and kept where you see them every morning

    Backed by 3 of 54 stacks: 3 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost20

    Deliberate wandering

    Unplanned, inefficient exploration kept on purpose as the counterweight to efficiency

    Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost21

    Digital declutter

    A 30-day break from optional tech, then reintroduce deliberately

    Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost22

    Hard thinking before lunch

    Book the mentally demanding work for the morning and stop making big calls late in the day

    Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost23

    Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR)

    10-20 minute guided body-scan rest, sometimes called yoga nidra

    Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost24

    Open calendar

    An appointment book kept almost empty so most days are free for reading and thinking

    Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost25

    Physiological sigh

    Two inhales through the nose, one long exhale; heart rate drops within seconds

    Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost26

    Pomodoro technique

    Work in timed sprints, usually 25 minutes on and 5 minutes off

    Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost27

    Quitting social media

    Deleting the accounts rather than trying to use them less

    Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost28

    Vision setting

    Write down a specific picture of who you are becoming, then filter decisions through it

    Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost29

    20-slot punch card rule

    Imagine a lifetime card with only 20 punches: every big decision has to earn one

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost30

    3x5 notecard planning

    Write the next day's three to five most important tasks on a single index card

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost31

    5 Second Rule countdown

    Count 5-4-3-2-1 out loud and move before hesitation talks you out of it

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost32

    A few high-quality decisions a day

    Aim for three well-made decisions rather than a hundred rushed ones

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • AppFREE, no cost33

    Anki

    Anki

    Spaced repetition flashcards: ugly, free, and extremely effective

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost34

    Anti-to-do list

    A short written list of behaviors to avoid, kept beside the ordinary to-do list

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost35

    Asking for criticism

    Book regular time with your manager and ask what you should be doing better

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost36

    Aspirational hourly rate

    Setting a personal hourly price far above what you earn, then honoring it

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost37

    Attention management

    Pick what deserves your focus instead of counting the minutes

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost38

    Automatic rules

    Decide the behavior once, as a rule, so it is not decided in the moment

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost39

    Backward planning

    Start from the fixed deadline, list what has to happen before it, then work back

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost40

    Batch processing email

    Sit down once and clear thirty or a hundred messages in a run

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost41

    Blank sheet method

    Write what you already know before reading, then add each session in a new color

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost42

    Box breathing

    Inhale, hold, exhale, hold, each for a count of four, repeated for a few minutes

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost43

    Challenge network

    A named group whose job is to attack your work, not encourage it

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost44

    Chess

    Short games used as a mental reset between blocks of demanding work

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost45

    CODE method

    Capture, organize, distill, express: four steps from reading to output

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost46

    Cookie jar

    A mental store of past wins to draw on when you want to quit

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost47

    Daily design

    Writing the day ahead in the past tense, then scoring it out of ten at night

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost48

    Day one, week one mentality

    Show up every day as prepared as you were on the first day of the job

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost49

    Decision journal

    Record the reasoning before the outcome is known, then read it back later

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • AppFREE, no cost50

    Instapaper

    Instapaper

    Save articles now and read them later on a plain, offline page

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost51

    Intermediate packets

    Finish one small reusable piece per work session, not the whole project

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost52

    Inversion

    Ask what would guarantee failure, then avoid those things

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost53

    Jotting ideas the night before

    Rough notes at bedtime, organized writing the next morning

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost54

    Killing the ANTs

    Writing down automatic negative thoughts and putting each one on trial

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost55

    Learning something new daily

    A short block each day on a skill you have never had before

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost56

    Maker days and manager days

    Whole days given to creative work or to other people, never both

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost57

    Mastery hobbies

    Recovering through a demanding hobby rather than through rest

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost58

    Microburst

    Set a timer for ten minutes, then stop when it goes off

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost59

    Monk Mode

    Shutting out the world for months to finish one large piece of work

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost60

    Naming your inner critic

    Give the voice in your head a name so you can hear it as separate from you

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost61

    No meetings

    Declining meetings and answering in writing instead

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost62

    No television

    Cutting TV out of solo hours, keeping it as something done with other people

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost63

    No-phone zones

    Named rooms, hours and events where the phone is not allowed at all

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost64

    Notifications turned off

    No alerts, no badges and no social apps, so the phone only interrupts when you let it

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost65

    One Page Miracle

    One sheet naming what you want in relationships, work, money and health

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost66

    PARA method

    Sort every note and file into projects, areas, resources or archives

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost67

    Personal Quarterly Offsite

    Companies do this every quarter; the same session run for one person

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost68

    Phone away in conversation

    Put the phone out of sight when someone starts talking to you

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost69

    Positive framing

    State the outcome you want instead of the one you are trying to avoid

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost70

    Pre-Mortem

    Name what will derail this before you start, not in the postmortem

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost71

    Progressive muscle relaxation

    Tensing and releasing muscle groups in order to find and drop held tension

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost72

    Progressive summarization

    Compress a note in layers, adding one only when you open it again

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost73

    Quitting the news

    Dropping the daily news cycle rather than trying to follow it more carefully

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost74

    Reading books out of order

    Many books open at once, opened at whatever section fits your mood that day

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost75

    Reading history

    Put the reading hours into what already happened rather than into forecasts

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost76

    Rereading a small set of books

    Going back through the best hundred books repeatedly rather than chasing new ones

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost77

    Rewriting notes by hand

    Copying the same material out longhand, daily, until it sticks

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost78

    Second-order thinking

    Keep asking and then what until the picture of the consequences stops changing

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost79

    Shipping creative work

    Publishing on a schedule rather than waiting for the work to feel ready

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost80

    Silent meditation retreat

    Ten residential days of silence and long sitting, no reading or phone

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost81

    Six-page narrative memo

    A written memo read silently at the start of the meeting, in place of slides

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost82

    Specific knowledge

    Building the kind of skill nobody knows how to teach, by following real curiosity

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost83

    The 1-2-3 Method

    One essential task, two urgent ones, three maintenance items, then stop

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost84

    The 40% rule

    The idea that when your mind says you are done, you are at about 40 percent

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost85

    The 85 percent rule

    Working at about 85 percent effort so relaxation and form do the rest

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost86

    The Golden Circle

    Explain why, then how, then what, in that order

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost87

    The smallest viable audience

    Naming the fewest people you need to serve well, then building only for them

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost88

    Training as practice

    Treating a session as skill rehearsal rather than a workout to be survived

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost89

    Twelve favorite problems

    Hold a dozen open questions in mind and test what you read against them

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost90

    Visualization

    Rehearsing a performance in your head before you do it for real

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost91

    Water before coffee

    A full glass of water on waking, before the first cup of coffee

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • ProtocolFREE, no cost92

    WHY discovery exercise

    Ask a close friend why you are friends, then listen for what they say about themselves

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • AppFREE, no cost93

    Wordle

    The daily five-letter word puzzle, one game a day, scores shared with friends

    Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it

Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed.

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