The full catalog
Everything for focus
762 entries pulled from 62 stacks. Items are ordered by how many tracked people are on record about them, including discussion, use and recommendations.
Filter counts cover the full catalog. Type, goal and cost filters apply to items only.
Items
218 entries
Reset- HabitFREE, no cost01
Daily reading
A fixed daily reading block, usually books rather than feeds
On record from 25 of 62 tracked people: 23 do it, 2 recommend it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.02
Deliberate cold exposure
Cold showers or ice baths used deliberately, usually a few minutes at a time
On record from 25 of 62 tracked people: 19 do it, 6 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost03
Daily meditation
10-20 minutes of formal practice, most days
On record from 21 of 62 tracked people: 17 do it, 1 recommends it, 3 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.04
Caffeine
The most-used performance drug in the world, timing-sensitive
On record from 14 of 62 tracked people: 10 do it, 1 recommends it, 3 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.05
Creatine monohydrate
Three to five grams a day, taken for strength and power output
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 10 do it, 2 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost06
Deliberate solitude
Regular time with your own thoughts and no other inputs
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 9 do it, 3 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost07
Early rising
A fixed, early wake time, often before anyone else is awake
On record from 11 of 62 tracked people: 10 do it, 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost08
Daily writing
Write something every day, published or not
On record from 10 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 2 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost09
Morning sunlight exposure
Bright outdoor light soon after waking, 5-30 minutes and no sunglasses
On record from 10 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it, 3 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.10
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)
Fish or algae oil, often 1-2g EPA daily
On record from 9 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost11
Environment design
Change the room instead of relying on willpower
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 5 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost12
Napping
Short early-afternoon naps: useful, but easy to get wrong
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost13
Time blocking
Give every hour of the workday a job before the day starts
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 2 recommend it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.14
Deep Work
The case that uninterrupted concentration is a rare and valuable skill
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 5 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost15
Deep work blocks
Long, scheduled, distraction-free sessions on one cognitively hard task
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 1 recommends it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.16On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it
- HabitFREE, no cost17
Phone out of the bedroom
Charge it in another room and buy an actual alarm clock
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 2 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost18
Phone-free first hour
No email, news or social media until you have done something of your own
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 2 recommend it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.19On record from 5 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it
- HabitFREE, no cost20
Pre-workout music
Headphones on, a set playlist, and a fixed cue to switch into training mode
On record from 5 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it - HabitFREE, no cost21
Daily prayer
A fixed time for prayer each morning, before the phone and before the day starts
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - HabitFREE, no cost22
Margin notes
Writing in the margins while reading, especially where you disagree with the author
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost23
Personal mantra
A quote kept where you will see it before you perform, taped up or written on your gear
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.24
Readwise
Syncs your highlights and resurfaces them a few at a time
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 recommends it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.25
Standing desk
A desk that raises, so part of the working day happens on your feet
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost26
Thinking retreats
Blocks of time cleared of the schedule to sit with one hard problem
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 has discussed it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.27
Website and app blocker
Software that makes distracting sites genuinely unavailable on a schedule
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 2 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost28
Circle of competence
Work only inside the area you can genuinely evaluate, and know exactly where its edge is
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.29
Headspace
Guided meditation app built around ten-minute sessions, voiced by Andy Puddicombe
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.30On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it
- Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.31
Paper notebook
A bound notebook for thinking on paper away from a screen
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - HabitFREE, no cost32
Quitting social media
Deleting the accounts rather than trying to use them less
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost33
Written goal sheet
Goals written down, in numbers, and kept where you see them every morning
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - Habit$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.34
Antilibrary
Shelves holding more unread books than read ones, kept that way deliberately
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - Habit$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.35
Bridge
Contract bridge, played at a table or online, several sessions a week
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.36
Business Adventures
John Brooks's twelve New Yorker stories about Wall Street and 1960s corporate America
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.37On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it
- App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.38On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it
- ProtocolFREE, no cost39
Deliberate wandering
Unplanned, inefficient exploration kept on purpose as the counterweight to efficiency
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it - App$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.40
DEVONthink
DEVONtechnologies
Document and information manager for Mac and iOS with local, indexed databases
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost41
Digital declutter
A 30-day break from optional tech, then reintroduce deliberately
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.42
Digital Minimalism
A philosophy for using much less technology, on purpose
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.43
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's 1990 study of total absorption and what makes it happen
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.44On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it
- App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.45
Grok
Chat assistant with live access to what people are posting on X
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost46
Hard thinking before lunch
Book the mentally demanding work for the morning and stop making big calls late in the day
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.47
L-theanine
Amino acid from tea used for calm focus, or with caffeine
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost48
Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR)
10-20 minute guided body-scan rest, sometimes called yoga nidra
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost49
Open calendar
An appointment book kept almost empty so most days are free for reading and thinking
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.50
Perplexity
A search tool that answers in prose and cites the pages it read
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.51
Phone lockbox
A lockable box with a timer that puts the phone out of reach for a set period
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost52
Physiological sigh
Two inhales through the nose, one long exhale; heart rate drops within seconds
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost53
Pomodoro technique
Work in timed sprints, usually 25 minutes on and 5 minutes off
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost54
Shipping creative work
Publishing on a schedule rather than waiting for the work to feel ready
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - AppFREE, no cost55On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it
- Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.56
The Anxious Generation
Jonathan Haidt on what smartphones and social media did to childhood after 2010
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - Protocol$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.57
Transcendental Meditation
Silent mantra repetition, about 20 minutes twice a day, taught in a paid course
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost58
Vision setting
Write down a specific picture of who you are becoming, then filter decisions through it
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.59
Waking Up
Sam Harris's meditation course, heavy on the theory as well as practice
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
20-slot punch card rule
Imagine a lifetime card with only 20 punches: every big decision has to earn one
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
3x5 notecard planning
Write the next day's three to five most important tasks on a single index card
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
5 Second Rule countdown
Count 5-4-3-2-1 out loud and move before hesitation talks you out of it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
A few high-quality decisions a day
Aim for three well-made decisions rather than a hundred rushed ones
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
- Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
- App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Alfred
Mac launcher with system-wide search, clipboard history and text snippets
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Alpha-GPC
Choline source taken before workouts or hard cognitive work
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Analog and digital desks
Two work surfaces, with nothing electronic allowed on the first one
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - AppFREE, no cost
Anki
Free, open-source flashcards that schedule reviews just before you would forget
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Anti-to-do list
A short written list of behaviors to avoid, kept beside the ordinary to-do list
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Asking for criticism
Book regular time with your manager and ask what you should be doing better
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Aspirational hourly rate
Setting a personal hourly price far above what you earn, then honoring it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Attention management
Pick what deserves your focus instead of counting the minutes
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Audible
Audiobook service sold as monthly credits or a subscription library
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Automatic rules
Decide the behavior once, as a rule, so it is not decided in the moment
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Backward planning
Start from the fixed deadline, list what has to happen before it, then work back
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Batch processing email
Sit down once and clear thirty or a hundred messages in a run
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life
Penguin Press
Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2023 book on vision, work, failure and giving back
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Blackout poetry
Making a poem by blacking out most of a printed page with a marker
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Blank sheet method
Write what you already know before reading, then add each session in a new color
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Box breathing
Inhale, hold, exhale, hold, each for a count of four, repeated for a few minutes
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Building a Second Brain
The case for one external note store, and four steps for running it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Bulletproof Coffee
Coffee blended with grass-fed butter and C8 MCT oil, drunk in place of breakfast
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Challenge network
A named group whose job is to attack your work, not encourage it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
The book that took brain imaging arguments about mental health to a general audience
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Chess
Short games used as a mental reset between blocks of demanding work
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Clear Thinking
Parrish on the ordinary moments where a decision is really made
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
CODE method
Capture, organize, distill, express: four steps from reading to output
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Commonplace book
A notebook kept only for quotes and passages copied out of what you read
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Cookie jar
A mental store of past wins to draw on when you want to quit
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Cursor
AI code editor built on VS Code that edits inside the file
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
- HabitFREE, no cost
Daily design
Writing the day ahead in the past tense, then scoring it out of ten at night
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Dance training
Choreography and movement classes as conditioning and coordination work
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Day one, week one mentality
Show up every day as prepared as you were on the first day of the job
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Decision journal
Record the reasoning before the outcome is known, then read it back later
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Dedicated writing desk
A desk kept for writing only, separate from the admin setup
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Effortless
Make the most essential activities the easiest ones to do
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Essentialism
The disciplined pursuit of less, applied to a career and a calendar
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
- Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Field Notes notebook
Small stapled pocket notebook, 48 pages, sold in three-packs
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Find Your WHY
The workbook companion to Start with WHY, written with David Mead and Peter Docker
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.
Glowforge laser cutter
Desktop laser cutter that cuts and engraves wood, acrylic and card
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Heavily Meditated
Dave Asprey on shortcuts to deep meditative states with breath, feedback and pain
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
How to Read a Book
Adler and Van Doren's manual on the four levels of reading
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
How to Take Smart Notes
Sönke Ahrens on the slip-box method behind Niklas Luhmann's output
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
HRV biofeedback training
Paced breathing against a live heart rate variability readout, a few minutes a day
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
iA Writer
Plain-text markdown editor with almost nothing on screen
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - AppFREE, no cost
Insight Timer
Meditation app built around a configurable timer and interval bells
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - AppFREE, no cost
Instapaper
Save articles now and read them later on a plain, offline page
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Intermediate packets
Finish one small reusable piece per work session, not the whole project
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Inversion
Ask what would guarantee failure, then avoid those things
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Habit$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Jigsaw puzzles
Thousand-piece puzzles as a screen-free way to switch the mind off
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Jotting ideas the night before
Rough notes at bedtime, organized writing the next morning
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Kagi
Paid search engine with no ads, where you can rank or block domains yourself
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Killing the ANTs
Writing down automatic negative thoughts and putting each one on trial
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Lamy Safari fountain pen
Entry-level fountain pen with a molded grip and swappable steel nibs
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Learning something new daily
A short block each day on a skill you have never had before
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Habit$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Logbook
A few lines a day recording what happened, not what you thought about it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Magic Keyboard for iPad
Apple
Apple's keyboard case, with a trackpad, that turns an iPad into a typing machine
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Maker days and manager days
Whole days given to creative work or to other people, never both
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Mastery hobbies
Recovering through a demanding hobby rather than through rest
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
MCT oil (C8)
Caprylic acid from coconut oil, taken for a quick rise in ketones
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Memory Rescue
Eleven risk factors for memory loss, organized under the BRIGHT MINDS mnemonic
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Microburst
Set a timer for ten minutes, then stop when it goes off
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
- Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Moleskine Daily Diary
Hardcover dated planner with one page for each day of the year
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Monk Mode
Shutting out the world for months to finish one large piece of work
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Moonwalking with Einstein
Joshua Foer's year training for the US Memory Championship, and what memory really is
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Habit$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Morning newspapers
A stack of print papers read start to finish before the working day begins
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Multi-input desk monitor
Desk display that takes a computer over USB-C and a console over HDMI
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Naming your inner critic
Give the voice in your head a name so you can hear it as separate from you
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
No meetings
Declining meetings and answering in writing instead
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
No television
Cutting TV out of solo hours, keeping it as something done with other people
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
No-phone zones
Named rooms, hours and events where the phone is not allowed at all
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - AppFREE, no costOn record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Notecard system
Reading with a pen, then moving the best passages onto 4x6 index cards by theme
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Notifications turned off
No alerts, no badges and no social apps, so the phone only interrupts when you let it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - AppFREE, no cost
Obsidian
Markdown note app that stores linked plain-text files in a folder you own
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 has discussed it - App$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
OmniFocus
The Omni Group
Task manager for Apple devices built on projects, tags and saved perspectives
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
One Page Miracle
One sheet naming what you want in relationships, work, money and health
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Paper time-block planner
A physical notebook for planning the day hour by hour
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
PARA method
Sort every note and file into projects, areas, resources or archives
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Pentel Pocket Brush Pen
Refillable brush pen with real bristles, made for drawing and lettering
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Personal Quarterly Offsite
Companies do this every quarter; the same session run for one person
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Phone away in conversation
Put the phone out of sight when someone starts talking to you
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Pilot G2 pen
Refillable gel pen sold in tip widths from 0.38mm up to 1.0mm bold
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Pocket Casts
Podcast player with speed control, silence trimming and a queue that syncs
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Poor Charlie's Almanack
Charlie Munger's speeches and essays on mental models, misjudgment and how to think
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Positive framing
State the outcome you want instead of the one you are trying to avoid
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Pre-Mortem
Name what will derail this before you start, not in the postmortem
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Progressive muscle relaxation
Tensing and releasing muscle groups in order to find and drop held tension
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Progressive summarization
Compress a note in layers, adding one only when you open it again
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Psych
Judd Biasiotto on the mental training behind record-setting powerlifting
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Public library
Borrowing instead of buying, and browsing shelves instead of recommendations
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Quitting the news
Dropping the daily news cycle rather than trying to follow it more carefully
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Reading books out of order
Many books open at once, opened at whatever section fits your mood that day
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Reading history
Put the reading hours into what already happened rather than into forecasts
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
ReadKit
RSS and read-later client for Mac, iPhone and iPad
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Readwise Reader
Read-later app holding articles, PDFs, newsletters and RSS in one queue
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.
reMarkable
E ink tablet you write on with a stylus
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Rereading a small set of books
Going back through the best hundred books repeatedly rather than chasing new ones
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Rereading your notebooks
Opening old notebooks to today's date in previous years, as a writing prompt
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Reveri
Self-hypnosis sessions for sleep, stress and pain
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Rewriting notes by hand
Copying the same material out longhand, daily, until it sticks
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Saffron
The spice taken as a standardized extract rather than a pinch in the pan
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Same as Ever
Twenty three short stories about the parts of human behavior that never change
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
- ProtocolFREE, no cost
Second-order thinking
Keep asking and then what until the picture of the consequences stops changing
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Self-inking date stamp
Rubber stamp with adjustable bands that prints the day's date on a page
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - AppFREE, no costOn record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
- Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Sharpie permanent marker
Fine-point permanent marker, the standard tool for blacking out text
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Show Your Work!
Austin Kleon's ten chapters on sharing the process rather than the product
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Silent meditation retreat
Ten residential days of silence and long sitting, no reading or phone
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Six-page narrative memo
A written memo read silently at the start of the meeting, in place of slides
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Source Code
Bill Gates's 2025 memoir of childhood, Lakeside, Harvard and the start of Microsoft
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Specific knowledge
Building the kind of skill nobody knows how to teach, by following real curiosity
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Spotting scope
High-magnification scope on a tripod for watching birds and wildlife
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Start with WHY
Simon Sinek's first book, on leading with purpose before product
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Steal Like an Artist
Austin Kleon's ten-chapter manifesto on borrowing your way to your own work
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Stillness Is the Key
The third of Ryan Holiday's Stoic books, on the mind, spirit and body at rest
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Table tennis
Ping pong played as a brain workout, part aerobic and part fast decision-making
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
The 1-2-3 Method
One essential task, two urgent ones, three maintenance items, then stop
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
The 40% rule
The idea that when your mind says you are done, you are at about 40 percent
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The 5 Second Rule
Mel Robbins's first book, on the countdown that gets you moving
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
The 85 percent rule
Working at about 85 percent effort so relaxation and form do the rest
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Beginning of Infinity
David Deutsch on good explanations, and why the growth of knowledge has no ceiling
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Bullet Journal Method
Ryder Carroll on the paper notebook system and what it is really for
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Bulletproof Diet
Dave Asprey's high-fat, low-toxin eating plan, and the origin of the butter coffee
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Essentialism Planner
A 90 day paper planner built around one priority a day
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
The Golden Circle
Explain why, then how, then what, in that order
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Great Courses
Recorded lecture series on history, science and economics, on disc or by subscription
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Great Depression: A Diary
A lawyer's day-by-day record of the 1930s, written with no idea it was economics
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Great Mental Models
Four illustrated volumes of thinking tools taken from several disciplines at once
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness
Andy Puddicombe's plain-language introduction to a ten-minute daily practice
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Inner Game of Tennis
Timothy Gallwey's 1974 classic on quieting self-criticism to perform under pressure
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The ONE Thing
Gary Keller and Jay Papasan on the one priority that makes everything else easier
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Practice
Short numbered sections on treating creative work as a daily practice
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
The Productivity Field Guide
MacSparky
Video course and book that builds a personal system from your roles, not your tasks
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Rational Optimist
Matt Ridley's case that trade and specialization, not intelligence, drove human progress
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
The smallest viable audience
Naming the fewest people you need to serve well, then building only for them
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Tao of Charlie Munger
Munger's lines on investing, business and living, gathered into one place
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The War of Art
Steven Pressfield's short book on resistance and turning pro
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Think Again
Rethinking and unlearning as skills worth practicing on purpose
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Kahneman's map of the two systems behind your judgments
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 has discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
This Is Strategy
Strategy as a long commitment to a change, not as a set of tactics
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
This Is Water
The Kenyon commencement speech by the author of Infinite Jest, about a 15-minute read
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Timery
Time tracker for Toggl, built around saved timers, widgets and Shortcuts
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Training as practice
Treating a session as skill rehearsal rather than a workout to be survived
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Twelve favorite problems
Hold a dozen open questions in mind and test what you read against them
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Typewriter
A manual or electric typewriter for drafting, with nothing else on the machine
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Uni-ball roller pen
Fine-tip roller pen for handwritten notes and math
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Visualization
Rehearsing a performance in your head before you do it for real
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Water before coffee
A full glass of water on waking, before the first cup of coffee
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Whiteboard
Wall or freestanding board for working problems out vertically
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
WHY discovery exercise
Ask a close friend why you are friends, then listen for what they say about themselves
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - AppFREE, no cost
Wordle
The daily five-letter word puzzle, one game a day, scores shared with friends
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Work and downtime device modes
Two profiles on one device, switched on a clock, so the machine changes job
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed.