The full catalog
Everything for focus
393 entries pulled from 44 stacks. Default order is consensus: the number of tracked people who have publicly backed each one.
94 entries
Reset- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.01
Deliberate cold exposure
Cold showers or ice baths used deliberately, usually a few minutes at a time
Backed by 23 of 44 stacks: 17 do it, 0 recommend it, 6 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost02
Daily reading
A fixed daily reading block, usually books rather than feeds
Backed by 19 of 44 stacks: 17 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost03
Daily meditation
10-20 minutes of formal practice, most days
Backed by 17 of 44 stacks: 13 do it, 1 recommend it, 3 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.04
Caffeine
The most-used performance drug in the world, timing-sensitive
Backed by 11 of 44 stacks: 7 do it, 1 recommend it, 3 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.05
Creatine monohydrate
The best-evidenced supplement in sports nutrition, taken at 3-5g a day
Backed by 11 of 44 stacks: 9 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost06
Morning sunlight exposure
Bright outdoor light soon after waking, 5-30 minutes and no sunglasses
Backed by 10 of 44 stacks: 6 do it, 3 recommend it, 1 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost07
Early rising
A fixed, early wake time, often before anyone else is awake
Backed by 9 of 44 stacks: 8 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost08
Deliberate solitude
Regular time with your own thoughts and no other inputs
Backed by 8 of 44 stacks: 6 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.09
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)
Fish or algae oil, often 1-2g EPA daily
Backed by 7 of 44 stacks: 6 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost10
Napping
Short early-afternoon naps: useful, but easy to get wrong
Backed by 6 of 44 stacks: 4 do it, 1 recommend it, 1 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost11
Phone out of the bedroom
Charge it in another room and buy an actual alarm clock
Backed by 6 of 44 stacks: 4 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.12
Deep Work
The case that uninterrupted concentration is a rare and valuable skill
Backed by 5 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 5 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost13
Pre-workout music
Headphones on, a set playlist, and a fixed cue to switch into training mode
Backed by 5 of 44 stacks: 5 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost14
Environment design
Change the room instead of relying on willpower
Backed by 4 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 3 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost15
Phone-free first hour
No email, news or social media until you have done something of your own
Backed by 4 of 44 stacks: 2 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost16
Daily prayer
A fixed time for prayer each morning, before the phone and before the day starts
Backed by 3 of 44 stacks: 3 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost17
Daily writing
Write something every day, published or not
Backed by 3 of 44 stacks: 3 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost18
Deep work blocks
Long, scheduled, distraction-free sessions on one cognitively hard task
Backed by 3 of 44 stacks: 2 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost19
Personal mantra
A quote kept where you will see it before you perform, taped up or written on your gear
Backed by 3 of 44 stacks: 3 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost20
Time blocking
Give every hour of the workday a job before the day starts
Backed by 3 of 44 stacks: 2 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Habit$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.21
Bridge
Contract bridge, played at a table or online, several sessions a week
Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.22
Business Adventures
John Brooks's twelve New Yorker stories about Wall Street and 1960s corporate America
Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost23
Digital declutter
A 30-day break from optional tech, then reintroduce deliberately
Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.24
Digital Minimalism
A philosophy for using much less technology, on purpose
Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 1 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.25
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's 1990 study of total absorption and what makes it happen
Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.26Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
- Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.27
L-theanine
Amino acid from tea used for calm focus, or with caffeine
Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost28
Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR)
10-20 minute guided body-scan rest, sometimes called yoga nidra
Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost29
Pomodoro technique
Work in timed sprints, usually 25 minutes on and 5 minutes off
Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost30
Thinking retreats
Blocks of time cleared of the schedule to sit with one hard problem
Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.31
Transcendental Meditation
Silent mantra repetition, about 20 minutes twice a day, taught in a paid course
Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.32Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
- App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.33
Website and app blocker
Software that makes distracting sites genuinely unavailable on a schedule
Backed by 2 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost34
20-slot punch card rule
Imagine a lifetime card with only 20 punches: every big decision has to earn one
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost35
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 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost36
A few high-quality decisions a day
Aim for three well-made decisions rather than a hundred rushed ones
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.37
Alpha-GPC
Choline source taken before workouts or hard cognitive work
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - AppFREE, no cost38Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
- ProtocolFREE, no cost39
Backward planning
Start from the fixed deadline, list what has to happen before it, then work back
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.40
Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life
Penguin Press
Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2023 book on vision, work, failure and giving back
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost41
Box breathing
Inhale, hold, exhale, hold, each for a count of four, repeated for a few minutes
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.42
Bulletproof Coffee
Coffee blended with grass-fed butter and C8 MCT oil, drunk in place of breakfast
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.43
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
The book that took brain imaging arguments about mental health to a general audience
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 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 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost45
Circle of competence
Work only inside the area you can genuinely evaluate, and know exactly where its edge is
Backed by 1 of 44 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 44 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 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.48
Dance training
Choreography and movement classes as conditioning and coordination work
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost49
Day one, week one mentality
Show up every day as prepared as you were on the first day of the job
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost50
Deliberate wandering
Unplanned, inefficient exploration kept on purpose as the counterweight to efficiency
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost51
Hard thinking before lunch
Book the mentally demanding work for the morning and stop making big calls late in the day
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.52Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
- Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.53
Heavily Meditated
Dave Asprey on shortcuts to deep meditative states with breath, feedback and pain
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.54
HRV biofeedback training
Paced breathing against a live heart rate variability readout, a few minutes a day
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Habit$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.55
Jigsaw puzzles
Thousand-piece puzzles as a screen-free way to switch the mind off
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost56
Killing the ANTs
Writing down automatic negative thoughts and putting each one on trial
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost57
Learning something new daily
A short block each day on a skill you have never had before
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost58
Margin notes
Writing in the margins while reading, especially where you disagree with the author
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.59
MCT oil (C8)
Caprylic acid from coconut oil, taken for a quick rise in ketones
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.60
Memory Rescue
Eleven risk factors for memory loss, organized under the BRIGHT MINDS mnemonic
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.61
Moonwalking with Einstein
Joshua Foer's year training for the US Memory Championship, and what memory really is
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Habit$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.62
Morning newspapers
A stack of print papers read start to finish before the working day begins
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost63
One Page Miracle
One sheet naming what you want in relationships, work, money and health
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost64
Open calendar
An appointment book kept almost empty so most days are free for reading and thinking
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.65
Paper time-block planner
A physical notebook for planning the day hour by hour
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost66
Physiological sigh
Two inhales through the nose, one long exhale; heart rate drops within seconds
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.67
Poor Charlie's Almanack
Charlie Munger's speeches and essays on mental models, misjudgment and how to think
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost68
Progressive muscle relaxation
Tensing and releasing muscle groups in order to find and drop held tension
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.69
Psych
Judd Biasiotto on the mental training behind record-setting powerlifting
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost70
Quitting social media
Deleting the accounts rather than trying to use them less
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.71Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
- App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.72Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
- HabitFREE, no cost73
Rewriting notes by hand
Copying the same material out longhand, daily, until it sticks
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.74
Saffron
The spice taken as a standardized extract rather than a pinch in the pan
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost75
Six-page narrative memo
A written memo read silently at the start of the meeting, in place of slides
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.76
Source Code
Bill Gates's 2025 memoir of childhood, Lakeside, Harvard and the start of Microsoft
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.77
Table tennis
Ping pong played as a brain workout, part aerobic and part fast decision-making
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost78
The 40% rule
The idea that when your mind says you are done, you are at about 40 percent
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.79
The 5 Second Rule
Mel Robbins's first book, on the countdown that gets you moving
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost80
The 85 percent rule
Working at about 85 percent effort so relaxation and form do the rest
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.81
The Anxious Generation
Jonathan Haidt on what smartphones and social media did to childhood after 2010
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.82
The Bulletproof Diet
Dave Asprey's high-fat, low-toxin eating plan, and the origin of the butter coffee
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.83
The Great Courses
The Great Courses
Recorded lecture series on history, science and economics, on disc or by subscription
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.84
The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness
Andy Puddicombe's plain-language introduction to a ten-minute daily practice
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.85
The Inner Game of Tennis
Timothy Gallwey's 1974 classic on quieting self-criticism to perform under pressure
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.86
The ONE Thing
Gary Keller and Jay Papasan on the one priority that makes everything else easier
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.87
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Kahneman's map of the two systems behind your judgments
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it - Book$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.88
This Is Water
The Kenyon commencement speech by the author of Infinite Jest, about a 15-minute read
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost89
Training as practice
Treating a session as skill rehearsal rather than a workout to be survived
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost90
Vision setting
Write down a specific picture of who you are becoming, then filter decisions through it
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost91
Visualization
Rehearsing a performance in your head before you do it for real
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost92
Water before coffee
A full glass of water on waking, before the first cup of coffee
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 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 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost94
Written goal sheet
Goals written down, in numbers, and kept where you see them every morning
Backed by 1 of 44 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed.