The full catalog
Protocols for focus
531 entries pulled from 54 stacks. Default order is consensus: the number of tracked people who have publicly backed each one.
61 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 25 of 54 stacks: 19 do it, 0 recommend it, 6 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost02
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 - ProtocolFREE, no cost03
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 cost04
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 - ProtocolFREE, no cost05
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 - ProtocolFREE, no cost06
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 - ProtocolFREE, no cost07
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 cost08
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 cost09
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 cost10
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 - ProtocolFREE, no cost11
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 cost12
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 - Protocol$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.13
Transcendental Meditation
Silent mantra repetition, about 20 minutes twice a day, taught in a paid course
Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost14
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 cost15
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 cost16
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 cost17
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 cost18
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 - ProtocolFREE, no cost19
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 - ProtocolFREE, no cost20
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 cost21
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 cost22
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 cost23
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 - ProtocolFREE, no cost24
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 cost25
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 - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.26
Bulletproof Coffee
Coffee blended with grass-fed butter and C8 MCT oil, drunk in place of breakfast
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost27
Challenge network
A named group whose job is to attack your work, not encourage it
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost28
CODE method
Capture, organize, distill, express: four steps from reading to output
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost29
Cookie jar
A mental store of past wins to draw on when you want to quit
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.30
Dance training
Choreography and movement classes as conditioning and coordination work
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost31
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 cost32
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 - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.33
HRV biofeedback training
Paced breathing against a live heart rate variability readout, a few minutes a day
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost34
Intermediate packets
Finish one small reusable piece per work session, not the whole project
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost35
Inversion
Ask what would guarantee failure, then avoid those things
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost36
Killing the ANTs
Writing down automatic negative thoughts and putting each one on trial
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost37
Maker days and manager days
Whole days given to creative work or to other people, never both
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost38
Microburst
Set a timer for ten minutes, then stop when it goes off
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost39
Monk Mode
Shutting out the world for months to finish one large piece of work
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.40
Notecard system
Reading with a pen, then moving the best passages onto 4x6 index cards by theme
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost41
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 cost42
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 cost43
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 - ProtocolFREE, no cost44
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 cost45
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 cost46
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 cost47
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 - ProtocolFREE, no cost48
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 cost49
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 cost50
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 cost51
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 cost52
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 - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.53
Table tennis
Ping pong played as a brain workout, part aerobic and part fast decision-making
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost54
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 cost55
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 cost56
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 cost57
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 cost58
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 - ProtocolFREE, no cost59
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 cost60
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 - ProtocolFREE, no cost61
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
Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed.