Whiteboard
Wall or freestanding board for working problems out vertically
A dry-erase surface for sketching a proof, an argument or a plan at full size. Ideas go up quickly and wipe off just as quickly, which suits work whose shape is still moving. Mathematicians, engineers and researchers often keep one at home as well as at the office.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Cal NewportDoes it
Computer science professor · author of Deep Work
When offices were set up near his house, a whiteboard was one of the first things to go in, because he says computer science collaborators cannot work on theory without one. He traces that to the MIT theory floor, where two or three people at the same board pushed each other into a higher level of concentration.
Source: Huberman Lab podcast transcript: Cal Newport
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under focus or productivity.
- Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it
- Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
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 - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it
- Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Paper notebook
A bound notebook for thinking on paper away from a screen
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Phone lockbox
A lockable box with a timer that puts the phone out of reach for a set period
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
Gear entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.