Productivity Series Pt.2
Part 2 is here. Honestly did not think I would make it past the second part but here we are. If you are new here, I talked about a book I recently read called Deep Work. This book is about the importance of staying away from all distractions, and how to set yourself up for hours of productive work, and success in the future. For a more in-depth summary, please consult my other two blogs.
I started off by planning how I was going to get into my Deep Work state. I searched for some apps that restrict certain websites. The best free ones I found are Self-Control for Mac and Offtime for iOS. The former locks off access to websites like YouTube, Netflix etc. It functions using a timer. For an amount of time you set, it either blocks certain sites or only allows a few sites. I elected to use the blocking function, as I need to do some research for school, and have to visit some random websites. It is very useful, I legitimately cannot access those sites, and there is no way out. I would definitely recommend, no ads, no payment and works perfectly. Offtime is also very, very convenient. Offtime is an app that does not restrict apps, unfortunately, but what it does, is it forces you to keep your phone face down on a flat surface. If you pick it up for even a millisecond, it makes the most annoying sound. It also works with a timer, and you can bypass the alarm, but you get a 2-minute ad, which you cannot skip. To me, this nuisance is reason enough to not go on my phone. Again, I highly recommend this app 100000/10. Finally, I created a Slowed Reverb Hip Hop playlist, which is just slowed Rap songs. In the plan, everything seemed perfect, most likely will work!
Saying and doing are two things. — Matthew Henry
Annnnnnndddd, then I actually tried it. I thought I could easily smash two hours. Only God knows how I made it through 30 mins. For someone like me, who is used to checking his phone every paragraph or worksheet, it took a lot of self-control. Of course, having the apps helped a lot, but it was still very hard. I then tried doing another 30-minute “set” but afterwards, I had to go eat and the entire flow was gone. Doing so much in a sitting is absolutely crazy. I thought it would be something I would have mastered quickly, but boy was I wrong. I decided I will try to get 3 30-minute sets done a day, because, with the amount of work I have, I really do not need more to get most of my work done. Music was very pivotal to the success of my set. It helped keep my focus and I will definitely use it tomorrow. I just need to make a playlist on Spotify, as YouTube has many ads, and Spotify Premium does not have a single one.
In conclusion, the experience was fruitful. Those 30 minutes were super productive, and as I read more and more of the book, I am learning more little tips and advice to take this number longer and longer. Sometimes, I write big tales and do not follow up, but this time, I want this to become a habit. No text, soccer game or FIFA 21 notification is more important than my work and my time. That’s all for now, please drop a follow to easily find my next post.
