Tech Workers’ Guide To Distraction Free Work
I’ve read dozens of books on productivity. Many have great ideas but are bloated with filler. More than once I’ve said, This book would be an excellent pamphlet!
This series of blog posts distills the best ideas about distraction free work into bite-sized chunks. Each post has fewer than 220 words and takes one minute to read. There’s no fluff and no filler.
Let’s get started.
Common Problems
Principles
Practices: Just Say No
- Just say No
- Stop Looking For Drama
- Beware Of Taking On Extra Responsibility
- Make an “I won’t do” list
Practices: Say Yes
- Track your distractions
- Stay focused with a To Do list
- Make a “Big Rock” list
- Follow the 2-minute rule
- Try the Pomodoro Technique
- Make a list of questions
Practices: Control Your Physical Environment
- Find your Den of Productivity
- Eliminate distracting belongings
- Limit disruptive noise
- Listen to music
- Silence your phone
Practices: Control Your Digital Environment
- Close your email
- Leave social media
- Close your browser tabs
- Limit distractions from Slack
- Try an app blocker
Practices: Get Organized
What do books say about distraction free work?
“You could try to pound your head against the wall and think of original ideas — or you can cheat by reading them in books.”
—Patrick Collison
- “The Obstacle Is the Way” on handling distractions
- “The 4-Hour Workweek” on eliminating distractions