Personally, I like to pick the tool with the least amount of features. The key is just to pick one tool and limit yourself to that one thing to start. How does anyone decided where to start? And the answer is not to click through until or 6 in the results, that’s just ludicrous. A simple Google search for “writing app” brings up 359,000,000 results. The paradox of tools (and why basic is better) ![]() Whether that’s a friend or stranger somewhere else in the world, accountability can be very powerful. Plus, it’s human nature not to let someone down. For the $20–50 you’d spend a week having someone nag you, it might make you want to stick to your schedule more because you’re spending money on it. If you don’t have friends you want to trust with this task, hire a virtual assistant. If you don’t feel you have the willpower to let your calendar dictate your life, try finding an accountability partner for awhile. I’m in and out, with only the items I needed, and I can get back to work or back to time off from work. Plus, this little trick keeps me from buying extra things I don’t need (because that would take too much time). No one needs to spend an hour browsing the aisles. It may sound weird, but I only allow myself 30 minutes for a trip to the grocery store. (A screenshot of my calendar during the BuyMyFuture planning and build.) I block off time for writing, for strategy sessions, for customer support stuff, for life tasks (appointments, errands, etc), and I even block off time to NOT work. Heck, I used to even set times on my calendar to check email and social media (thanks 4-Hour Workweek). 90% of the events, however, have nothing to do with phone calls or meetings. There aren’t a lot of free hours in my day. My weekly calendar is filled with similar events. But I remind myself of the limitation I’ve set and stay focused. Of course I have moments where I can’t think of what to write next or I can feel the pull of social media. I put on some music that helps me focus while writing (Odesza and Pretty Lights). During that time my email was closed, Google Chrome was minimized, my phone was out of sight. For example, while writing this article I blocked off 1.5 hours. One of the best ways I’ve found to master my work output is to be very strict with my calendar. That trick is to set limitations on time and constrain yourself to focusing on only one task at a time. ![]() There’s a trick to getting in this ‘zone’ often. ![]() You know the zone right? That place where you just seem to be firing on all cylinders and to-dos get knocked off like falling dominos. Often times during the ‘squeeze’ we feel like we get in the ‘zone’. We feel the squeeze of a deadline and somehow manage to hunker down and get the work done just in time. It might seem counterintuitive, but I strongly believe that setting limitations and constraints can help you get through these mental roadblocks and finish your work on time. It’s a dark place to be in, but there is a solution. You fall into Workload Paralysis: You stress about all the work that needs to be done to the point of needing an escape, only to come back and see even more work to be done. You have too many things racing around in your mind and instead of buckling down and getting to it, procrastination is at an all-time high. There are times when you feel like you just can’t get any work done.
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