This document discusses DIY interventions for improving focus and productivity. It describes the author's problems with distraction and lack of focus. It then evaluates two approaches: using a to-do list app to prioritize tasks, and the Pomodoro Technique of breaking work into 25-minute intervals separated by short breaks. The author found the Pomodoro Technique worked better by allowing smaller tasks to be started sooner and worked on flexibly between larger tasks. Results were difficult to quantify but showed an improvement in starting earlier and maintaining focus for longer periods.

1. DIY Intervention:
Focus and Productivity
JanessaEscajeda
NTR 598, Fall 2013

2. Problem: how to focus
• Why?
• Always jumping from task to task, don’t know where
my time is going
• Distracted at home, online
• I’ve gotten away with it, last minute (brain dead)
• Preferences
• Prefer getting small tasks out of the way
• Think in terms of 1-2 days out, not week(s)
• Work best in the morning: focus on one thing

3. Purpose: Prioritize
• FirstTask Pro
• Android app created by my uncle (beta version)
• Basically a Master “To Do” list
• Create categories with a list of tasks and mark which is
highest priority
• “Today” category lists the those items and you pick which
of them is the highest priority from there
• Therefore, you should always be working on your most
important task

4. Planning: May not work
• Found that reoccurring tasks didn’t fit well into this
priority scheme
• Something bigger may be more “important” but
something else may be be due sooner
• Can’t realistically complete those items, so can’t check
off… so nothing to show I was doing anything
• So switched gears: the Pomodoro Technique
• Breaking time into 25 minute “pomodoros” followed by
short break (5 min)
• After 4 Pomodoros take a longer break (20-30 min)
• Used FocusBooser (focusboosterapp.com)

5. Progress: Productivity
• More realistic for me
• Breaking large tasks into smaller chunks so start on
them sooner
• Flexibility to alternate with small tasks
• Results?
• Hard to measure (catch-22)
• Quantify focused time
• Past Wednesdays: don’t start until 12 or 1pm
• Started only with 2-3 pomodoros in the evening, then 6
• Today I started at 9 and focused until 3