Hours: Casual Public Accountability

Akrasia
1

I was inspired by this article to try using some casual accountability to help me stay focused at work. Here’s the modified technique I’ll be using:

  1. Post in this thread stating what I’m going to work on / try to accomplish.
  2. Include a time (preferably an hour or less from now) when I’ll post back to say how things went.
  3. Post back and say how things went, what I actually accomplished, if I took a break instead, etc.
  4. Repeat as desired.

Please feel free to join in and post your own updates! And if you’re reacting to someone else’s updates, make sure to keep things encouraging. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

First update: For the next ~30 minutes, I’m hoping to achieve the following:

  • Process all email in my inbox for my primary job.
  • Process all email in my TaskRatchet inbox.
  • Figure out how to whitelist this thread in Focus.
  • Submit all requested GitHub pull request reviews.

I’ll try to post back here around 11:15am PDT to say how I did!

3 Likes
2

Update:

  • Processed my TaskRatchet inbox, but not my other inbox.
  • Successfully unblocked this thread on Focus.
  • Didn’t get to working on the PRs yet.

Taking a break to do something un-work-related, but hoping to keep using this thread later today!

3

This hour:

  • Review PRs
  • Process document comments
  • Work on site migration
4

How it went:

  • I reviewed all PRs.
  • I worked through all document comments.
  • I got as far as I could on site migration without outside input, and requested the input needed to make progress in the future.

Next up:

  • Work on password reset flow for new website
5

How it went:

  • Got a little done on the reset flow. Mostly merged in existing PRs and discussed launch timing with colleagues.

Next up:

  • Work on password reset flow for new website
6

How it went:

  • Finished the reset flow and it’s now in review.

This has been an interesting experiment. I don’t know if I’ll keep doing it here on the forum or not. I think there is probably real value in having two people doing it together vs doing it solo like I’ve been doing it here.

7

A suggestion, @narthur. Have you tried to use www.focusmate.com for this? You would have a partner for a 50 minute session to do exactly what you’re doing in this thread.

2 Likes
8

@mkalbert Good thought! I think I tried that a long time ago but forgot about it. I should give it another go!