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"Herbert Lui does marketing for clients such as\u00A0Pivotal Labs,\u00A0Busy Building Things, and\u00A0Renegades. He is the author of a free guide to\u00A0building credibility\u00A0online. This post was originally published on\u00A0his Medium blog.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nNot impressed.\r\nI hadn\u2019t accomplished anything that day; instead, I was on the edge of my seat, refreshing my Gmail Inbox and browsing 9GAG. I hadn\u2019t left my room except to make chicken fingers. It was not a good day.\r\n\r\n\r\n\u201CI value self-discipline, but creating systems that make it next to impossible to misbehave is more reliable than self-control.\u201D - Tim Ferriss, in an interview with The Observer.\r\n\r\nThe only good thing that came out of it\u200A\u2014\u200AI realized I wanted to minimize that feeling of unproductivity as much as I could in the future. I created a list of what I call \u201Cefficiency rules.\u201D Some include:\r\n\r\n\r\n\tOnly check e-mails between 11AM - 12PM, and 3PM - 4PM.\r\n\tMy cell phone stays facedown in my drawer until those previously mentioned intervals as well.\r\n\tNo 9GAG or Reddit till 8PM.\r\n\tNo Facebook till 6PM.\r\n\tMake a list of 2-3 items that must get done by the end of the day. Try to finish them by noon.\r\n\r\nWhen the rules are there, it\u2019s easier to resist giving in if I\u2019m not feeling like working that day.\r\nI\u2019ve noticed that the days I\u2019m most unproductive are the days that I break these rules. The days that I\u2019m most bored are also the days I don\u2019t abide by them; I lack the concentration to write or build things. So it\u2019s a system that\u2019s there to keep things in check\u200A\u2014\u200Ato make sure that even if I\u2019m bored, I force myself to find something better to do.\r\n37signals has written about the interruption tax. It\u2019s also known as context switching. The evidence is there: being focused means losing less time to getting re-caught up back to where we were. Instead, we can use this time to get more stuff done. It\u2019s kind of difficult when there\u2019s the temptation of Facebook, the active pinging of messages or push notifications, and the urgent calls of e-mails.\r\n\r\n5 techniques to maintain focus\r\nSince the original publication of this article, a few people have commented on the efficiency rules. In the hopes of emphasizing this, here are five techniques that I use to maintain my focus:\r\nSet a kitchen timer for 50 minutes. During that time, either work on a designated task or stare at the wall. In order to replace my impulsive habit of seeking diyoustraction, I have adopted the routine of checking my timer to see how much time is left. This is known to some as a variation of the Pomodoro method. Don\u2019t use your phone\u2019s clock app, buy a kitchen timer.\r\nCreate another profile on your computer specifically designated for work. Within that account\u2019s browser, blacklist (Chrome/Firefox/Safari) all social networks and distracting websites. Don\u2019t log out unless your timer is up or you've complete your task.\r\nDrag any non-essential apps to the second menu screen of your iPhone. This way,\u00A0you don\u2019t immediately see the notifications when you unlock your phone. (I got this tip from a lady I\u2019d met at Jayson Gaignard\u2019s MastermindTalks.)\r\nLog out of Facebook everytime you use it. Doing so forces you\u00A0to type a password in the next time, which buys you a bit of time to fight your impulse. Same goes for personal e-mail inboxes and other social networks.\r\nLeverage habit fields: the tendency for us to perform the same routines in the same locations or zones. As much as possible, limit your distracting activities to one specific place in the office, such as a specific spot in the cafeteria (or in a home office, a La-Z Boy). Conversely, focus your work or creative-related tasks to a different part, like your desk.\r\n\r\nClosing thoughts\r\nThe problem isn\u2019t just with productivity. It\u2019s about focus and awareness. I don\u2019t like what happens on Facebook, where my minifeed seems full of showsman-y activities or accomplishments. This post echoes my sentiments.\r\nSo, what happens if you\u2019re not accessible every hour of the day?\r\nNothing. Nobody dies. You won\u2019t. And now, even better: people won\u2019t always expect you to get back to them ASAP, and you can get some more time to do the things you\u2019ve always wanted to do.\r\nImage credit:\u00A0Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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