Posts Tagged → focus

Focus Without Fuss: Focus Firewall for macOS (Sponsor)

This week I’m pleased to welcome a new sponsor to MacSparky, Focus Firewall.

We all know the feeling. You sit down to work, crack open your Mac… and somehow 20 minutes vanish into the black hole of news sites, social media, or some link a friend just texted you. That’s where Focus Firewall comes in.

It’s a lightweight, distraction-blocking app built specifically for macOS. Flip a switch, and it instantly hides the usual suspects – over 140 pre-configured websites and apps – so you can stay on task. There’s no need to fiddle with settings or build elaborate profiles. You just open your Mac and get to work.

What I like most about Focus Firewall is that it strikes a thoughtful balance. It doesn’t nag you or enforce a strict lockdown. Instead, it takes a more mindful approach: encouraging focused time while still giving you a guilt-free “pause” button when you need it. I think of it as an invisible safety net; I don’t have to think about it, but it’s there when I need it. Most days, I only touch it during breaks, when I allow myself a quick jaunt into something like YouTube woodworking.

This app is special because it works with your habits, not against them. And over time, it really adds up. Even if I only use it for a few hours, that’s a few hours without getting pulled into algorithm-driven rabbit holes. I’d much rather have a tool that builds sustainable focus than one that forces it.

If you’ve been looking for a simple, respectful way to block distractions without turning your Mac into a digital prison, I highly recommend giving Focus Firewall a try. It takes less than a minute to set up – and could save you hours down the line.

Sparky’s Case for Focus Modes (And a Short Poll)

One of the best features Apple has added in recent years is Focus Modes. I use them every day across all my devices, and they have become an essential part of how I manage my attention, my work, and even my personal life.

At its core, a Focus Mode is a filter between you and the rest of the world. Instead of being bombarded with every notification, email, or message the moment it arrives, Focus Modes let you decide what gets through based on what you’re doing. They are powerful and easy to automate, so you don’t have to think about it.

My Favorite Focus Modes

I have the usual Work and Personal modes, but I also get more specific:

  • Podcasting Mode: Filters out everything but my co-host and essential podcasting tools. My Home Screen also changes to show time zone widgets for my co-hosts.
  • Production Mode: Prioritizes video editing, screen recording, and keeps distractions to a minimum.
  • Deep Work Mode: Only lets in the people who truly need me, no social media, and a Home Screen optimized for writing and thinking.
  • Disneyland Mode: This one is special. The moment I step near Disneyland, my devices enter a mode that aggressively limits work interruptions so I can enjoy the time with my family.

Automating Focus Modes

You can turn Focus Modes on manually (I usually do it from my Apple Watch), but you can also automate them. In addition to location (like the way I turn on My Disneyland mode), you could also trigger Focus Modes by time of day, when you open certain apps, or even based on whether you’re at home or work.

More Than Just Silence

What I love about Focus Modes is that they don’t just filter notifications. They also change my device’s environment:

  • Custom Home Screens: Each mode gets its own set of widgets and apps. For example, in work mode I see the Slack app we use at Relay where when I’m in personal mode, I have my personal appointments and the weather available.
  • Custom Watch Faces: A quick glance at my Apple Watch instantly tells me what mode I’m in. For example, any blue face represents work mode and green represents personal mode.
  • Shortcuts & Automations: Turning on a Focus Mode can launch apps, set timers, or even change settings like screen brightness or sound output.

The Biggest Mistake with Focus Modes

Most people don’t use them. Maybe they seem complicated, or maybe they feel like too much work to set up. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to get them perfect from the start. Start with a simple one (like a Work or Personal mode), see how it feels, and tweak it over time.

If you’re not using Focus Modes yet, give them a shot. I think you’ll be surprised at how much more in control you feel. Also, we recently did an episode of the Mac Power Users on Focus Modes where I explain my Focus Mode strategies in more detail.

I’m trying to get my arms around how many folks are using Focus Modes. If you have time, could you please fill out this poll on the topic? If you’ve got more thoughts on Focus Modes, the poll also includes an optional open question. I’d love to hear what you think.

On Avoiding Email: Second, Consider the Tool

Last week, I addressed avoiding email with the fundamental question of motivation. Specifically, are you using the easy stuff to avoid doing the hard stuff?

Despite its widespread use, email is not an efficient tool for all types of communication. We’ve overlooked its limitations in our attempt to make it do everything. It’s time we acknowledge that email is often the wrong tool for the job.

Numerous approaches to team communication can free you from the constant need to check your email. While these methods require some initial investment of time and thought, they can ultimately save you hours that would otherwise be spent on lengthy email threads.

For example, I have a scheduled weekly call with my editor where we talk about existing projects for about an hour. During that hour, we get everything handled for the week. Throughout the rest of the week, we keep notes for each other on individual project pages in Notion. Any question that doesn’t fit with a specific project goes on a separate page called “Open Questions.” Then, about a half hour before our weekly call, I go through all open loops and open questions so we can get on the phone and move through them. That one hour every week saves us multiple hours of messages and emails. With a bigger team, that saved time grows exponentially. Additionally, the back-and-forth nature of a phone call often yields better results.

If you are working with a team on a project, a setup like this is way easier than constant email chains with multiple people on it. This gives you one source of truth and one place to go to. It’ll take a little convincing with your team, but once you establish it, they will see the wisdom of it.

Also, try to schedule an in-person meeting regularly to review any open loops. When I was an attorney, every day at 4 PM, my paralegal and secretary could come in and ask me any questions they had. But it was understood they would not pepper me with emails or questions throughout the day.

Finally, there is an ancient bit of technology called the telephone. I put effort into my relationships with coworkers to make them understand that if they have something urgent, they can call me, but it better be urgent. I also make sure they understand that if they email me with something urgent, they will not get a timely response; I’m not your email monkey.

Many other tools are therefore better suited to team communications than email threads. Use your creativity to find a few that can work with your team. Only then can you loosen the grip email can have on your focus.

Phone Addiction World Rankings

A recent study ranks the degree of phone addiction in different countries by finding the percentage of waking hours citizens spend with their phone screens.

The Philippines leads with people spending 32.53% of their days behind their small screens. The United States comes in at number 20 with 21.14%.

This is interesting, but I have questions about how they got their data. Also, I’d like to see these number broken down by age. Regardless of how they’re calculated, those numbers are too high. As humans, we do need time to be alone with our thoughts, and technology taken too far ruins that for a lot of folks.

The Focus Timer

There is an existing Kickstarter for the Focus Timer and I’d recommend checking it out. The Focus Timer’s inventor contacted me a few months ago and sent me a beta unit. It took some convincing on his part because I’m not a fan of adding things to my desk. This thing really landed with me though. I run it several times a day, and it’s a great way to get yourself block scheduling. Here’s a little video explaining further.

https://youtu.be/BbCgAepau8Q

Mid-Year Reflection and Planning

As we are about to leave June and enter July, we’re hitting the halfway point for 2022. It’s hard to believe we are halfway through 2022. This is particularly true for me with so much change in my life. I’ve now been a full-time MacSparky for six months and I consider this mid-year turn an excellent time to reflect and plan. I’d encourage you to do the same.

There is nothing magical about going from June to July. It’s another day, like any other. However, there is something special about calendar transitions like mid-year and new-year that gets in our heads and makes us all more reflective and more amenable to stepping back, taking stock, and making changes. I prefer planning in quarters, not years or half-years, but the mid-year transition works on me too. I have a system for this sort of thing, and I’d like to share it with you.

Reflect, Then Plan

I want to draw your attention to how I’ve named this: Mid-Year Reflection and Planning. It is all about reflection (which is first) and planning (which is second). So often, you’ll read about these planning sessions that omit reflection. That’s dumb. Attention to your past is how you improve your future. My best plans have always sprung from careful observation of my past. Whether you do this with pen and paper or on a keyboard, I think it is easier to keep reflection and planning as one thing together instead of two separate things.

The Roles Audit

I’ve written extensively about this before. The foundational building blocks of my life are the roles I serve: Husband, Father, Brother, Friend, MacSparky, and Student are a few I’ve identified. If you are curious, I suggest reading this.

Regardless, my mid-year review starts with an examination of my roles. For each, I have a few open-ended questions:

  • How am I doing? (reflection-based question)
  • Where can I get better? (planning-based question)
  • Where am I doing good? (planning-based question)

The questions are simple, but the answers are not. Take as much time as you need to empty your head concerning each one. Examining each role is a critical first step for me. This takes me a few hours.

Consider Challenges

Next, I like to spend time on challenges that I’ve faced and challenges that I expect.

I start by reflecting on the challenges thus far, and I ask a few questions for each:

  • Could I have predicted it?
  • Did I ever lose my cool?
  • How did I handle it?
  • How would I have done it better?

Then I turn my attention to the rest of the year and consider if I expect any challenges heading my way. For each one, I have a list of questions:

  • How likely is it?
  • Can I avoid it?
  • What steps can I take right now to avoid it or make it easier?
  • How can I turn the challenge into an opportunity?
  • What is the worse potential outcome from this challenge?

All these questions probably make sense to you except the last one about the worse potential outcome. I’ve discovered that fear of the unknown is much more painful than knowing a potential challenge or bad outcome. Imagining the worse outcome settles me and (usually) helps me avoid it.

Next Look at Project and Habits

Projects and habits are up next for me. In my mind, projects and habits are on an equal footing. Both are how I move forward.

As to Projects, I begin looking at what I’ve shipped so far in the year. For each, I consider:

  • How did it go?
  • What would I do differently if I had the chance?
  • How were my time estimates?
  • Did anything unexpected happen that I should have seen?
  • Should I do projects like that again or steer clear?

Then I look forward and consider projects for the rest of the year. For each, I consider:

  • What is the deliverable?
  • What are my expectations for the time required?
  • When on the calendar will I do that work? Have I made time for it?
  • Do I need help?
  • What are my expectations for the results of shipping this?
  • Is there anything else in the world I could be doing to better serve the cause?

Habits work the same way.

  • What Habits am I actively working on?
  • How’s it going?
  • Is this still a thing I should be working on?
  • How can I get better at it?
  • What Habits am I unknowingly creating?
  • What should I do about it?

After this, I take an overview of the roles, challenges, projects, and habits with the gut check bandwidth questions:

  • Am I doing too much?
  • What here should I throw overboard?

Hooray! Let’s Start Planning

If you did all of the above, the planning part is easy. Now you know where the role changes are needed, the challenges to be faced down, the projects and habits to nurture. Now go do it.

What actions do you need to take in the next six months to make it happen? Which resources do you need to assemble? What people do you need to reach out to? How do you set yourself up to pull it off? Assemble the troops and make your plans.

Is there a Theme?

My friends Myke Hurley and CGP Grey have themes (and theme journals) to help you simplify the process and make progress on what’s important to you. It’s a great idea that doesn’t land with me. Somewhat related, I do try and observe trends.

For example, looking back at my last six months, it’s clear that the big word for me was “transition”. I made significant changes in my life, and a lot of it was new. I saw transition every day. “Change” and me became close friends.

Looking forward, I expect more transition, but I can also see consolidation becoming a thing as I nail down the workflows to deliver more and better content and (hopefully) complete and move into a new studio space. You could call these themes, but they feel more like trends to me. I’m not choosing them so much as I observe them as they grow out of my decisions concerning my roles, challenges, projects, and habits.

Is All of This Worth the Time

100% Yes! People write to me asking how much time I spend on this stuff and if I wouldn’t be better off spending the time doing “actual” work. In my experience, reflection and planning time is always worth it. You have to experience this for yourself to believe it, but why don’t you take a shot right now? Go through the above questions. Do the work. Make plans. Then see where you are on New Year’s Eve.

Mid-Year Planning and reflection with MacSparky (MacSparky Labs)

Can you believe that we are halfway through 2022? With the move into the second half of the year, I’ll be doing some reflection and planning this week. I will share the process with the Early Access members, and I will do a Zoom call this Wednesday at 16:00 Pacific with anyone doing the same to talk about the process and implementation of mid-year reflections and planning. I’d love to see you there…

This is a post for MacSparky Labs Level 3 (Early Access) Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?