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Eat less internet with digital fasting
June 2, 2022

With digital fasting, you disconnect from the internet or particular sites and apps for stretches of time. This article explores fast types and how to plan for one.

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Use Yesterbox to tame your email
May 25, 2022

The Yesterbox concept is straightforward: instead of trying to keep up with every new email that lands in your inbox today, your only goal is to clear out mail from yesterday.

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How to make good presentation slides—this process made millions
May 16, 2022

Here's an approach to presentation building that has nothing to do with graphic design. The looks of your slides matter, but it all starts with the content—the story you tell and how you structure it.

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2022: Tame the ravenous work beast
May 8, 2022

You can't outcompete robots and algorithms on overwork and insomnia. Working with constant interruptions and without breaks is detrimental to those qualities we need most in the future of work.

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2021: Flexibility for more balance and more Saent
May 7, 2022

It wasn't until the pandemic that topics like focus, balance, and everything else Saent had always been about hit the mainstream, and so I wanted to spend more time on Saent again.

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2017 - 2020: Being productive back in the real world
May 6, 2022

July 2017 marked my return to the employed world. I took a role for the stability and salary package—which looked especially attractive compared to my startup subsistence.

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2016: The productivity company
May 5, 2022

We raised $500k from angel investors, got selected for a Y-Combinator (YC) interview, experienced with Teal and Holacracy, and shipped 2,000 buttons to over 50 countries.

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2015: Press a button for focus
May 4, 2022

I wanted to crowdfund our software, but doing so for apps was rare at the time. A friend suggested a physical button to control the software—hit it to end distractions and start a focus session.

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2014: Timeboxing + distraction blocking + gamification
May 3, 2022

People can't focus and have poor work habits. My solution? An app based on the simplest and strongest productivity hacks I knew of.

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2011-2012: The crazy idea of intentional disconnecting
May 2, 2022

Hamlet's Blackberry argues we are getting too connected, with ramifications for our mental well-being, relationships, and happiness. What author William Powers described instantly resonated.

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2008: Empty your mind and stop multitasking
May 1, 2022

I had just started a video production company. With it came people to manage, business partners, and clients. My email inbox and head were exploding, and I forgot things—ideas, tasks, promises.

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My personal productivity journey and the history of Saent
April 30, 2022

I'll walk you through my personal productivity journey and the history of Saent in this nine-part article series.

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My approach as productivity coach
March 15, 2022

An overview of how I think about coaching in general and productivity coaching in particular, with a focus on soft, inner productivity skills.

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Member and partner update Q1 2022
February 26, 2022

An update on Saent's progress and plans for our members and partners—Q1 2022.

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Saent's mission and Lifeline's UX overhaul - What do you think?
February 23, 2022

We're about to overhaul the user experience (UX) of our app Lifeline. To do so, we had to ask tough questions about what Saent wants to achieve and for whom. Here are our thoughts.

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Why can't I focus? - 10 invaluable insights for more concentration
January 28, 2022

We recently hosted a ten-day focus challenge. Over 60 participants joined and came in asking: why can't I focus? Here are the ten most remarkable discoveries from our challenge that help find focus.

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Hey LinkedIn, let’s kick that LinkedIn addiction together
December 29, 2021

In the new year, let's check LinkedIn just once a day, and not on weekends. Join me? Here’s how we'll kick our LinkedIn addiction.

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2021 wrap-up: Find Your Focus challenge, Saent Community, and Lifeline UX overhaul
December 22, 2021

A wrap-up of 2021 by Saent cofounder Tim Metz, featuring the Find Your Focus Challenge, the Saent community we've (soft-)launched, and upcoming user research for Lifeline's UX.

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How tiny interruptions tank your Return-on-Attention
November 25, 2021

Return-on-Attention reflects how much value you create from the attention you invest in your work. Even the tiniest interruptions tank it by throwing you out of flow.

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The best productivity books worthy of your time—plus the duds that aren't
September 15, 2021

An overview of the best productivity books that have the potential to change your life. Plus, a list of duds to skip so you have more reading time for the great ones.

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Thrive book review and summary
August 29, 2021

In Thrive, Arianna Huffington makes an impassioned and compelling case for the need to redefine what it means to be successful in today's world.

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Letters From a Stoic book review and summary
August 29, 2021

While not an easy read, this is an invaluable and timeless guide on how to live a virtuous and fulfilling life.

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The Coaching Habit: quick reference guide
August 29, 2021

In Michael Bungay Stanier's The Coaching Habit, coaching becomes a regular, informal part of your day so managers and their teams can work less hard and have more impact.

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BrainChains book review and summary
August 28, 2021

World-class collection of research on what technology is doing to our brains, degraded to amateur level by author’s writing style.

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Flow book review and summary
August 28, 2021

This book is an exploration of happiness. a large part of the book discusses the why: why flow is important for anyone’s life, not just for athletes and other super-performers.

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