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greyliliy
Let's talk productivity!
In my hunt to get my life more organized and to get stuff done, I've been looking into various tools and apps. Habitica has gotten my To-Do list in order (or at least better than it was lol), but I still haven't been doing so great at time management and focus.
After looking around, I discovered the Pomodoro method...which does not help me at all. I hate having to either stretch myself out to meet that 25 minute mark, or stopping when I get there. It's stressful!
But what did change my system for the better are timers: A Timer running tricks my brain into staying on task: "If you get distracted, than the time logged will be a lie and you hate lying!"
Perhaps a childish mindset for someone my age, but if it works, it works.
The first app I tried with success was Forest. The premise is you get to grow a tree with every timer you set. It worked pretty well for a while!
But I also discovered the app was stressing me out:
- Timer Minimums. 10 minutes feels like a generous minimum, but I like using an app like this to log time. As an example, my morning journal sessions can take anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes. I want to log that, but forcing myself to do it for ten minutes is...not great.
- Events. The monthly events are pretty easy, but a lot of the daily tasks are "Plant a specific tree for a certain amount of time." For someone who liked to tie trees to tags, this messed up my system. Also, nine times out of ten, I hadn't unlocked the tree yet and didn't have the gold to buy it in the shop. So I couldn't complete that task even if I wanted to break my tag system.
- General user frustration. The Reddit and Instagram are full of people who have had bad experience with support and events.
- GenAI images. I hadn't been aware, but it has come to my attention many of the recent and new trees for the game were AI Generated, which is disappointing and aggravating.
To be perfectly blunt, I regret paying for the Pro Version of the application.
Enter Focumon
While browsing for alternatives, I came across the browser based Focumon - a focus timer with a cute monster collecting theme for the gamification.
I'm not a fan of retro pixel art**, but I decided to give it a shot and I have not been disappointed!
Not only is the game portion fun (training the monsters), but it is very stress free. All of the events are aimed at slow and long term progression. This is not a game meant to make you rush and that's fun. The game part is second and the tool comes first.
Flomodoro.
The timer system in Focumon is a total game changer. It blends the Pomodoro method (25 minutes of work to 5 minutes break) with a timer method to create a very productive system.
While you are focusing, the app calculates how much break time you are earning (Balance) based on what ratio you set (the default is one minute of break to three minutes of work). You take your break whenever you want during the focus, so you don't feel pressured to push through to that 25 minute mark or to stop if you're on a roll when that 25 hits.
When you hit the break button, it starts timing your break and you can see how much you have left or when it's time to start getting back to work.
It is a phenomenally helpful system for reducing stress and helping stay on task.
Focumon has flexible tags, so you can mark sessions with more than one (ex. Logging video game time can have a Video Game tag and the Leisure tag).
The stats page is a work in progress, but I like where it's going and for now, it is functinonal and enough for what I need to log my time and have a good idea of how long I spent doing what during the week or day (Video games vs crafting vs writing vs cleaning, etc).
Focumon also has a Quest system, to arrange your To-Do list, including books for repeating tasks. The system looks pretty nice, though I am not using it because I still have Habitica.
Keeping with flexiblity, Focumon also includes a Stacks feature for people who want that strict Pomodoro method.
This is an application I can see myself using long term and I do not regret paying for the Pro version a single bit. The game is fun, stress free, and productive.
And I haven't even mentioned the Garden!
For every twenty minutes you spend focusing (collectively throughout all tasks---so if you have five four minute sessions, that counts as twenty minutes), you grow one flower in your daily garden. As you grow more flowers, more Focumon come to play.
There is also decor unlocked with the Pro account and your level (that I hope we see more of!).
Best of all, each Daily Garden is logged, so as you look back throug your days, you can see the garden where you grew flowers and the decor you saved for that day.
It's a very lovely feature and I can't wait to see how it grows as the game progresses.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a new productivity tool with a bit of fun to it, I highly recommend checking out Focumon.
(Also, it just occured to me I could have been training mons while I wrote this. LOL. I am technically writing! I was so excited to share about the app with a review I forgot this was work. ;D)
**I am forever amused that the two apps that have been most helpful to my productivity are based in retro pixel art. LOL
While you are focusing, the app calculates how much break time you are earning (Balance) based on what ratio you set (the default is one minute of break to three minutes of work). You take your break whenever you want during the focus, so you don't feel pressured to push through to that 25 minute mark or to stop if you're on a roll when that 25 hits.
When you hit the break button, it starts timing your break and you can see how much you have left or when it's time to start getting back to work.
It is a phenomenally helpful system for reducing stress and helping stay on task.
Focumon has flexible tags, so you can mark sessions with more than one (ex. Logging video game time can have a Video Game tag and the Leisure tag).
The stats page is a work in progress, but I like where it's going and for now, it is functinonal and enough for what I need to log my time and have a good idea of how long I spent doing what during the week or day (Video games vs crafting vs writing vs cleaning, etc).
Focumon also has a Quest system, to arrange your To-Do list, including books for repeating tasks. The system looks pretty nice, though I am not using it because I still have Habitica.
Keeping with flexiblity, Focumon also includes a Stacks feature for people who want that strict Pomodoro method.
This is an application I can see myself using long term and I do not regret paying for the Pro version a single bit. The game is fun, stress free, and productive.
And I haven't even mentioned the Garden!
For every twenty minutes you spend focusing (collectively throughout all tasks---so if you have five four minute sessions, that counts as twenty minutes), you grow one flower in your daily garden. As you grow more flowers, more Focumon come to play.
There is also decor unlocked with the Pro account and your level (that I hope we see more of!).
Best of all, each Daily Garden is logged, so as you look back throug your days, you can see the garden where you grew flowers and the decor you saved for that day.
It's a very lovely feature and I can't wait to see how it grows as the game progresses.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a new productivity tool with a bit of fun to it, I highly recommend checking out Focumon.
(Also, it just occured to me I could have been training mons while I wrote this. LOL. I am technically writing! I was so excited to share about the app with a review I forgot this was work. ;D)
**I am forever amused that the two apps that have been most helpful to my productivity are based in retro pixel art. LOL
