I’ve tried just about every time blocking method out there. I’ve done it Fantastical (my calendar app of choice), followed Shawn in planning my day using GoodNotes on my iPad using a custom template, experimented with time blocking in Obsidian, even crafted my own analog bullet-journal-based hybrid productivity system. For the past 6 months or […] »

Whenever I launch the Mail app on my Mac, I’m presented with a completely blank inbox. This is not because of an Inbox Zero strategy. Rather, I can search for any specific emails I may be wanting to get to, or write a new email completely undistracted by whatever is in my inbox. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at using Focus Modes to improve your productivity, an in-depth tour of David Sparks' startup and shutdown routines, and more. »

Do Not Disturb is a 3-part live online workshop that gives you a system for unlocking creative momentum and shutting out the distractions that derail your most important work. »

The key is to nail the beginning and the ending, and anything that happens in the middle doesn’t matter so much. »

In just a few hours, I’m going live to show you a bulletproof approach for becoming more consistent with your most important habits and routines… …even if you’re battling a crazy schedule and more distractions than you can count. :) Join me live, TODAY… at 3pm Eastern / Noon Pacific / 7pm GMT for the […] »

Been more than 12 years now of running a thriving profitable business. 📶 🎉 It has not always been easy. And I rarely had the answers for what was next. But here we are. And I am having the most fun (and getting the most sleep) so far! There is one simple mantra has kept me […] »

I've been a heavy user of Do Not Disturb as a way of eliminating distractions on my Mac and iOS devices for a long time. But if you don't want to completely block the outside world, the Focus modes feature built into macOS & iOS is surprisingly powerful. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including our ultimate guide to using Do Not Disturb on iOS and macOS, some advice on using your time and attention, and more. »

Do Not Disturb is a life saver. You can set it up on all your devices and it silences all your notifications. You can set it to turn on a set schedule, turn it on for meetings, or when you need to go “heads down” on an important project. »

There’s been a battle brewing over the past year or so between Matter and Readwise Reader over which is the better brand-spanking-new read later service. Here at The Sweet Setup, we try to pick the best apps and services in every category we can, but the TSS crew is split on this one, so today Josh and Matt are going to make their case for why they prefer each of these apps. »

Habits change. Inspiration comes and goes. Workflows spring up and taper off. But for me, time blocking never changes. Time blocking has become fundamental to my work day, ensuring I have chunks of time to complete tasks and ensuring my colleagues know what I’m up to. Time blocking structures my day. Time blocking blocks out extra meetings. Time blocking pushes me forward. »

Continuing in our series on focus and productivity, here we will dive in to see what’s holding you back from being efficient and intentional with your time, and the obstacles you face when trying to do focused, deep work. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including the three waves of productivity, tweaking your productivity systems for busy seasons of life, and more. »

Clarity about what matters also gives clarity about what does not. Clarity is vital if you want to do deep work on a regular basis over the long run. »