Do you feel that the act of focusing on a task can be complicated, especially with the presence of external factors such as cell phones and social media? What if we told you that it’s possible to use those very same distractions to your advantage? In this edition of Time Management Techniques, we will explore the chances of reaching your maximum productivity through a fun app that is also beneficial to the environment.
It’s not unusual for deterrents such as social media or cell phones to cut our concentration short. However, both distractions are, above all, tools. What if we started seeing them as such, and more so, through a dynamic and fun lens?
Forest is a productivity app that, like many others, has time as its main motivating factor. The idea is based on the timer model, in which concentration is allocated to intervals of time defined by the user. However, this app stands out from others, as it possesses a different and motivational feature: the growth of a tree.
So, how does it work?
Once you install the app, you will be able to start a timer on your phone and adapt it to your concentration needs, or block certain websites through a browser extension for a certain period of time. From the moment in which any of the options is initiated, a digital tree begins to grow. If you can resist the temptation to open a social media app on your phone or access one of the websites that most distract you on your browser, your tree will grow and thrive. However, if you lose your focus, the tree will die. This technique is equally organizational as it is motivational, since for every digital tree that you plant you will receive gold coins. In turn, you will be able to accumulate those virtual coins and use them to plant an actual tree for free, through the organisation Trees For the Future.
What are the benefits?
Forest is an app that can be beneficial for kids and grown-ups alike, as it has positive reinforcement psychology as its base. Instead of being created around a limited and negative connotation, as are many timer apps and blacklisting browser extensions, Forest is based upon growth and contribution to a better world. Thus, the app users will begin to see productivity as a positively charged experience.
And you? Are you ready to use Forest to reach your maximum productivity and make the world around you a better place?
