I’m not one to exaggerate. In fact, I usually tend to “err on the side of caution”. But this one app has completely changed how I work remotely.

TLDR: I use virtual accountability via Focusmate to drastically increase my productive output every day.

My current schedule is Monday and Tuesday inside the office; Wednesday through Friday fully remote.

This give me time to sync up with the rest of the team and set priorities for the week, then go “heads down” on the important work for three days.

I’m usually one that can sit down, focus, and get stuff done.

However, on the days I am working from my home office, sometimes there can be some self-inflicted friction when getting into deep work.

One point of friction for me is NOT doing this:

  • Work for 20 minutes

  • Take a 2 minute break to grab some water

  • Work for 20 more minutes

  • Go use the bathroom

  • Work 20 more minutes

  • Go check the mail just to be outside for a minute

  • … and on and on it goes.

Now, I’m not saying taking breaks isn’t important.

You just cannot get into a state of deep work when you get into this kind of cycle.

So a couple of years ago I was introduced to this app called Focusmate.

It’s a simple, yet GENIUS idea.

When you sign up, You schedule around your day with what they call “Sessions”.

A Session can be 25 minutes, 50 minutes, or 75 minutes (my personal favorite).

Once you’ve booked a Session(s), Focusmate will automatically match you with another random user who is also trying to get deep work done.

“So what?” — GREAT Question.

The moment you join a session, Focusmate encourages you to tell your partner what you will be working on and attempting to accomplish during your session.

As I see another person on the screen, and say “These are the things I am going to do.”, I feel a sense of motivation.

Simply verbally communicating to another human being what I’d like to do, gives me a sense of urgency and borderline obligation to focus on those tasks, projects, or goals for the entirety of the session — regardless if I complete anything.

And that feeling gets multiplied since at the end of every Session, that same partner is going to ask me “How well did you stayed focused?” and “What were you able to accomplish?”.

This feeling alone has tripled the amount of REAL deep work I accomplish in a week.

I’ve had 10 Focusmate sessions in the last three days. At 75 minutes a Session, that’s 12.5 hours of focused deep work that I’ve been able to accomplish. In three days.

Most people have a mental limit of “deep work” that they can accomplish in a day. Most researchers believe this is ~4 hours for the average person.

If it wasn’t for a couple of meetings this week, I would’ve tried to have 5 sessions each day which would’ve been 6.5 hours of deep work in a single day.

Not everyone can do this however, and I mentally can’t do this every single day, but I have in the past and let me just say… at the end of the day, you have hit your mental MAX in the most rewarding way possible.

You can look back on your calendar (and your task manager) and see just how much work you really got done. It’s awesome.

Now, remember how I said: “I’m not saying taking breaks isn’t important”?

Well Focusmate automatically give you a buffer time for each Session type.

For my favorite 75 minute sessions, this is 15 minutes.

So if I schedule a session at 3pm, it will end at 4:15pm…

BUT Focusmate won’t allow me to schedule another Session until 4:30pm…

Giving me 15 minutes to REST. (Work with your mind like me? Rest with your HANDS.)

I bet you can guess what I’ve been doing for each 15 minute break:

  • Grabbing some water

  • Using the bathroom

  • Checking the mail

  • Jumping on our Nugget with our 2 year old (11/10 Recommend)

  • Putting our toddler down for a nap (my fav)

  • Helping my wife change a diaper

  • Taking out the trash

  • Making the bed

  • Playing guitar

  • … and so on.

This rhythm of work has taken my focus and overall productivity THROUGH THE ROOF.

This deep work cadence hasn’t just improved my day either.

It’s also greatly improved my wife’s day.

She has so much more clarity on how long I will need to be “heads down” every time I say “I have a session at 3pm”.

It’s simplified a lot of communication that can potentially be friction in a work-from-home environment.

So I can’t recommend Focusmate enough…

And if you want to get a month of unlimited sessions for FREE, then you can try out Focusmate here.

^yes this is a referral link, you get a free month and so do I. 11/10 couldn’t recommend more.