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> Do you have any examples of this?

Personally I've been surprised how well setting up contexts for intended outcomes ahead of time works - e.g. if I want to study X, I close everything else on my computer the night before and only open the textbook and my reading notes; If I want to get up on time and go for a run I put my running gear in one place all ready to put on, etc. More generally I try to prepare a daily note on my computer the night before with the most important few things I'd like to focus on.

But what works and doesn't it's highly personal, e.g. the hosts file thing has never lasted more than a day or two for me :)

Try the LeeckBlock browser extension (Firefox and Chrome). It might work better for you than the hosts file. I just commented about it in a sibling to your comment.

You can do this with Amna fairly consistently and plan ahead. It’s a task management app to collect your context.

(https://getamna.com)

If you’re on a Mac I can recommend Time Sink. $5, paid once, every few years there’s an update and I think it might be paid too, I dunno, it’s been feature complete for ages and it really just needs occasional “new OS broke something” fixes. https://manytricks.com/timesink/

Thanks for the suggestion, looks good. I'm on windows and android mostly, though.

> One thing I do is put sites I want to spend less time on into my hosts file. That way I have to edit a file, which means leaving the context of my web browser, before I can access the site.

I use the LeeckBlock extension in Firefox. I have it set to block a bunch of sites 24/7. It has an override option; I have it set to override the block for 2 minutes when I activate it. As I'm typing these words, I have ~20 seconds left before HN is blocked again, so I'll probably have to override again before I submit this comment.

It adds enough friction that I don't spend as much time as I otherwise might on the blocked sites. I think the fact that it auto-blocks again helps over having to manually re-enable the block in a hosts file. Of course that could be automated.

It also has a bunch of related features that I don't use much, in case anyone is interested.

(Override, OK, reply)

Leechblock is good, but it's too easy to get around. I have several browsers installed since I do web dev, so it's an easy matter to just open a different one, or use private browsing, or disable the extension.

Well sure; but isn't editing the hosts file easy as well? Unless you lock yourself out of root and would have to boot from a live image. :D

LeechBlock has been enough for me, because I mostly just need a reminder to get in the way of my autopilot, not something that strongly prevents access. If my autopilot gets smarter, I can turn up the friction. LeechBlock has an option that requires you to enter a password to override it or get into the settings; either a user-specified password, or even worse/better, a 32/64/128 character random password.

Add tracking - I had a love & hate relationship with Rescue Time. Just because one can track something does not mean it is easy to change behaviour. Diagnosis is not (yet) a treatment.

I've found a way to hack Rescue Time to to the job - by wiring the newly open browser tabs to it. Now it actually changes my behaviour, and there is not friction (I don't need an extra task on "check RT sometimes").

More in "ADHD tech stack: auto time tracking" (https://medium.com/@pmigdal/adhd-tech-stack-auto-time-tracki...).

Thanks, that's a great writeup.

One thing I noticed:

> Side note: why do ALL time-tracking pieces of software assume that the day starts at midnight? (Midnight does not seem to be anywhere near to the average of sleep time.)

This is off-topic. I used to feel the same way, but over the past year I have fixed my sleep patterns so I now (mostly) go to bed at 10pm, sleep by 11, wake at 6am. It's been an absolute game changer for my mental health, physical health, productivity, and lots more. My social life has suffered somewhat though. If I manage to keep this pattern for a week or more, the difference in my thought patterns and sense of inner piece is amazing. The only way I have learned to force this pattern is to set an alarm for my wake up time. If my goal is 6am, but I currently wake at 10am, I will for two night set an alarm for 8am, then 7:30 two nights, and so on.

It's not exactly the same but arbtt[1] (automatic rule-based time tracker) is what I use on my desktop for tracking time in apps. It would perform the what-for-how-long data collection without providing a cloud-hosted UI for access/review

I'm unable to comment on how easy it is to analyse the dataset it generates as I've not yet got to that myself, but data collection is straightforward.

[1] https://arbtt.nomeata.de/#what

Yeah, I’ve noticed that subware developers are often less-than-forthcoming about their pricing model, probably because they know it’s unpopular. It’s the first thing I look for, and when I find it, I stop considering that app.

If you’re on a Mac, there’s a neat (and free) app that’ll block sites for you: https://selfcontrolapp.com/

Activitywatch is free and self hosted.

I've been using cold turkey. Has a one off cost and manages applications and websites block lists, on a time block basis if you wish. Also includes a built in time tracker

One of the best purchases I've made. No affiliation just a happy customer

I've heard good things about Qbserve, but it's mac only.