I hacked my clock to control my focus

Summary

I often get distracted. I obviously don’t like it. So I decided to turn my computer’s clock into a constant reminder to help me focus. Implementation This hack requires: Ubuntu with GNOME desktop environment The Panel Date Format extension A simple bash script 1. Install the Panel Date Format extension # If you don't have the GNOME Shell extensions manager sudo apt install gnome-shell-extensions Install Panel Date Format from the GNOME Extensions website. 2. Create a focus script Create a file named focus.sh in your preferred location: #!/bin/bash # Set focus text from command line argument or prompt user if [ -z "$1" ]; then echo "What's your current focus?" read FOCUS else FOCUS="$1" fi if [ -z "$FOCUS" ]; then dconf write /org/gnome/shell/extensions/panel-date-format/format "'%b %d %H:%M'" else dconf write /org/gnome/shell/extensions/panel-date-format/format "'%b %d %H:%M Focus: $FOCUS'" fi echo "Focus set to: $FOCUS" Make it executable: 3. Add to your PATH For easy access from any terminal: # Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc export PATH="$PATH:/path/to/your/script" Usage Now you can type focus.sh Coding or focus.sh Marketing and your clock features a persistent reminder of your intended focus. Screenshot of how it looks like when the focus is set to 'Agents' Why This Works Zero Willpower Required: The reminder appears without any action on your part Omnipresent: Your eyes naturally drift to the clock dozens of times daily Context-Resetting: Each glance recalibrates your attention Non-Intrusive: Unlike notifications, it doesn’t break your flow This hack works because it piggybacks on an existing behavior pattern rather than trying to create a new one. Extensions You could extend this with: Pomodoro functionality that alternates between focus and break periods Color-coding based on task category Time tracking integration that logs when your focus changes