How I hacked my clock to control my focus

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:

chmod +x focus.sh

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

1. Zero Willpower Required: The reminder appears without any action on your part
2. Omnipresent: Your eyes naturally drift to the clock dozens of times daily
3. Context-Resetting: Each glance recalibrates your attention
4. 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