I have ADD. I may actually have ADHD, according to my coach, who is also a Christian counselor. I can get distracted by the smallest thing. My mind can think of something and quickly I’m diverted. I have a problem with concentration and focus. I admit it. I blame the 6 years in the IT industry. At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. You know, stress can cause issues with short-term memory. It also is an accelerator of ADD/ADHD, though not a cause. And during the startup days of the internet, stress was very real.
I can’t remember where I found this (like I said, memory issues), but recently I ran upon an app for the mac called Concentrate. Concentrate “helps you work and study more productively by eliminating distractions.” It is a simple application with a really nice interface. Concentrate offers a number of options to help you get down to business. With it you can
- Quit applications that distract you
- Run applications, and only the ones you need for your task
- Open websites you need to use for work
- Block websites that you know will distract you such as social media sites
In addition to helping keep you on task, Concentrate takes it also records spoken messages that help to keep you going, play sounds to let you know how long you’ve been concentrating, and alters your iChat and/or Skype status to keep people from bugging you.
Concentrate has a 60 hour free trial and is $29 to purchase.
I really love this app. I have different tasks set up and in each task certain programs are allowed to run, certain programs and automatically shut down. Some websites are allowed and some are blocked. It really helps me get things done and allows me to “concentrate”.
If you have a mac, pick up a copy. Then use it. It’s worth the $29.
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David is an entrepreneur, pastor, coach, and author. He has his doctorate from George Fox Seminary where he studied under Len Sweet, his M.Div. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has done post graduate work in communications from the University of Alabama and the University of South Florida. He lives with his wife Brenna Phillips in Smyrna, DE. 
Concentrate for better productivity (mac only) @wdphillips http://bit.ly/aHuGEn