Accountability Partners: Does Social Commitment Improve Follow-Through?
Accountability partners are a popular productivity strategy. The research on social commitment and goal pursuit explains when and why they help, and when they don't.
Work and study techniques, and the evidence behind them
Clear-eyed explanations of productivity techniques, study methods, and focus research for knowledge workers and students.
Latest articles
All articles →Interleaving: Why Mixing Practice Beats Repetition
Interleaving, the practice of mixing different topics or problem types during study, produces better long-term learning than blocking. Here's the mechanism and the evidence.
Study Breaks: What the Research Says About Rest During Work
Research on breaks during cognitive work shows that rest periods restore attention, but the optimal timing, duration, and activity during breaks vary. Here's what the evidence supports.
Digital Minimalism and Focus: What the Evidence Supports
Digital minimalism claims that reducing technology use improves focus. The research supports the interruption argument but not the broader anti-technology framing.
Work From Home Productivity: What the Research Shows
Research on remote work productivity shows benefits for focused individual work and costs for collaboration. Here's what the evidence supports about structuring remote work for focus.
Morning Routines and Productivity: What the Research Supports
Morning routines dominate the productivity genre, but the evidence for their benefits is thinner and more conditional than the advice suggests. Here's what the research actually shows.