Keep your current task visible wherever you are in Marvin, and track how long things take so you're more likely to stay on a task until it's finished.
What can help
Top of Mind
Your current task stays pinned in view everywhere, so when the urge to bounce to something else hits, there's a constant reminder of what you already committed to.
Time Tracking
With a timer running on your current task, switching becomes a little uncomfortable. That's exactly the friction that can help you see a task through.
Super Focus Mode
See only the one task you're on. With everything else off-screen, you're less likely to get pulled into another task on your list.
Read more about Super Focus Mode
Ideas to try
Keep your task in sight. Turn on Top of Mind. A small floating window shows the task you're working on (or your next task for today), even when you switch to other apps. (Not available in Firefox.)
Start a timer before you start. Click the play icon on a task before you begin. If you're tempted to switch, the running timer is a gentle reminder that you're in the middle of something.
The combination. Press F for Super Focus Mode with Time Tracking on. You see only the current task, the timer runs, and a progress bar shows how you're doing against your duration estimate.
How to turn on a feature
Open the main menu and click Features, or press S.
Search for the feature by name and turn it on.
Choose where you want to reach it in the Access dialog that opens.
You don't have to try everything at once. Pick the one that sounds most like you, use it for a few days, and see how it feels.
Related articles
I feel overwhelmed
Get things out of your head with a braindump. Move what isn't urgent to the Backburner, then pick a few priorities from what's left and work through them one at a time, with calming sounds in the background.
What can help
Braindump
Start by emptying your head. Dump every task swirling around into Marvin. Once it's all captured, it stops nagging at you and you can see what you're dealing with.
Backburner
Get the non-urgent stuff out of sight. Move anything that doesn't need to happen now to the Backburner. It's safely parked, so your list shows only what's actually live.
Importance Levels
Mark how important tasks are so the few that matter stand out, and you can focus on your top priorities.
Read more about Importance Levels
Super Focus Mode
See one task at a time on your screen, so there's no list to be overwhelmed by.
Read more about Super Focus Mode
Focus Music
Play calming background sounds while you work through your few priorities. Try the bird song. Birdsong has been shown to calm your nervous system and signal safety to your brain, which is exactly what an overwhelmed mind needs.
Ideas to try
Empty your head first. Press Tab + Space to open Braindump and type everything on your mind, one task per line. You can add details after a dash, like
Call dentist - tomorrow, 15m.Then shrink the pile. Move anything that doesn't need to happen soon to the Backburner. Mark the two or three things that matter most as important.
Then do one thing, calmly. Press F to start Super Focus Mode on your day list. Focus Music starts on its own when you enter focus mode (you can turn this off), with birdsong as the default track.
How to turn on a feature
Open the main menu and click Features, or press S.
Search for the feature by name and turn it on.
Choose where you want to reach it in the Access dialog that opens.
You don't have to try everything at once. Pick the one that sounds most like you, use it for a few days, and see how it feels.
Related articles