This r Nothing will boost your personal productivity by helping you create single-minded focus and eliminate distractions. In a This r Nothing cycle you will choose an activity and the amount of time you will dedicate to it. When the cycle begins, you will do This (the activity) OR, if you dont feel like it, nothing. Absolutely nothing! For every This r Nothing cycle that you successfully complete, you will receive a marshmallow. If you interrupt a cycle, you will receive a burnt marshmallow.
This r Nothing is a simple and effective productivity tool based on scientific principles of self-control. It helps you shield your goals from distraction, delay gratification, avoid the cost of mental switching, monitor where and how you are using your time and energy, and allows for the chunking of activities into small palatable pieces.
How to use the This r Nothing app:
1. Type what task you will accomplish during a This r Nothing cycle (e.g., write a letter, study for Orgo)
2. Use the timer to determine the amount of time allocated for each task
3. During the allocated time, you will do this, whatever is it that you set to do, or nothing (we mean absolutely nothing, no trips to the restroom, web browsing, social media, trips to the refrigerator nothing!)
4. At the end of each This r Nothing cycle, you will be prompted to engage in a brief reflective exercise. Why is this step important? If you are successful in achieving the task during the cycle, reflecting over it will boost your confidence and sense of self-efficacy. If you are not successful, you will be able to consciously determine what didnt work and try a different strategy. And then, start again!
Why Marshmallows?
The Stanford Marshmallow study is a seminal study in the science of self-control and delayed gratification conducted by Mischel in the 60s and 70s. In Mischels experiment, children could choose from a small immediate reward (one marshmallow) or, if they waited for fifteen minutes, they could get a larger reward (two marshmallows). Follow up studies showed that students who chose the larger reward later, that is, who were able to delay gratification, were, in general, more successful in life.
This study initiated a number of subsequent studies in the areas of delayed gratification and self-control.
Now you know why you are getting marshmallows! After every (unburnt) marshmallow you receive, celebrate!