The focusd community: Let's focus on Zen Productivity

Recently, André and I have created the focusd community, along with the launch of our product's landing page. In this article, I want to explain what this community is all about, what our values are, and why you should join us.

Zen Productivity

Lots and lots of things have been said and written about productivity. We could say that we live in a productivity-obsessed society. Sadly, many productivity gurus forget about the importance of balance and sustainability. They recommend approaches to keep making us more productive, but often their recommendations are unsustainable over long periods of time. Next to that, work environments push us to the limit, always demanding more and giving us less time and resources.

There's a hard limit to how productive we can be and a necessity for us all to take better care of our health. More and more people end up burning out like candles. Out of energy, with a body that just says STOP. And once that happens, reality takes over and you have no choice but to rest; usually for a very long time, before you can even start to think about working again.

André and I are system thinkers. We care a lot about mental health, well-being, and sustainable productivity systems. We like to call those "Zen productivity" systems.

Zen productivity systems are all about equilibrium. Those systems are made of habits and routines that help us focus effortlessly on what really matters, manage our time thoughtfully, and leave room for rest and recovery.

Ambitious people are generally driven by results. They always try to do more. To the point of being labeled as workaholics. That implies that they say yes to most of the opportunities that cross their radar. But that's unsustainable. And once they realize it, it's often too late.

The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything. Very successful people know that they have to avoid neglecting their mental and physical health. They recognize that if they fail to take care of themselves, they'll end up hurting their business.

Why a community?

Recently, I've come to realize that being part of a community of like-minded people is extremely positive, powerful and valuable. André and I have been exploring productivity systems for years, but we don't have all the answers (far from it 😂). We are all unique, and so each and every single one of us needs specific solutions; not generic ones.

We are eager to explore productivity further, and exchange ideas with other like-minded people. And what better way to do that than to be part of a community?

But not any community. One sharing our values around zen productivity. And, as far as we could see, there aren't many of those. That's why we are creating the focusd community!

Community

The focusd community is a place where we share ideas, workflows, systems, tools, interesting articles, tips, tricks, and hacks about Zen productivity.

Everyone is more than welcome to join. Our community is free and open to anyone. There's no barrier to entry. You're welcome, whether you're getting started or are already further along the way. We can all learn from each other! ✨

In this community, we want to explore and grow together. There are no masters; just students.

Convinced already? Click here to join us

Product

focusd is also the name of the product that André and I are working on. That being said, while we do intend to share news and progress about how product, we really don't want this community to be limited to that. Instead, we want this community to be tool-agnostic and solely focused on Zen productivity.

What we do

In the focusd community, we:

• Care about well-being, equilibrium and sustainability. We value those more than raw productivity, which we recognize as toxic for our physical and mental health
• Stay open-minded about productivity systems. We acknowledge that there are no hard and fast rules, no miracle recipes, no one-size-fits-all solution
• Share what we know/learn/discover/use
• Put people front and center
• Meet people where they're at
• Invest in each other
• Lift people up
• Give back whenever we can
• Encourage new ideas
• Assume good intentions
• Are fun and friendly
• Leave no question unanswered
• Agree to disagree

What we don't do

In the focusd community we don't:

• Chase growth for growth's sake
• Sell data
• Waste people's time
• Think there's only one way of doing things
• Dictate what to do
• Patronize
• Judge others
• Assume the worst

What are our values?

Our core values are:

• Curiosity
• Openness
• Continuous improvement
• Positivity
• Simplicity
• Friendliness
• Generosity
• Empathy

Who are we?

We are...

• Productivity enthusiasts
• Curious minds
• Tinkerers
• Eager to share ideas
• Witty (sometimes even nerdy)
• Open-minded
• Aiming for continuous improvement
• Coming from all walks of life
• Positive
• Creative
• Enthusiastic
• Generous
• Welcoming

How to join the community?

You're only one click away from being a part of the focusd community! 🚀

We hang out on Slack.

If you want to lurk around (that's fine too), you can follow my blog, and subscribe to my newsletter.

That's it for today! ✨