I always have an overflowing list of tasks at any given time, but I also have a severe procrastination problem. Even if I’m locked in a room with no devices, I’ll still find a new way to procrastinate. To tackle this and stop feeling guilty every time I spend hours off-task, I’ve tried every productivity hack people rave about: Pomodoro timers, meticulously planned to-do lists, working during my peak energy hours, obsessively time-blocking every minute of the day — the list goes on. And, unsurprisingly, the story is always the same: the method works, until it doesn’t.
Instead of the standard productivity hacks that seem to work for most people, I’ve found that the odd, unconventional methods tend to stick. I’ve shared some of these unusual hacks in detail before, but another strategy (which isn’t as odd) that’s been a game-changer for me is experimenting with new apps.
Testing different tools has a weirdly satisfying way of making me actually want to focus, and every now and then, you land on one that just clicks. That’s how I discovered FocusFlight. I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now, and I’m absolutely obsessed.
What is FocusFlight?
A productivity app that turns every focus session into a flight
Though there’s currently no shortage of focus timer apps, try a few and you’ll quickly realize they’re almost all the same: pick a session length, watch a countdown tick away, and endure some form of guilt if you quit mid-session. FocusFlight is a deep focus timer app you can download from the Apple App Store, but unlike most apps in this category, it turns your boring focus session into an experience.
FocusFlight combines aviation and productivity — I know, it’s an unusual mix, and one you probably didn’t see coming. But hear me out. Instead of just picking a focus length and hitting start, you “book” a custom flight in FocusFlight. You begin by selecting your current airport (or a random one), and then your destination.
The duration of the flight from your selected airport to your destination will also be displayed (along with the distance in miles) — this duration essentially sets how long your focus session will last. From my city’s airport, the shortest flight I can pick is 30 minutes, and the longest is 5 hours and 5 minutes.
Though I initially thought the longest flight, only being 5 hours and 5 minutes, was obviously too short, it actually makes sense — you can’t realistically expect to stay fully focused for longer than that without burning out. Once you’ve selected your flight’s destination, you just hit Book My Flight to get started.
FocusFlight then begins simulating the entire flight experience by asking you to select your seats on the airplane, print your tickets, check in for the flight, and tear off the stubs of your boarding pass to board.
A “Cabin doors closed. Ready for takeoff” warning soon appears, and the flight begins. It’s a really interesting concept, and as someone who absolutely loves flights and airplanes, I’ve been obsessively using the app since I found it.
The experience doesn’t end once the flight has begun
The fun carries on mid-flight
Though the experience of exploring different destinations, settling on one, picking a seat, and tearing off the stub of the boarding pass was fun enough to keep me coming back to the app, what I love about FocusFlight is that the experience doesn’t end there. Instead, it extends onto the flight itself.
When your focus session begins and you’re “on the plane,” a map is displayed showing the flight’s progress in real time. In the bottom-left corner, the Time Remaining for the flight is displayed, while in the bottom-right corner, you’ll see the Distance Remaining.
Here’s what really stood out to me: you can configure the app’s settings and enable White Noise. I’m personally a fan of the Airplane Sound white noise, since it makes the entire experience feel a lot more realistic. But you can also choose Raindrop, Ocean Waves, or Forest. The app even notes that Focus Sounds are coming soon.
FocusFlight’s AirPlane Mode ensures you don’t get sidetracked
Perfect for chronic procrastinators
If watching a pretend airplane make its way to your selected destination isn’t enough to keep you focused on the task at hand, and you still find yourself getting sidetracked, FocusFlight lets you take it up a notch. The app features an AirPlane Mode, which connects to Apple’s Screen Time integration.
When you enable it, you can choose the categories of apps you’d like to be automatically blocked every time you begin a focus session. For example, you can pick from categories like Social, Games, Entertainment, Creativity, Education, Health & Fitness, and more. And if you’re like me and have absolutely no control, you can even block All Categories.
FocusFlight beats every other focus app I’ve tried before
When I say I’ve tried a lot of focus apps, I’m not exaggerating. I’ve tested everything from simple Pomodoro timers to overly complicated task managers, and I ended up giving up on almost all of them within a couple of days. FocusFlight is one of the few that I haven’t uninstalled shortly after downloading.
It’s also one of the few apps that actually convinced me to subscribe to its premium tier, which gives you access to detailed statistics, a windowed view while focusing, and more. That said, there’s still room for improvement. For example, adding a Pomodoro-style mode where your flight could include a “lunch break” or short pauses would be a nice touch. I also think the app could benefit from a reward system to help motivate you to keep focusing while you’re in flight.
