The Focus System: A Productivity Framework for Working Parents

The Problem

I stopped opening my to-do list. Not because I didn't have tasks—I had hundreds. But I couldn't handle the inbox. I was reacting to urgent tasks, missing deadlines, and switching windows every 5-10 minutes.

The 30-Minute Productivity Theater:

1. Kids are occupied. I have 30 precious minutes.
2. Sit at computer. Crack knuckles. This is going to be awesome.
3. "I'll start with Task A."
4. "Wait, I need to finish Task B first."
5. Email notification.
6. "Let me just answer this real quick…"
7. "But first, I'll make coffee."

By the time I'd worked through this cycle, my 30 minutes were gone. And I'd accomplished nothing.

Time spent per day deciding what to work on: ~60 minutes Tasks completed per day: 1-2 The realization: I was spending my limited typing time planning what to do with my typing time.

Why Working Parents Are Different

"Being a working parent is a balancing act. My kids need me just as much as my job."

• Multiple jobs/contracts requiring context switching
• Unpredictable schedules (sick kids, naptime negotiations)
• Physical constraints (one hand holding baby, can't always type)
• Reactive mode as default (urgent always trumps important)
• Cognitive load beyond tasks (laundry half-started, permission slips unsigned, dinner unmade)

"After getting everything settled and ready to start a work session, I remember I still have half-started laundry." — Working mom

I'd been trying to fix this for years, testing different systems:

Competitive Analysis

As a UX professional, I finally did what I should've done earlier—I analyzed why these systems fail:

System	Why it fails for working parents
GTD	Requires 30+ min daily processing time we don't have
Todoist/TickTick	Endless lists create decision paralysis
Timeblocking	We don't have predictable time blocks
Notion	Too much setup time, infinite customization = infinite procrastination
Eat the Frog	Closest to working, but breaks down with parallel projects
Day Theming	Assumes control over when things happen (laughable)

The pattern: Every system requires too much maintenance, offers no constraints, or assumes conditions that don't exist for working parents.

The opportunity: A system with built-in constraints, minimal maintenance, designed for unpredictability.

The Solution: Three Constraints

I started with paper. Validated the concept on myself first. Then built an Obsidian plugin called Focus with three hard constraints:

1. Maximum 1-7 Tasks in Immediate

The system blocks you from adding more. You literally cannot add task #6 until something is done or moved.

This forces prioritization at planning time, not execution time. Former me preferred making coffee over this decision—now the system makes it for me.

3. Separated Planning Time

• Daily review: 10 minutes
• Weekly planning: 30 minutes
• Zero planning during execution

Key Design Decisions

Design Decision	Problem Solved	Impact
Hard task limit with blocking	Decision paralysis from 47 tasks	Eliminates 50+ min/day decision time
Two-stage filtering	Anxiety about picking "wrong" tasks	Focus on high-impact work
Hidden but accessible backlog	Need to capture without overwhelm	Nothing gets lost, no visual noise
Tag-based capture anywhere	Context switching kills momentum	Stay in flow while capturing
Monthly completion archive	Need proof of progress	Visible accomplishment prevents burnout

Why Obsidian? I already work in it. Tag tasks with #focus from any document—no tool switching.

Four Foundational Rules

These behavioral patterns make the system work:

1. Buy a thermos. Coffee gets made before work time. No excuses to break focus. One less decision.
2. Write tasks when you don't have two hands available. Phone typing while holding a baby. Voice memos while driving.
3. Use voice dictation liberally. You need both hands more than you have them.
4. Planning happens in scheduled blocks, not during work time. Zero planning during execution windows.

Core Assumptions & Validation

Assumption	How Validated	Result
Decision fatigue is the primary blocker	Tracked time spent deciding vs. doing	✅ 60 min/day on decisions
5-7 tasks is optimal capacity	Tested 3, 5, 7, 10 limits	✅ 5-7 is sweet spot
Seeing full backlog creates anxiety	Tested hidden vs. accessible	✅ Accessible-but-hidden works
10-minute planning is sufficient	Timed sessions over 2 weeks	✅ 8-12 min average

The Results

By the Numbers

Metric	Before	After	Change
Daily decision time	60 min	10 min	-83%
Tasks completed/day	1-2	~4	+100%
Tasks completed/week	~8	15-20	+150%
Time to first action	30+ min	10 min	-67%

What Actually Changed

What I gained:

• No more decision spirals when I sit down to work
• Can close laptop and parent without guilt about what didn't get done
• The completion archive shows I shipped three major projects when I feel like I'm drowning

What I eliminated:

• That hour of "what should I work on?" paralysis
• The endless scroll of shame
• Guilt from seeing 47 tasks when I can realistically do 5

The surprising feedback: Everyone I've shown this to says they want to try it because it's so simple. The simplicity is the feature.

Validation in progress:

• Survey of 20-30 working parents (problem validation)
• Extended testing with 2-3 working moms over 4 weeks
• Usability testing on interface (5-7 participants)

Next Steps

Immediate validation:

• Quantify problem resonance beyond personal experience
• A/B test: Constrained vs. unlimited task lists
• Measure: retention rates, stress reduction, missed deadlines

Future development:

• CalDAV integration for calendar view
• Customizable constraint levels
• Team/shared task boards

Implementation

Built as an Obsidian plugin, but the system works anywhere:

• Notion (database with three views)
• Todoist (sections and filters)
• Paper (literally three columns)

Start with paper. Prove the system works before investing in tech.

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The Real Win

The problem wasn't time management. It was decision management.

When I sit down with my thermos (coffee made before work time, remember?), I don't spend 10 minutes deciding what to focus on. I don't spiral into anxiety about everything I'm not doing.

I look at Immediate. I pick one. I execute.

Then I close my laptop and be a mom without guilt.

The constraint is the system. The system is protection.

That's the difference between surviving and shipping. Between burnout and sustainability. Between drowning and swimming.