I just had my first session with Focusmate, and it worked great! I was paired up with a random person who had over 1,500 sessions and had been using it for years as a paid member. We started by stating our goals to each other. Mine was to get through 29 emails. His was to write a cover letter with the help of ChatGPT. We had 25 minutes for the session. Then we started. I was able to focus on my emails and finish the task in 22 minutes, when I had been sitting on those emails all day long up to that point. Now I'm at Inbox zero! So, it works!

I asked him why he liked Focusmate so much, and he said that it helps people who have ADHD or other issues with focus remain singularly focused on the task they want to achieve. It also helps them be accountable when someone else is there with them. I don't have those issues, but do have an issue with getting started on things instead of watching videos online as a form of procrastination, so I figured I'd give it a shot since it's here on AppSumo for Plus members. In the end, I got my work done, and that's what matters.

Yes, it's a little gimmicky, and you could just set a timer and do the work alone, but the price is right, and it's effective, so who cares? I could see this becoming a regular part of my day, or using it whenever I need to buckle down and stop letting myself be distracted. And it was fun to meet someone new who is also focused on getting things done.