The Forest Productivity App; How to Manage Distractions ⋆ Earth and Water

I recently downloaded a productivity app called Forest. I had it a couple of years ago but not for long. I don’t remember why I stopped using it but it probably had something to do with not wanting to be all that productive. Haha, I dunno.

Most of my job involves reaching out to people on social media so sometimes it can get really out of hand when I’m answering people and comments back immediately. I end up spending all day doing that and don’t get anything else accomplished.

Having this happen makes you feel as though you’re running in place. It’s insufficient and certainly unproductive.

The Benefits of This Productivity App

I’ve gotten so much more done since I started using this app. I’m writing tons more, reading tons more and putting more focus towards meditation and creating mind space.

I’m clearer and more focused in general. I feel more satisfied because I’ve been more productive and not near as busy. I was even bored a couple of times! Something that hasn’t happened to me since my oldest was born!

I’ll set the timer for 45- 120 minutes and have to find other ways to occupy my time. I’ve been able to do things that I haven’t found the time for in years like flip through a magazine and try new things in the kitchen! It’s been an invaluable shift in energy and lifestyle that has left me feeling more fulfilled in life.

I have this need to constantly be doing things. If I’m not being productive, I feel like it’s a waste of my time. Now that I’m having periods of time where my phone is unavailable to me, I’m fulfilling those needs and able to venture into ‘mundane’ just-for-fun types of things and it’s really filling my soul.

How the productivity app works

This productivity app is adorable! Forest centers around exactly what you would think with the name, trees. When you’re ready to get things done, you set the timer for however long you want to be away from your phone and it “Plants a tree” when you hit start.

As long as you stay in the app, the tree grows and finishes doing so when your timer runs out. If you exit the productivity app, your tree dies. If it finishes growing, it goes into your ‘forest’ which shows you how productive you’ve been today, this week and this month.

It also gives you coins for growing your tree. You can use these coins to buy other types of trees and bushes or different sounds to listen to while you work. I bought a jack-o-lantern pumpkin yesterday! The coins really give you motivation. Or they do me. It makes it a game and gives you goals to work toward.

Free vs Paid

The app is free but does have a paid version. I used the free version for about 2 days before I bought the full version because the full version has achievements.

The achievements aren’t as effective in gaining coins as watching ads. Which aren’t available anymore in the paid version by default but can be turned on under settings to allow for the extra coinage.

The paid version also allows you to plant real life trees which isn’t available in the free version BUT it costs 2500 coins which can take some serious focus time at 5 coins per 20 minutes. The ads allowed you to double your earnings which makes it not so bad. I’ve only unlocked one achievement so far which did offer up 100 coins but they seem to be few and far between.

The paid version also allows you to whitelist certain apps so you still have access to them while your tree is growing. A great feature if you’re needing to answer emails or access google spreadsheets but don’t want to kill your tree. I’ve enjoyed the app greatly and plan to continue using it from here on out to really focus and get things done in my life and business.

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