[GET] Online Work Clubs Can Help You Be More Efficient and Productive With Your Time – Demo

Illustration: Yann Bastard for Bloomberg Businessweek
Illustration: Yann Bastard for Bloomberg Businessweek
Online work clubs have dramatically expanded their offerings in the past year, with new features and longer hours to help you get your work done. Here are three options:
Think of it as: Having a round-the-clock accountability buddy.
How it works: The service pairs you with someone—anywhere in the world, anytime—for a video session. You say hi, articulate your task or tasks, then check in at the end on progress. It’s surprisingly effective and much less weird than it sounds.
Time cycles: 50 minutes, with 10-minute breaks.
What’s new: In January, Focusmate made it possible for colleagues or friends to book slots on your calendar.
Endorsement: “Focusmate has been a lifesaver,” says Jake Hill, chief executive officer of DebtHammer.org, a personal finance site. “I wear a lot of hats for my business. Since I’m already using time-blocking for task management, Focusmate is a no-brainer: I can schedule a task like website maintenance and get an accountability buddy during that time slot. It also scratches that itch to meet new people.”
Caveday ($39.99/month)
Think of it as: Study hall for creatives.
How it works: Facilitators lead group deep-work sessions and organize energizing breaks and check-ins. The emphasis is on important projects (not your inbox), handled one at a time, without distraction.
Time cycles: One- and three-hour sessions, made up of 45- to 50-minute sprints.
What’s new: A sleek member portal with perks such as a user forum for befriending fellow Cave dwellers.
Endorsement: “I use Caveday first thing in the morning and right after lunch, which is when I am most susceptible to distractions,” says Rolf Bax, chief human resources officer for Resume.io, which offers tools for job seekers. The site “convinced me to leave my phone on silent in a different room and helped me get solid work done, even when I would rather not.”
Think of it as: Being at a hackathon.
How it works: The facilitated sessions use a spreadsheet to help you plan tasks and adjust your schedule.
Time cycles: 30 minutes of work, followed by 10-minute breaks, often in six-cycle blocks. There are also four-day “marathons” and 16-day “pentathlons” aimed at attacking big projects.
What’s new: Expanded hours, so people working graveyard shifts or in non-U.S. time zones can join the grind.
Endorsement: “I’ve found Ultraworking useful when I just can’t make myself do something,” says Rex Freiberger, managing partner of Gadget Review. “On maintenance tasks that are far from enriching or stimulating, I usually need a shove to get going. Ultraworking helps with that, because I am directly accountable to someone else for just this task and block of time.”