The Hawser blog

Honest writing about focus, distraction, and building this thing in public. No listicles for the sake of listicles; if a post exists, it's because I had something real to say.

July 18, 2026

What is body doubling? The focus trick that works when discipline doesn't

Working next to someone, even silently, keeps you anchored to the task. Why presence beats willpower, five ways to try it this week, and where it honestly falls short.

July 18, 2026

Why you ignore your own reminders (and what actually gets through)

You set the reminder. You wanted the reminder. You dismissed it in half a second. Why alert fatigue beats good intentions, and the four things that make a nudge actually land.

July 16, 2026

The 8 best focus apps for Windows in 2026, compared honestly

Cold Turkey, Freedom, RescueTime, FocusMe, LeechBlock, Forest, Focus Bear, and Hawser. What each one does best, what it costs, and where it falls short, by a founder who builds one of them.

July 13, 2026

Why website blockers don't work when your job lives in a browser

A blocker can't tell a 10 hour work day from a 10 hour binge. The screen looks identical to it. Here's why the blocklist model breaks down for knowledge work, and what context-awareness changes.