Keep Yourself On Task By Checking In With Maesure

Maesure is a free, tiny web-based time tracker. Every ten minutes, Maesure asks what you’ve been doing, and you tell it. It’s a no-frills alternative to sophisticated time trackers like RescueTime. But I like it as a way to stay focused in the moment.

Unlike more full-featured time trackers, Maesure isn’t actively watching what apps and sites you have open. The only power it has is to pop up a browser notification every now and then, asking what you’re up to. But sometimes, I find, that’s all I need to keep me on track. A gentle tap on my screen’s shoulder.

You can customise the time between check-ins. If your answer is the same as the last one, you can just click “yes” on the notification.

All you need to do is be honest when Maesure asks what you’re doing. If Maesure catches you distracted, then admit it, and get back to your intended task. If you’re doing something “unproductive” but fulfilling or relaxing, you don’t have to be guilty—just honest. Maesure totals up how much time you’ve spent on various tasks, so you can see whether you’re spending too much time chatting or watching YouTube or tweaking your fonts.

If you create an account, you can keep track of past days, and check in from different devices. You can also sort tasks into folders.

Beyond that, there’s nothing fancy. No charts, no analysis. No way for your time tracker to become a distraction. And you can turn it off by closing the tab. On Windows, you can install Maesure as an app.