Focus session · applications and forms · 25 min
25-minute focus session for applications and forms with white noise, before something difficult
25 minutes on applications and forms — dull but finite. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
25:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Then find the nearest sound. It's probably your own breathing. It works best in the hour before something difficult. We'll be efficient and then you can get on with your day.
1 Before you start
- Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.
- Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
- Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.
- Decide that today's session does not have to be good. It has to happen.
- Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
2 While the timer runs
- If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
- If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
- If you feel the urge to check something, write it on the paper beside you and keep going. Deal with the list afterwards.
- When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
3 When it ends
- Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
- Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
- Look out of a window for thirty seconds. Your eyes have been at one distance for a while.
4What to put on
white noise — Flat across all frequencies and very effective at covering speech. Some people find it harsh after an hour; keep the volume low.
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