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Focus session · coding · 25 min

25-minute focus session for coding with distant traffic, when you have been putting it off

25 minutes on coding — one function at a time, not the whole system. 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.

Take one breath that is slightly slower than the last one. That is enough to start. You have been putting this off. Starting is the only step that matters. This works better when you don't overthink it.

1 Before you start

  • Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
  • Remember that motivation usually arrives after starting, not before.
  • Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
  • If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
  • Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.

2 While the timer runs

  • If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
  • If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
  • If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
  • When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.

3 When it ends

  • Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
  • Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
  • Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.

4What to put on

distant traffic — A low continuous wash from a road you are not on. Familiar and easy to stop hearing.

This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.

If this block does not fit, try A 25-minute block for brainstorming, with a fan or air conditioner, when you have just finished work, Focus session for planning: 45 minutes, café murmur, when you have been meaning to start or Deep work timer: 25 minutes of design work (a fireplace), when you feel restless rather than tired.