Focus session · problem solving · 25 min
25-minute focus session for problem solving with a train carriage, when the day has been loud
25 minutes on problem solving — before looking anything up. 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.
Drop your attention from your head into your chest for a second. For days that were loud from the moment they started. This works better when you don't overthink it.
1 Before you start
- Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
- Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
- Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.
- If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
- Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.
2 While the timer runs
- Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
- When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
- If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
- If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
3 When it ends
- Have a drink of water before you check anything.
- If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
- Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
4What to put on
a train carriage — Rhythmic, low, and slightly rumbly. Many people find the motion-and-noise combination easier to work to than silence.
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