Focus session · thesis writing · 45 min
45-minute focus session for thesis writing with a train carriage, if you are fitting this around other people
45 minutes on thesis writing — sections, not the whole thing. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
45:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Nothing needs to be decided in the next few minutes. Park the decisions. It is designed to fit around other people’s schedules. Follow the instructions and let the rest look after itself.
1 Before you start
- Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
- Remember that motivation usually arrives after starting, not before.
- Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
- Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
- Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
2 While the timer runs
- If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
- When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
- If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
- 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
- Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
- Have a drink of water before you check anything.
- Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
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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