Focus session · data work · 90 min
90-minute focus block for data work — forest at dusk, when you have just finished work
A timer, a short prep list, and 90 minutes to work through the numbers.
90:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Put a hand on your chest for a moment if that feels steadying. Or don't. Both are allowed. The gap right after work is the easiest one to use. This works better when you don't overthink it.
1 Before you start
- Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
- If you are dreading it, make the first action physical: open the file, sharpen the pencil.
- Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
- Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
- Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
2 While the timer runs
- Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
- If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
- When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
- If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
3 When it ends
- Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
- Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
- Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
4What to put on
forest at dusk — Birds settling, leaves moving, nothing sudden. It works because it sounds like a place you can safely ignore.
This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.