Focus session · data work · 90 min
90-minute focus block for data work — rain on a window, when you need to stop thinking about 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.
Find one place in your body that already feels fine. Use that as the starting point. Work thoughts are allowed to be there. They just do not get to drive. Straight through, at a normal pace.
1 Before you start
- Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
- If you are dreading it, make the first action physical: open the file, sharpen the pencil.
- Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
- Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
- Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
2 While the timer runs
- 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.
- If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
- If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
3 When it ends
- If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
- Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
- Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
4What to put on
rain on a window — Steady rain is broadband noise with a slow natural rhythm. It masks speech and keyboard clatter without being interesting enough to listen to.
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