Focus session · research · 90 min
90-minute focus session for research with vinyl crackle, after a long day
90 minutes on research — with a note file open beside you. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
90:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Rest your hands somewhere they don't have to do anything. Use it at the end of a long day, not at the start of one. This works better when you don't overthink it.
1 Before you start
- Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
- If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
- Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.
- Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
- Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
2 While the timer runs
- Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
- When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
- 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 start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
3 When it ends
- Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
- Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.
- Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
4What to put on
vinyl crackle — A thin layer of surface noise over nothing much. Just enough texture to stop the room feeling empty.
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