Focus session · problem solving · 90 min
90-minute problem solving session with café murmur and a timer, when you only have a few minutes
Sit down, press start, and stay with the difficulty for 90 minutes. 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.
Drop your attention from your head into your chest for a second. A few minutes is the whole requirement. Straight through, at a normal pace.
1 Before you start
- Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
- Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
- Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
- Choose one question to answer in this block, rather than a whole subject to cover.
- Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
2 While the timer runs
- If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
- If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
- If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
- If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
3 When it ends
- Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
- Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
- If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
4What to put on
café murmur — The blur of other people talking, with none of the words close enough to follow. Some people concentrate better with a low level of company.
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