Focus session · language practice · 25 min
A 25-minute block for language practice, with distant traffic, when you are too tired to try hard
A single 25-minute block for language practice — repetition rather than novelty.
25:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Notice whether you're leaning forward. Most people are, slightly, all day. Too tired to try hard is exactly the right amount of tired for this. We'll go through it in order, without much decoration.
1 Before you start
- Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.
- If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
- Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.
- Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
- Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
2 While the timer runs
- When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
- When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.
- It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
- The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
3 When it ends
- Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
- Look out of a window for thirty seconds. Your eyes have been at one distance for a while.
- Have a drink of water before you check anything.
4What to put on
distant traffic — A low continuous wash from a road you are not on. Familiar and easy to stop hearing.
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