Focus session · thesis writing · 25 min
A 25-minute block for thesis writing, with a train carriage, when you are on your own
A single 25-minute block for thesis writing — sections, not the whole thing.
25:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Unclench your jaw. You were probably holding it without noticing. Being on your own is not required, but it does make this simpler. We'll be efficient and then you can get on with your day.
1 Before you start
- Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
- Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
- Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
- Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
- Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.
2 While the timer runs
- When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
- When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.
- If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
- It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
3 When it ends
- Look out of a window for thirty seconds. Your eyes have been at one distance for a while.
- Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
- Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
4What to put on
a train carriage — Rhythmic, low, and slightly rumbly. Many people find the motion-and-noise combination easier to work to than silence.
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