Focus session · exam revision · 45 min
A 45-minute block for exam revision, with café murmur, when you want to finish something
A single 45-minute block for exam revision — recall rather than re-reading.
45:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Then find the nearest sound. It's probably your own breathing. Wanting to finish something is a better motivation than wanting to relax. Keep it simple: breath in, breath out, notice.
1 Before you start
- Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.
- Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
- Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
- Decide that today's session does not have to be good. It has to happen.
- Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
2 While the timer runs
- If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
- When you get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.
- It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
- If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
3 When it ends
- Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
- Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
- Have a drink of water before you check anything.
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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