Focus session · practising an instrument · 25 min
Deep work timer: 25 minutes of practising an instrument (rain on a window), when the day has been loud
One block of practising an instrument with rain on a window underneath. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
25:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
If you're sitting, let the chair do the work of holding you upright. For days that were loud from the moment they started. No preamble. We start with the body.
1 Before you start
- Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
- Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
- Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
- Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
- Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
2 While the timer runs
- If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
- 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.
- When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
3 When it ends
- Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.
- Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.
- If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
4What to put on
rain on a window — Steady rain is broadband noise with a slow natural rhythm. It masks speech and keyboard clatter without being interesting enough to listen to.
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