Focus session · problem solving · 45 min
Deep work timer: 45 minutes of problem solving (a train carriage), when you want something simple
One block of problem solving with a train carriage underneath. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
45:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Let your belly be soft. Not sucked in. Just soft. Simple is the point. There is no advanced version to graduate to. This works better when you don't overthink it.
1 Before you start
- Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
- Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
- Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.
- Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
- Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
2 While the timer runs
- If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
- 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.
- If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
3 When it ends
- Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
- Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
- Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
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.
This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.