Focus session · applications and forms · 45 min

Focus session for applications and forms: 45 minutes, a stream, after a long day

45 minutes of applications and forms, with a stream and a note on what to do when you drift.

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. Use it at the end of a long day, not at the start of one. We'll be efficient and then you can get on with your day.

1 Before you start

  • Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
  • Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
  • Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.
  • Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
  • Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.

2 While the timer runs

  • If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
  • It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
  • If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
  • When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.

3 When it ends

  • Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
  • Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
  • Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.

4What to put on

a stream — Running water with small variation. Softer than rain and less repetitive than a fan.

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