Focus session · data work · 50 min
Focus session for data work: 50 minutes, a train carriage, when you have tried everything else
50 minutes of data work, with a train carriage and a note on what to do when you drift.
50:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Rest your hands somewhere they don't have to do anything. This assumes you have already tried the obvious things. Keep it simple: breath in, breath out, notice.
1 Before you start
- Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
- If you are dreading it, make the first action physical: open the file, sharpen the pencil.
- Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
- Tell yourself the goal is time spent, not output produced.
- Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.
2 While the timer runs
- It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
- If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
- When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
- If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
3 When it ends
- Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
- Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
- Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
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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