Focus session · design work · 90 min
Focus session for design work: 90 minutes, a washing machine, when you have been putting it off
90 minutes of design work, with a washing machine and a note on what to do when you drift.
90:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Quick check: is anything genuinely urgent in this exact minute? Usually the answer is no. You have been putting this off. Starting is the only step that matters. This works better when you don't overthink it.
1 Before you start
- Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
- Tell yourself the goal is time spent, not output produced.
- Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
- Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
- Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.
2 While the timer runs
- When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
- If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
- It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
- The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
3 When it ends
- Have a drink of water before you check anything.
- Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
- Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
4What to put on
a washing machine — Domestic, mechanical, and oddly steadying. The sound of something else being dealt with.
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