Focus session · practising an instrument · 25 min
Focus session for practising an instrument: 25 minutes, a washing machine, when you need to stop thinking about work
25 minutes of practising an instrument, with a washing machine and a note on what to do when you drift.
25:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Unclench your jaw. You were probably holding it without noticing. Work thoughts are allowed to be there. They just do not get to drive. No preamble. We start with the body.
1 Before you start
- Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.
- Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
- Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
- If you are dreading it, make the first action physical: open the file, sharpen the pencil.
- Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
2 While the timer runs
- The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
- 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 are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
- Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
3 When it ends
- Have a drink of water before you check anything.
- Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
- Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.
4What to put on
a washing machine — Domestic, mechanical, and oddly steadying. The sound of something else being dealt with.
This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.