Focus session · thesis writing · 50 min
Focus session for thesis writing: 50 minutes, a fan or air conditioner, when you have more time than usual
50 minutes of thesis writing, with a fan or air conditioner 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.
Let the floor take your weight through your feet, and stop holding yourself up for a second. This is the longer version, for a day with some slack in it. Straight through, at a normal pace.
1 Before you start
- Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
- If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
- Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.
- Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
- Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
2 While the timer runs
- If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
- If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
- If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
- If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
3 When it ends
- Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
- Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
- Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
4What to put on
a fan or air conditioner — A constant mechanical hum with no variation. The lack of change is the point — nothing in it asks for your attention.
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