3 ms·

I really like this idea. It does seem odd to stop working if you're in the zone just because some timer went off. Better for the timer to be a minimum, rather t

I really like this idea. It does seem odd to stop working if you're in the zone just because some timer went off. Better for the timer to be a minimum, rather than a hard maximum.

maccard 4y ago
It depends on what you want to achieve. If you just want to hit focus then setting a 15 minute timer and ignoring it will likely do it. I find significant value in the breaks - I use them to take a walk/grab coffee for my desk, and feel that those regular little breaks are enough that I can keep the pace for an entire day, day on day.
- cratermoon 4y ago
  The breaks are really the key. At first it might seem wrong to stop when in the middle of something, but making a habit of jotting down a quick status note when the time is up makes it possible to pick up the threads again for the next round. A 5 minute break won't completely break a train of thought, but it will push it to a different cognitive level. Often the result is better than pushing through on the same problem without stopping. On the rare occasion I'm genuinely in deep flow, I can ignore the timer, but I don't do that very often. The rest time – proper, deliberate, undistracted rest – improves overall focus and productivity. https://maxfrenzel.medium.com/in-praise-of-deep-work-full-disconnectivity-and-deliberate-rest-e9fe5cc50a1d https://maxfrenzel.medium.com/in-praise-of-deep-work-full-di...
  - maccard 4y ago
    Totally agree. I apply this to my end of day too - leaving myself a solved task with an easy entry point to start with makes it easy to continue that productivity between days even.
galleywest200 4y ago
“The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day when you are writing a novel you will never be stuck. That is the most valuable thing I can tell you so try to remember it.” ― Ernest Hemingway

I really like this idea. It does seem odd to stop working if you're in the zone just because some timer went off. Better for the timer to be a minimum, rather than a hard maximum.

maccard 4y ago

It depends on what you want to achieve. If you just want to hit focus then setting a 15 minute timer and ignoring it will likely do it. I find significant value in the breaks - I use them to take a walk/grab coffee for my desk, and feel that those regular little breaks are enough that I can keep the pace for an entire day, day on day.

cratermoon 4y ago
The breaks are really the key. At first it might seem wrong to stop when in the middle of something, but making a habit of jotting down a quick status note when the time is up makes it possible to pick up the threads again for the next round. A 5 minute break won't completely break a train of thought, but it will push it to a different cognitive level. Often the result is better than pushing through on the same problem without stopping. On the rare occasion I'm genuinely in deep flow, I can ignore the timer, but I don't do that very often. The rest time – proper, deliberate, undistracted rest – improves overall focus and productivity. https://maxfrenzel.medium.com/in-praise-of-deep-work-full-disconnectivity-and-deliberate-rest-e9fe5cc50a1d https://maxfrenzel.medium.com/in-praise-of-deep-work-full-di...
- maccard 4y ago
  Totally agree. I apply this to my end of day too - leaving myself a solved task with an easy entry point to start with makes it easy to continue that productivity between days even.

galleywest200 4y ago

“The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day when you are writing a novel you will never be stuck. That is the most valuable thing I can tell you so try to remember it.” ― Ernest Hemingway