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Work in 48 minute increments... http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress/2006/09/the-power-of-48-minutes/ http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress/2006/09/the-po

by edw519 17y ago

Work in 48 minute increments... http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress/2006/09/the-power-of-48-minutes/ http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress/2006/09/the-power-of... I've been doing this for years (depending, of course, on what I'm working on). It can be very effective. Get a digital timer. Set it for 48:00. Start it. You may not stop working until it beeps. 12 minutes for stretch, email, bathroom, snack, etc., is plenty. Then back to work. And no alt-tab to hacker news during the 48 minutes. You're only cheating yourself.

zackattack 17y ago
That doesn't answer my question, though. My point is, how do you know WHAT to work on for 48 minutes? How do you facilitate things so that you can load the problem into your working memory quickly?
- edw519 17y ago
  Sorry, I must have misunderstood. how do you know WHAT to work on For me, that's easy... "What's the best thing you could be working on, and why aren't you?" From http://paulgraham.com/procrastination.html http://paulgraham.com/procrastination.html If being with your friend or working at a coffee shop keeps you from doing this, then decouple your friend/coffeeshop time from your work time.
- tungstenfurnace 17y ago
  I've been reading about the American inventor Elmer Gates. http://www.elmergates.com/egamu/egamu_link_page.htm http://www.elmergates.com/egamu/egamu_link_page.htm I think his three tips would be: (1) quiescence (2) periodicity (3) dirigation Which in modern language means (1) remove or zone out all distractions, (2) work at the same time each day, (3) pay deliberate attention to each aspect of the problem in turn in your imagination. (4) Repeat. Step (3) helps to build the relevant mental structures. Visiting them habitually will strengthen them. 'Each aspect' will include mental images (visual, aural, kinaesthetic), concepts, ideas (including all the relevant constraints and conditions that must be met). Generating mental images is important as the mind works best with things that are translated into sensory terms. Eventually a conjectured solution will pop into your conscious mind, possibly at a time outside the working hour. You may know it is coming before it arrives. He might also add that thinking draws from one's personal store of vitality. So it may be necessary to adjust sleep, diet, exercise and any addictions you have in order to conserve this. Being unstressed is vital. Partly this means only working on important problems and working with the intention to do good. It also means switching to a different problem if you get bored of the first one. (You can go back to it another day).
thismat 17y ago
While not what the original poster was looking for, I've found this insanely helpful and am really looking forward to implementing it. In fact, I can see this being useful to increase my household productivity as well. thanks edw.

by edw519 17y ago

zackattack 17y ago

That doesn't answer my question, though. My point is, how do you know WHAT to work on for 48 minutes? How do you facilitate things so that you can load the problem into your working memory quickly?

edw519 17y ago
Sorry, I must have misunderstood. how do you know WHAT to work on For me, that's easy... "What's the best thing you could be working on, and why aren't you?" From http://paulgraham.com/procrastination.html http://paulgraham.com/procrastination.html If being with your friend or working at a coffee shop keeps you from doing this, then decouple your friend/coffeeshop time from your work time.
tungstenfurnace 17y ago
I've been reading about the American inventor Elmer Gates. http://www.elmergates.com/egamu/egamu_link_page.htm http://www.elmergates.com/egamu/egamu_link_page.htm I think his three tips would be: (1) quiescence (2) periodicity (3) dirigation Which in modern language means (1) remove or zone out all distractions, (2) work at the same time each day, (3) pay deliberate attention to each aspect of the problem in turn in your imagination. (4) Repeat. Step (3) helps to build the relevant mental structures. Visiting them habitually will strengthen them. 'Each aspect' will include mental images (visual, aural, kinaesthetic), concepts, ideas (including all the relevant constraints and conditions that must be met). Generating mental images is important as the mind works best with things that are translated into sensory terms. Eventually a conjectured solution will pop into your conscious mind, possibly at a time outside the working hour. You may know it is coming before it arrives. He might also add that thinking draws from one's personal store of vitality. So it may be necessary to adjust sleep, diet, exercise and any addictions you have in order to conserve this. Being unstressed is vital. Partly this means only working on important problems and working with the intention to do good. It also means switching to a different problem if you get bored of the first one. (You can go back to it another day).

thismat 17y ago

While not what the original poster was looking for, I've found this insanely helpful and am really looking forward to implementing it. In fact, I can see this being useful to increase my household productivity as well. thanks edw.