This week was a step up from the last. Improvement is still needed, but I’m finding opportunities in the day to put everything aside and tackle one problem in front of me. As I write this, fireworks are blasting off around the neighborhood. I even tried using a practice I’ve done in the past, but to my surprise, it may have been more of a hindrance than a help.
Finding Flow
There is definitely something satisfying about losing yourself in a problem and ignoring everything until a certain milestone is met. That flow state of getting things done is something I’m sure many of us, if not everyone is familiar. Whether it’s a task at work or school, getting in the zone in a sport, or getting locked in and powering through some chores, flow can hit in different ways at different times.
Often the hardest part of getting into a problem is a solid start. Sure, sometimes it’s chipping away at something tiny bit by bit. To get into flow though, it takes a good jumping off point to actually get into the deep state of mind.
Tools of the Trade
A method I’ve used before, and seen success with, is called Pomodoro. While it may be the Italian word for tomato, we’re not making pasta sauce here. The idea is to separate states of work into a 25 minute focus period and then a 5 minute break.
The thinking behind this method is that after 25 minutes of focused work, there is a good chance you’ll get lost in the problem, enter a flow state, and only really take the break when needed.
In an attempt to get myself locked into some work, I busted out my timer. Unfortunately, I found myself using the timer as another distraction. Frequently checking how much time I had left before my break was what I filled my “focused work” time with. Of course, ideally the timer would be completely ignored until it went off.
In the last couple days, I’ve felt a better head on my shoulders. I’m hoping to try out a few pomodoro sessions again this coming week, and looking to be more successful this time. Are there any tools or practices you use to stay focused? Let me know in the comments! I’ll give them a try and feature them in next week’s post.
Trying Out Before Buying In 