Help! I can’t focus but I NEED to get this done!
You are not alone! You need to get something done and it requires focus — but you just don’t have it right now. Or maybe, you just don’t want to do it.
Conventional wisdom says: Use the Pomodoro method, a 25-minute time block with a 5-minute break built in.
You say: I can’t focus for 25 minutes on this thing.
Answer: Set a timer for 10 minutes. Just sit down and do it. Then take a quick break. Don’t get on social media, check email, or your phone. Just (choose one or all): stand up, walk around, look out a window, hop up and down in place, breathe in deeply, and/or just scream! Then get back to it.
You say: But I need more than 10 minutes!
Answer: First, just do it for 10 minutes, and then take your break Then go back to it again, but for 15 minutes. And take the same kind of break as above.
You say: 15 minutes was too long!
Answer: Go back to 10 minutes then.
[Or, you say: 15 minutes was ok.
Answer: Ok good. Try 20 this time.]
Longer answer: Time management is about knowing how you work best. Sometimes we need to toss conventional wisdom aside and figure out our own rhythms and strategies.
Question: How do I know how much time is good for me to focus, then?
Answer: Pay attention to what feels like the right amount of time for you. The originator of the Pomodoro Technique, Francesco Cirillo, developed this now-famous system by trial and error. He experimented with different blocks of time and landed on 25 minutes of work, and a 5 minute break.
Important note: Not every kind of task requires the same kind of focus, so while 10 minutes might be perfect for, say, writing a report, you may be able to focus on payroll or replying to emails for 30 or more. Pay attention to the time and the kind of work you are doing so you can predict your schedule better next time.
Question: How will this help me in the long run?
Answer: If you need help right now, this strategy can be useful. Sometimes we just need to dive in and get started. And once you work for 10 minutes, when the timer rings you may be able to keep going a few more. But if not, you’ll get a break. And then, when you go back, you may be able to work for 15. But if not, you can still do it for 10 minutes. If you do this consistently for an hour, you’ve had 20 minutes of focus time, which is a good place to start.
Question: Why can’t I just be “normal” and focus like everyone else?
Answer: There is no “normal.” Normality is a myth. There are common approaches and conventional wisdom, but every human is truly different in the way they focus and get work done. Yes, you may know people who are very focused. Yes, there are narratives in our culture about what focus should look like. But the truth is that each person has to find their own approach.
Question: Can I learn new strategies?
Answer: Absolutely. But it is very important to start where you are, and build from there. I’m here to help you do that.