Building your deep work blocks
Optimal length, how many blocks a day, where to place them, and the rules that protect them.
How long a block should be
The brain runs on ultradian cycles of about ninety to a hundred and ten minutes, daytime included. At the end of a cycle, alertness drops naturally.
Three useful formats.
Fifty minutes, plus ten of break. The entry format, suitable if your baseline is under twenty minutes.
Ninety minutes, plus twenty of break. The reference format for deep work.
Twenty-five minutes, the Pomodoro format, plus five. Reserved for tasks you are avoiding. The short format is for crossing the cost of entry, not for producing in depth.
Pomodoro is an excellent tool against procrastination and a bad tool for deep work: cutting off every twenty-five minutes prevents you reaching the most productive phases of the cycle.
How many blocks a day
The rest is part of the Instant Focus module
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