Harness Twenty-Minute Focus Sprints

Our minds don’t sense time accurately: a slow or tricky task can feel like it’s dragging on forever. When you’re fumbling through a new subskill, even ten minutes can seem endless—until you hit the snooze button or wander off. The solution is simple: practice by the clock. Set a 20-minute timer and resolve that, come hell or high water, you won’t stop until the buzzer sounds. This small twist is a game-changer. Having a visible deadline makes it easier to silence distractions and persevere through the toughest parts. Early sessions will feel excruciating—my thumbs throbbed when I began touch-typing in Colemak—but knowing the saddle only lasts 20 minutes makes it bearable. Each sprint becomes a mini-victory, and your brain learns to settle into steady focus. Over time, these sprints build momentum, accelerating your learning curve.

Imagine practicing with no clock, and it’s easy to let your mind wander. So grab a timer—set it for just 20 minutes—and promise yourself you won’t stop until it buzzes. Tackle one small subskill in that block, then celebrate the buzzer as a mini finish line. Slip in a quick note on what you learned, then start another sprint. It’s amazing how much progress you’ll make by splitting practice into short, focused slices—test it tonight.