We can use these containers to overcome our desires to multitask. We only focus on one thing at a time. We can also use containers to just let the session go where it wants to take us. When we start the container we don't start off with trying to finish a particular task; instead we see where the session takes us. There is no judgment of the quality of the work in the container, just the expectation that we will work for the duration of the container. There's no expectation for what work we will accomplish, just that we will work on it until the container is finished. If we complete the task before the container ends then that's awesome! We can then figure out what the task for the next container will be. If the container ends and we're still in the middle of a task we can then write down where we left off and what steps we took in order to get there. We can then work on something else, or we can take a quick break and then come back to the work with a focus container.
-The underlying concept of the timed focus container is to let ourselves agree to work within the confines of the container without judgment either for the work done or the progress made. When the work is done we close out the container by reflecting on what we did and where we need to go. We give ourselves permission to not worry about our progress in the moment, but we do allow ourselves moments where we can review our progress and note how far our journey has progressed. We allow ourselves the freedom to just work in the in the moment without fear of judgment, reprisal, or self-recrimination. The container is a gift of uninterrupted work that we give ourselves (or at least as uninterrupted as we can manage). We make this the best gift we can give by closing out other programs, turning off notifications, and giving this task the full attention it deserves.
+The underlying concept of the timed focus container is to let ourselves agree to work within the confines of the container without judgment either for the work done or the progress made. When the work is done we close out the container by reflecting on what we did and where we need to go. We give ourselves permission to not worry about our progress in the moment, but we do allow ourselves moments where we can review our progress and note how far our journey has progressed. We allow ourselves the freedom to just work in the moment without fear of judgment, reprisal, or self-recrimination. The container is a gift of uninterrupted work that we give ourselves (or at least as uninterrupted as we can manage). We make this the best gift we can give by closing out other programs, turning off notifications, and giving this task the full attention it deserves.
I invite you to incorporate this practice of doing focused containers every day. I think they are an excellent way to give ourselves permission to focus on one thing at a time without the need or worry for what will get accomplished during that container. It allows us to focus on one thing at a time and do it to the best of our abilities. The limitation of working on one thing at a time without thinking about the other bits of work that we have to do can be liberating, and I hope that working with these containers will give you a sense of what fully-focused work can feel like.