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Third Time: a better way to work (2022)

lesswrong.com

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Re: Third Time: a better way to work (2022)

#2

Post by Swizec »

I love this idea and have often observed the effect they describe in the intro.

> Instead of half-working all day, it’s better to work in focused stints, with breaks in between to recover

Yes! Super true. Strong agree.

The discipline to actually do this I find harder to muster however. When you're tired it can be difficult to realize that you're tired and unproductive. Even when you do realize this, it can be harder still to muster the activation energy to stop what you're doing and take a break. I haven't found a solution to this.

I have also found that for creative work especially (in particular for writing), I will often have long unsatisfying stints of working-but-not-working followed the next day by an amazingly productive burst of activity. That burst does not happen without the working-but-not-working period.

Then there's the other problem of how you apply this third time idea to a workday. I would love to take a 20min break after every 1 hour meeting. There are not enough hours in the day to do this.

Re: Third Time: a better way to work (2022)

#5

Post by arturkesik »

Swizec wrote: post #2

I love this idea and have often observed the effect they describe in the intro. > Instead of half-working all day, it’s better to work in focused stints, with breaks in between to recover Yes! Super true. Strong agree. The discipline to actually do this I find harder to muster however. When you're tired it can be difficult to realize that you're tired and unproductive. Even when you do realize this, it can be harder…

Instead of half-working all day I prefer to work for half a day

Parkinson law: "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion"

Horstman’a corollary: "Work contracts to fit in the time we give it"

I used to give myself only 5 hours of work a day in given hours. My productivity was surprisingly better than with full 8 hours, my stress was lower, and I had so much free time.

I really should get back to doing that

Re: Third Time: a better way to work (2022)

#7

Post by Swizec »

arturkesik wrote: post #5
Swizec wrote: post #2

I love this idea and have often observed the effect they describe in the intro. > Instead of half-working all day, it’s better to work in focused stints, with breaks in between to recover Yes! Super true. Strong agree. The discipline to actually do this I find harder to muster however. When you're tired it can be difficult to realize that you're tired and unproductive. Even when you do realize this, it can be harder…

Instead of half-working all day I prefer to work for half a day Parkinson law: "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion" Horstman’a corollary: "Work contracts to fit in the time we give it" I used to give myself only 5 hours of work a day in given hours. My productivity was surprisingly better than with full 8 hours, my stress was lower, and I had so much free time. I really should get back t…

> Instead of half-working all day I prefer to work for half a day

I have had a lot of success with this. I was also a stressed-out wreck the entire time.

Turns out sprinting through all your work is exhausting. Who knew

Ultimately I think the solution is to stop having more work than fits in a day. But my personality really really dislikes that reality.

Re: Third Time: a better way to work (2022)

#9

Post by doubled112 »

arturkesik wrote: post #5
Swizec wrote: post #2

I love this idea and have often observed the effect they describe in the intro. > Instead of half-working all day, it’s better to work in focused stints, with breaks in between to recover Yes! Super true. Strong agree. The discipline to actually do this I find harder to muster however. When you're tired it can be difficult to realize that you're tired and unproductive. Even when you do realize this, it can be harder…

Instead of half-working all day I prefer to work for half a day Parkinson law: "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion" Horstman’a corollary: "Work contracts to fit in the time we give it" I used to give myself only 5 hours of work a day in given hours. My productivity was surprisingly better than with full 8 hours, my stress was lower, and I had so much free time. I really should get back t…

I think this has been the biggest benefit to my mental health working from home.

The ability to take a minute or thirty when I need it and not wonder what the perception of those around me is. Some of my best ideas come to me as I load the dishwasher.

I tend get more done when I can bounce between ideas, projects, states of mind, locations, etc than when I'm powering through something at a desk for hours at a time.

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