Busy work

I was reading some Q&A posts about agile this morning and there was an assertion that software developers need 30-45 minutes to get in a groove (thus schedule meetings near breaks anyhow).

I'm beginning to question that.

I used to feel very similarly, but i think playing with my 15 minute timer has given me some insights. Part of the issue, i think, is that what is really going on in the 30-45 minute "focus" period is an subconscious sorting of tasks. If this is subconscious, the decisions that are made in that sorting out time are not retained for the next time around. From my own practice of needing that time, i know part of it is looking for the sources i need (emails, files, documents) and invariably i discover other that there are other urgent or important tasks or issues or questions. Anxiety may set in: i need to work on X but what about Y! By the time i finally get around to starting, it has been a while and i don't want to stop until i absolutely have to, leaving files open, papers on the top of stacks, etc.

Interrupted, i'm not back after a short break, but back with another urgent to-do at hand and those things fall on top of the other open files, leaving them to be buried for another near hour of "getting started."

Since January i've slowly been adding little processes to my day. Finally getting recording places that can be with me where-ever has helped, i think. I know the 3x5 notebooks and other different systems work well for different folks: for me Evernote is working. I think the technologies one uses to bookmark where one is in doing something probably differs: the key is discovering that book mark process. I know i've been looking for it for years.