I have long been a fan of and have the need for tools to reach flow state and deep work. Through my OneNote LifeHacks videos and previous tools and posts, I have shared this.

Since Microsoft Teams arrived, I have had some issues adjusting and it has taken some time. But now I have incorporated Teams in my PowerShell Pomodoro timer, by simply closing it during my focus session and open it again. I found that even if I used the newly implemented focus time in Teams, I still saw the number of unread notifications in the client. This was disturbing enough to bring me out of flow.

Read about the updates I recently made to this script

Here is what the PowerShell Pomodoro timer doesGet it at GitHub, got a suggestion? Make a commit :)

What you need to set up to use the script

• If you have a workstation, you need to install the mobility feature on your PC to be able to set the computer in presentation mode
• Set up IFTTT webhooks to mute your phone, I have set this up for Android, but it seems like it is possible for iOS as well now. You need a mute, unmute and webhook code.
• Find the Uri for your focus Spotify list and use it the script
• The script itself is just a function, you need to create your run command in the bottom of the script with your variables to run it, see details on GitHub

The goal is to induce the flow state in a busy workday

Multitasking is a myth. The goal is to reach the flow state by focusing on one task at a time. Have you ever started writing an email, thought you sent it and eagerly waiting for a response, only to find it incomplete and unsent at the end of the day? This is one of the perils of multitasking.

The Pomodoro Technique is a great methodology to induce flow in a busy workday. It is all about avoiding distractions for 15-25 minutes and focus on one task at a time. This is a short enough period in the day that you can squeeze it in before a meeting. It is incredible what you can get done 15-25 minutes. The goal is to not get distracted and it takes about 7 minutes of focus before you reach your flow state.

If you want to succeed with Pomodoro, you need to make yourself unavailable. Equally important, you need to make yourself available again when those 25 minutes have passed. That is why we created the Pomodoro PowerShell tool, and why I love the simplicity of this approach.

Watch an outtake from my session at Microsoft Ignite 2017 on single-tasking

Learn more on my thinking around single-tasking and tools available to succeed with the flow state, from this outtake of my OneNote LifeHacks talk at Microsoft Ignite 2017

Happy deep work!