\n \n \n",[],[186,192],{"_105":200,"_95":201,"_158":202,"_160":187,"_161":141,"_162":102,"_164":22,"_107":203,"_101":204,"_167":205,"_169":206,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":207,"_99":208},"384b6f6c-4190-11f0-a08a-76b3cceeab13","index.tsx","6d352324-22ca-439e-9a8e-ecb91c09df86",["D",1749074812392],36,"script","/** @jsxImportSource https://esm.sh/react@18.2.0 */\nimport type { BreakFraction, SessionStats, TimerState } from \"/shared/types.ts\";\nimport { createRoot } from \"https://esm.sh/react-dom@18.2.0/client\";\nimport React, { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from \"https://esm.sh/react@18.2.0\";\n\nconst BREAK_FRACTIONS: BreakFraction[] = [\n { value: 1 / 2, label: \"1/2\", description: \"Lazy (67% work time)\" },\n { value: 1 / 3, label: \"1/3\", description: \"Standard (75% work time)\" },\n { value: 1 / 4, label: \"1/4\", description: \"Industrious (80% work time)\" },\n { value: 1 / 5, label: \"1/5\", description: \"Hard (83% work time)\" },\n { value: 1 / 6, label: \"1/6\", description: \"Grinding (86% work time)\" },\n];\n\nfunction formatTime(seconds: number): string {\n const hours = Math.floor(seconds / 3600);\n const minutes = Math.floor((seconds % 3600) / 60);\n const secs = seconds % 60;\n\n if (hours > 0) {\n return `${hours}:${minutes.toString().padStart(2, \"0\")}:${secs.toString().padStart(2, \"0\")}`;\n }\n return `${minutes}:${secs.toString().padStart(2, \"0\")}`;\n}\n\nfunction formatMinutes(minutes: number): string {\n if (minutes < 1) return `${Math.round(minutes * 60)}s`;\n if (minutes < 60) return `${Math.round(minutes)}m`;\n const hours = Math.floor(minutes / 60);\n const mins = Math.round(minutes % 60);\n return `${hours}h ${mins}m`;\n}\n\ninterface NotificationProps {\n message: string;\n type: \"success\" | \"info\" | \"warning\";\n onClose: () => void;\n}\n\nfunction Notification({ message, type, onClose }: NotificationProps) {\n useEffect(() => {\n const timer = setTimeout(onClose, 4000);\n return () => clearTimeout(timer);\n }, [onClose]);\n\n const bgColor = type === \"success\" ? \"bg-green-500\" : type === \"warning\" ? \"bg-yellow-500\" : \"bg-blue-500\";\n\n return (\n

\n {message}\n \n

\n );\n}\n\nfunction ThirdTimeApp() {\n const [state, setState] = useState({\n mode: \"idle\",\n workStartTime: null,\n breakStartTime: null,\n savedBreakMinutes: 0,\n breakFraction: 1 / 3,\n totalWorkTime: 0,\n totalBreakTime: 0,\n });\n\n const [currentTime, setCurrentTime] = useState(Date.now());\n const [notification, setNotification] = useState<{ message: string; type: \"success\" | \"info\" | \"warning\" } | null>(\n null,\n );\n\n // Update current time every second\n useEffect(() => {\n const interval = setInterval(() => setCurrentTime(Date.now()), 1000);\n return () => clearInterval(interval);\n }, []);\n\n const showNotification = useCallback((message: string, type: \"success\" | \"info\" | \"warning\" = \"info\") => {\n setNotification({ message, type });\n }, []);\n\n const startWork = useCallback(() => {\n const now = Date.now();\n setState(prev => ({\n ...prev,\n mode: \"working\",\n workStartTime: now,\n breakStartTime: null,\n }));\n setCurrentTime(now); // Sync current time to prevent negative calculation\n showNotification(\"Work session started! Focus time 🎯\", \"success\");\n }, [showNotification]);\n\n const takeBreak = useCallback(() => {\n if (!state.workStartTime) return;\n\n const workDuration = (Date.now() - state.workStartTime) / 1000 / 60; // minutes\n const earnedBreakTime = workDuration * state.breakFraction;\n const totalAvailableBreak = state.savedBreakMinutes + earnedBreakTime;\n\n setState(prev => ({\n ...prev,\n mode: \"breaking\",\n breakStartTime: Date.now(),\n workStartTime: null,\n savedBreakMinutes: totalAvailableBreak,\n totalWorkTime: prev.totalWorkTime + workDuration,\n }));\n\n showNotification(`Break earned! You have ${formatMinutes(totalAvailableBreak)} available 🎉`, \"success\");\n }, [state.workStartTime, state.breakFraction, state.savedBreakMinutes, showNotification]);\n\n const resumeWork = useCallback(() => {\n if (!state.breakStartTime) return;\n\n const now = Date.now();\n const breakDuration = (now - state.breakStartTime) / 1000 / 60; // minutes\n const remainingBreakTime = Math.max(0, state.savedBreakMinutes - breakDuration);\n\n setState(prev => ({\n ...prev,\n mode: \"working\",\n workStartTime: now,\n breakStartTime: null,\n savedBreakMinutes: remainingBreakTime,\n totalBreakTime: prev.totalBreakTime + Math.min(breakDuration, prev.savedBreakMinutes),\n }));\n setCurrentTime(now); // Sync current time to prevent negative calculation\n\n if (remainingBreakTime > 0) {\n showNotification(`${formatMinutes(remainingBreakTime)} break time saved for later 💾`, \"info\");\n }\n showNotification(\"Back to work! Stay focused 💪\", \"success\");\n }, [state.breakStartTime, state.savedBreakMinutes, showNotification]);\n\n const handleInterruption = useCallback(() => {\n if (state.mode === \"working\" && state.workStartTime) {\n const workDuration = (Date.now() - state.workStartTime) / 1000 / 60;\n const earnedBreakTime = workDuration * state.breakFraction;\n\n setState(prev => ({\n ...prev,\n mode: \"breaking\",\n breakStartTime: Date.now(),\n workStartTime: null,\n savedBreakMinutes: prev.savedBreakMinutes + earnedBreakTime,\n totalWorkTime: prev.totalWorkTime + workDuration,\n }));\n\n showNotification(\"Interruption break started automatically ⏸️\", \"warning\");\n }\n }, [state.mode, state.workStartTime, state.breakFraction, showNotification]);\n\n const takeBigBreak = useCallback(() => {\n if (state.mode === \"working\" && state.workStartTime) {\n const workDuration = (Date.now() - state.workStartTime) / 1000 / 60;\n setState(prev => ({\n ...prev,\n totalWorkTime: prev.totalWorkTime + workDuration,\n }));\n }\n\n setState(prev => ({\n ...prev,\n mode: \"breaking\",\n breakStartTime: Date.now(),\n workStartTime: null,\n savedBreakMinutes: 0, // Big breaks consume all saved time\n }));\n\n showNotification(\"Big break started (meal time) 🍽️\", \"info\");\n }, [state.mode, state.workStartTime, showNotification]);\n\n const resetSession = useCallback(() => {\n setState({\n mode: \"idle\",\n workStartTime: null,\n breakStartTime: null,\n savedBreakMinutes: 0,\n breakFraction: state.breakFraction,\n totalWorkTime: 0,\n totalBreakTime: 0,\n });\n showNotification(\"Session reset 🔄\", \"info\");\n }, [state.breakFraction, showNotification]);\n\n // Calculate current session time\n const getCurrentSessionTime = () => {\n if (state.mode === \"working\" && state.workStartTime) {\n return Math.max(0, Math.floor((currentTime - state.workStartTime) / 1000));\n }\n if (state.mode === \"breaking\" && state.breakStartTime) {\n return Math.max(0, Math.floor((currentTime - state.breakStartTime) / 1000));\n }\n return 0;\n };\n\n // Calculate session stats\n const getSessionStats = (): SessionStats => {\n let workTime = state.totalWorkTime;\n let breakTime = state.totalBreakTime;\n\n if (state.mode === \"working\" && state.workStartTime) {\n workTime += (currentTime - state.workStartTime) / 1000 / 60;\n }\n if (state.mode === \"breaking\" && state.breakStartTime) {\n const currentBreakTime = (currentTime - state.breakStartTime) / 1000 / 60;\n breakTime += Math.min(currentBreakTime, state.savedBreakMinutes);\n }\n\n const totalTime = workTime + breakTime;\n const efficiency = totalTime > 0 ? (workTime / totalTime) * 100 : 0;\n\n return { workTime, breakTime, efficiency };\n };\n\n const stats = getSessionStats();\n const currentSessionTime = getCurrentSessionTime();\n\n return (\n

\n {notification && (\n setNotification(null)}\n />\n )}\n\n

Third Time

Work flexibly, break proportionally

\n\n {/* Main Timer Display */}\n

\n \n

\n {formatTime(currentSessionTime)}\n

\n\n

\n {state.mode === \"idle\" && \"Ready to start\"}\n {state.mode === \"working\" && \"🎯 Working\"}\n {state.mode === \"breaking\" && \"☕ Breaking\"}\n

\n\n {state.savedBreakMinutes > 0 && (\n

\n \n 💾 Saved break time: {formatMinutes(state.savedBreakMinutes)}\n \n

\n )}\n\n {/* Action Buttons */}\n

\n {state.mode === \"idle\" && (\n \n Start Working\n \n )}\n\n {state.mode === \"working\" && (\n

\n \n Take Break\n \n

\n \n Interruption\n \n \n Big Break\n \n

\n )}\n\n {state.mode === \"breaking\" && (\n \n Resume Work\n \n )}\n

\n\n {/* Break Fraction Settings */}\n

Break Fraction

\n {BREAK_FRACTIONS.map((fraction) => (\n setState(prev => ({ ...prev, breakFraction: fraction.value }))}\n className={`p-2 rounded-lg text-sm font-medium transition-colors ${\n state.breakFraction === fraction.value\n ? \"bg-blue-500 text-white\"\n : \"bg-gray-100 hover:bg-gray-200 text-gray-700\"\n }`}\n title={fraction.description}\n >\n {fraction.label}\n \n ))}\n

\n Current: {BREAK_FRACTIONS.find(f => f.value === state.breakFraction)?.description}\n

\n\n {/* Session Stats */}\n

Session Stats

{formatMinutes(stats.workTime)}

Work Time

{formatMinutes(stats.breakTime)}

Break Time

{Math.round(stats.efficiency)}%

Efficiency

\n\n {/* Reset Button */}\n

\n \n Reset Session\n \n

\n\n {/* Help Text */}\n

How it works:

\n\n

• Work for any duration you choose
• Earn break time equal to work time ÷ fraction
• Unused break time is saved for later
• Use \"Interruption\" for non-work interruptions
• Use \"Big Break\" for meals (consumes saved time)
\n • See{\" \"}\n \n this LessWrong article\n {\" \"}\n for more info!\n

\n \n );\n}\n\n// Mount the app\nconst root = createRoot(document.getElementById(\"root\")!);\nroot.render();",[],[186,201],{"_105":210,"_95":211,"_158":212,"_160":187,"_161":141,"_162":213,"_164":22,"_107":214,"_101":121,"_167":195,"_169":215,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":216,"_99":217},"3b6ce0b0-418e-11f0-98c3-76b3cceeab13","style.css","7ed87849-f7a8-4ef9-9889-b93cc68d15c8",18,["D",1749073958655],"/* Custom styles for Third Time app */\n\nbody {\n font-family: Figtree, Arial, sans-serif;\n}\n\n.timer-display {\n font-family: \"SF Mono\", \"Monaco\", \"Inconsolata\", \"Roboto Mono\", monospace;\n font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;\n}\n\n.pulse-work {\n animation: pulse-green 2s infinite;\n}\n\n.pulse-break {\n animation: pulse-blue 2s infinite;\n}\n\n@keyframes pulse-green {\n 0%, 100% {\n background-color: rgba(34, 197, 94, 0.1);\n }\n 50% {\n background-color: rgba(34, 197, 94, 0.2);\n }\n}\n\n@keyframes pulse-blue {\n 0%, 100% {\n background-color: rgba(59, 130, 246, 0.1);\n }\n 50% {\n background-color: rgba(59, 130, 246, 0.2);\n }\n}\n\n.notification {\n position: fixed;\n top: 20px;\n right: 20px;\n z-index: 1000;\n animation: slideIn 0.3s ease-out;\n}\n\n@keyframes slideIn {\n from {\n transform: translateX(100%);\n opacity: 0;\n }\n to {\n transform: translateX(0);\n opacity: 1;\n }\n}",[],[186,211],[186],{"_105":220,"_95":221,"_158":222,"_160":-5,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":223,"_101":32,"_167":168,"_169":-5,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":224,"_99":233},"1e17a322-418b-11f0-905b-76b3cceeab13","shared","72105d5b-412f-499b-9ec9-21e44bd9ec3e",["D",1749072620931],[225],{"_105":226,"_95":227,"_158":228,"_160":222,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":229,"_101":32,"_167":205,"_169":230,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":231,"_99":232},"1e17a1f6-418b-11f0-905b-76b3cceeab13","types.ts","4670da4e-227e-4f8f-9081-fb5e65e0ffeb",["D",1749072620931],"export interface TimerState {\n mode: 'idle' | 'working' | 'breaking';\n workStartTime: number | null;\n breakStartTime: number | null;\n savedBreakMinutes: number;\n breakFraction: number;\n totalWorkTime: number;\n totalBreakTime: number;\n}\n\nexport interface SessionStats {\n workTime: number;\n breakTime: number;\n efficiency: number; // percentage of time spent working\n}\n\nexport type BreakFraction = {\n value: number;\n label: string;\n description: string;\n};",[],[221,227],[221],{"_105":235,"_95":236,"_158":237,"_160":-5,"_161":141,"_162":238,"_164":165,"_107":239,"_101":163,"_167":195,"_169":240,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":241,"_99":242},"c35643f2-418b-11f0-97fd-76b3cceeab13","README.md","3c24abd3-0903-4ed7-ae73-a7b543f966ed",7,["D",1749072898184],"# Third Time - Productivity Timer\n\nA minimalist web app implementing the \"Third Time\" productivity method.\n\n## The Method\n\n- **Work** for as long or short as you like, until you want or need to break\n- **Break** for up to one-third of the time you've just worked\n- Save unused break time for later\n- Handle interruptions and big breaks (meals)\n\n## Features\n\n- Flexible work/break timing\n- Break time banking system\n- Interruption handling\n- Big break support for meals\n- Clean, distraction-free interface with flat design\n- Consistent rounded corners throughout the UI\n- Customizable break fractions (1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6)\n\n## Usage\n\n1. Click \"Start Working\" to begin a work session\n2. Click \"Take Break\" when you want to stop working\n3. The app calculates your earned break time (work time ÷ 3)\n4. Take your break and click \"Resume Work\" when ready\n5. Any unused break time is saved for later\n\n## Project Structure\n\n```\n├── frontend/\n│ ├── index.html # Main app interface\n│ ├── index.tsx # React app logic\n│ └── style.css # Minimal styling\n├── backend/\n│ └── index.ts # Static file server\n└── shared/\n └── types.ts # Shared TypeScript types\n```",[],[236],{"_105":244,"_95":245,"_158":246,"_160":-5,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":247,"_101":32,"_167":195,"_169":248,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":249,"_99":250},"1e17a700-418b-11f0-905b-76b3cceeab13","article.md","e1023a7a-1376-4c56-a894-74cd6f80f40b",["D",1749072620931],"# Third Time: a better way to work\n\nHOW CAN you be more productive? Instead of half-working all day, it’s better to work in focused stints, with breaks in between to recover.\n\nThere are various ways to do this, but here's my new technique, called **Third Time**. The gist of it is:\n\n- **Work for as long or as short as you like**, until you want or need to break; then\n- **Break for up to one-third of the time** you’ve just worked.\n\nSo after 15 minutes of dealing with emails, you could stop for up to 5 minutes. After an hour-long meeting, you can take a good 20-minute break. And if a task bores you after 3 minutes, you can even break then — but only for 1 minute! Breaks reward you for working, but proper breaks have to be earned.\n\n\n\nThis kind of pattern is natural; [research](https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4842-4221-6_9) confirms that people tend to take longer breaks after working for longer. (One-third is just a recommendation; you can use other break fractions if you prefer.)\n\nThird Time has many advantages over other techniques such as [Pomodoro](https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/FDCJ2BfAT9qJGrpFa/what-s-wrong-with-pomodoro) (which I’ll discuss later), but the key one is flexibility. It adapts to your attention span, energy, and schedule, as well as to other people and events. And Third Time isn’t just for your day-job — it suits anything that needs focus or effort, such as studying, practicing an instrument, personal admin, writing, or fitness training.\n\n## Using Third Time\n\nHere’s an example of the basic procedure:\n\n1. Note the time, or start a stopwatch\n2. **Work** for as long or short as you like, until you want or need to break\n3. Suppose you worked for 45 minutes. This earns you 45 ÷ 3 = 15 minutes off; so set an alarm for 15 minutes\n4. **Break** until the alarm goes off\n5. Go back to step 1.\n\n### Breaks\n\nYou needn’t take the full break. Maybe you have a tight deadline, an important customer calls, you’re keen to resume work, or only have a short gap before a meeting. Whatever the reason, **if you end a break (say) 5 minutes early, add 5 minutes to your next break**. You don’t lose the remaining time, it’s just postponed:\n\n\n\nYou can shorten and postpone breaks like this, but don’t let them overrun. Break time must be earned by working; it’s like a debit card, not a credit card. So always set an alarm for the end of a break, and resume work as soon as it goes off (don’t snooze it!)\n\n**Take breaks whenever you like**. Surprisingly, _you’ll still end up doing the same amount of work!_ For example: instead of working for 45 minutes plus a 15-minute break, suppose you do just three minutes’ work plus a one-minute break, and repeat that over and over again. You’ll still be working three-quarters of the time; so in an hour, you’d still get 45 minutes’ work done.\n\nThat said, it’s annoying to end a break after just one minute, and keep switching back and forth. So even with tedious tasks, you’ll soon find yourself working longer — and perhaps even enjoying it — to earn a decent break.\n\nWhile breaking too often is counterproductive, so is breaking too seldom, such as when immersed in an interesting project. Notice when you start to flag, and give yourself a break, to restore focus and avoid burnout.\n\n**Take proper breaks**.Don’t think, talk or read about work. Instead, get up, walk around, drink water, go outside, chillax. (There’ll be more about how to work & break properly in Part 2 of this article.)\n\nThough it’s best to choose when to work and break yourself, nothing changes if others are in charge. Suppose your boss fixes an hour-long meeting for you, then a five-minute gap, followed by a video call. The meeting earns you a 20-minute break; you can only take five minutes of it, but just add the remaining 15 minutes to your next break. (And if you really can’t take a full break then, carry the leftover time forward again, and so on.)\n\n### Interruptions\n\nSimilarly, nothing special happens if you get a work-related interruption, e.g. your boss calls you while you’re hard at it. The call is still work, so the clock keeps ticking. Either deal with the interruption, or postpone it (e.g. send to voicemail) and resume what you were doing.\n\n\n\n**Personal interruptions are different**. Suppose you’re working from home, and the doorbell rings: **this isn’t work, so** **a break starts then**. Once the interruption is over, figure out when you stopped work, and hence when this break should end (by dividing by 3 as usual). Then either take the rest of the break, or resume work (saving the remaining break time for later). If you’ve already overrun the end of the break, start work immediately.\n\n### Meal breaks & big breaks\n\nMost people stop work for lunch, some for dinner. With Third Time, you can divide the day into two or three separate sessions — morning, afternoon, maybe evening — to allow for proper meal breaks between.\n\nIf you only take a short time off for lunch, a normal break may suffice for it. For instance, an hour-long meeting just before lunch earns you a 20-minute break — enough to eat at your desk, anyway. Or you could save up more eating time by shortening earlier breaks. If you have lunch in a normal break like this, meals need no special treatment, and your whole workday is a single session.\n\nBut if a normal break won’t do, you can take a **big** **break**. This meansa meal break that **lasts as long as you like** — longer than you’ve earned from previous work. The only constraint is that you must decide at the start of the break when to resume work, then set an alarm, and obey it as usual. This stops you getting lazy.\n\nIf you work into the evening, you can extend dinner in the same way: when a normal break isn’t long enough, you can take a big break, provided you set an alarm first. But only take big breaks for lunch and dinner.\n\nBreak minutes you’ve earned are used up by a big break, so **you can’t carry them over** **to the afternoon/evening**. Each session starts with a clean slate. (Hence you don’t need to time the work stint just before the meal.) Similarly, you can’t carry unused breaks over from one day to the next.\n\nSometimes you’ll have a personal task, e.g. going out to buy something, that’s too long to do in a normal break. If possible, do it in a big break, or before/after work. Try to avoid taking unofficial breaks for errands or anything else, lest you allow more and more exceptions to the system, and relapse into chaos.\n\n### Other fractions\n\nWhat matters is not the _absolute_ length of work and breaks, but their length _relative to each other_. Not enough breaks per hour worked, and you burn out; too many, and you don’t get enough things done.\n\n[Fitness training](https://www.hprc-online.org/physical-fitness/training-performance/optimize-your-workouts-proper-workrest-ratios) and other [physical activities](https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-70217-9_6) follow the same principle. For instance, with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) you might rest for half of the time you work: between 20-second sprints, you’d rest for 10 seconds; after a 2-minute dash, rest for 1 minute.\n\nThird Time recommends breaking for one-third of your work time (a similar proportion to the [Pomodoro and DeskTime](https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/FDCJ2BfAT9qJGrpFa/what-s-wrong-with-pomodoro) techniques). If this sounds lax, a [survey](https://www.vouchercloud.com/resources/office-worker-productivity) showed Britons spend less than half their time in the office actually working! So, with Third Time, you’ll accomplish much more than many people — particularly if you keep your work highly focussed, with no distractions.\n\nBut instead of one-third, you can use whatever fraction you like, such as:\n\n- **1/2**: 40 mins work + 20 mins breaks per hour. Working 2/3 of the time. Lazy\n- **1/3**: 45 mins work + 15 mins breaks per hour. Working 3/4 of the time. Standard\n- **1/4**: 48 mins work + 12 mins breaks per hour. Working 4/5 of the time. Industrious\n- **1/5**: 50 mins work + 10 mins breaks per hour. Working 5/6 of the time. Hard\n- **1/6**: 51½ mins work + 8½ mins breaks per hour. Working 6/7 of the time. Grinding\n\nIf you take a big break, you could shrink your other breaks by using a smaller fraction. For instance, neuroscientist Dr Daniel Levitin [suggests](https://qz.com/740607/the-biggest-productivity-myth-is-that-rigid-rules-like-the-pomodoro-technique-are-for-everyone/) working 90-minute stints with 15-minute breaks, plus a long lunch. A fraction of 15 ÷ 90 = 1/6 will achieve this.\n\nShould a deadline or crisis strike, so you need to get a lot done fast, don’t abandon Third Time — just switch to a smaller fraction. Or save up breaks and use them later. Conversely, if you’re tired, or there’s not much to do, you could try a bigger fraction to get more breaks.\n\nDifferent break fractions also suit different activities, from the gym to piano practice.\n\nThe other fractions, above right, let you calculate how much work you’ve done, or will do, without needing a timesheet or schedule. For example, Third Time’s default of 1/3 makes you work 3/4 of the time, so in an eight-hour day you’d complete six hours’ work — regardless of how your meetings, appointments, and interruptions pan out. (To calculate how long you worked if you took a big break, or didn’t use all your breaks, see footnote.[\\[1\\]](https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/RWu8eZqbwgB9zaerh/third-time-a-better-way-to-work#fny901itl0678))\n\n## Advantages of Third Time\n\nVarious time management techniques involve working for fixed time periods. The most popular one, named Pomodoro after a tomato-shaped timer, alternates 25-minute work stints with 5-minute breaks (or occasionally longer).\n\n\n\nWhile there are benefits to this kind of pattern, there are big problems too, which I discuss in a [separate post](https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/FDCJ2BfAT9qJGrpFa/what-s-wrong-with-pomodoro). In a nutshell, 25-minute stints may be far from optimal. Indeed, any fixed time period is unnatural and mechanical; thoughtful, creative work doesn’t watch clocks. And it's hard to work with other people this way, as their meetings, calls and interruptions won’t fit in with your timeslots. Nor will crises and deadlines. Basically, techniques like Pomodoro are too rigid.\n\nThis is because they insist on regulating your work. Third Time’s key insight is that this is unnecessary — you can guarantee how much work you’ll do, just by limiting breaks. This gives you complete freedom in how to divide up your day.\n\n\n\nPeople work best with loose constraints, somewhere between total freedom and total restriction. Total freedom is anarchy — the life of the lazy, the workaholic, and the procrastinator. Total restriction is tyranny — ruled by a despotic tomato, and forced to work like a robot.\n\nThird Time applies a light touch, keeping you in the happy, creative zone between these extremes. Its flexibility is its big advantage over other systems:\n\n- **Break whenever you want** or need to, to suit your attention span, energy, schedule, and the task at hand\n- You **get the same amount of work done**, however often you break!\n- Third Time accommodates **meetings, appointments, calls, interruptions, meals, and personal tasks**\n- Unlike Pomodoro, it's **not just for working alone**, so you can **use it all day**\n- When on a roll, you **don’t get interrupted by alarms** for the end of fixed time stints\n- **Save up unused break time** for later\n- Choose a **break fraction to suit you**, or even vary it with the situation\n- With tedious work, ploughing on **rewards you** with a longer break — an incentive to keep going\n- With a **deadline or crisis**, you can take quick, occasional breaks, or none at all. Third Time automatically makes up the shortfall once the storm has passed.\n\nIf you like Pomodoro or other methods (e.g. the pressure of their short-term deadlines), you can still use them with Third Time to get the best of both worlds, as it doesn’t forbid fixed work stints. I’ll explain more in Part 2 of this article. In fact, Third Time is really a general form of time management technique that encompasses the others, and solves their flaws.\n\nOther benefits of Third Time include:\n\n- Encourages **focussed work** and **proper breaks**, rather than inefficient half-working (more in Part 2)\n- Ensures you **don’t underwork or overwork**\n- Easy to **calculate how many hours’ work** you’ve done or will do, without a timesheet or schedule\n- You can even **knock off work early** every day (see Part 2)\n- It’s not just for work — use Third Time for **study, sport & fitness training, personal admin, hobbies, etc.** — anything that needs prolonged focus or effort.\n\n## Summary\n\nLastly, here in one place are all the steps for using Third Time:\n\n1. Note the time, or start a stopwatch\n2. **Work** until you want or need to break\n3. Divide how long you’ve just worked by 3 (or use your chosen fraction), and add any minutes left over from previous breaks\n4. Set an alarm for that long\n5. **Break** until the alarm goes off, or you decide to resume work\n6. If you resume early, note how much time was left, to add to your next break\n7. Go back to step 1.\n\nAdditional rules:\n\n- If you have to stop work for a **non-work-related interruption**, start a break immediately.\n- You can (optionally) take a **big break** for lunch and/or dinner, lasting as long as you like. Set an alarm at the start for when you’ll resume work. A big break uses up any saved break minutes, so you can’t carry them over to the afternoon/evening.\n- **Avoid taking other unearned breaks** if possible — so try to do personal tasks during normal or big breaks, or before/after your work day.\n\n(Third Time would also work well in a smartphone/web app, or smart speaker skill. Anyone want to create one?)",[],[245],{"_105":252,"_95":253,"_158":254,"_160":-5,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":255,"_101":32,"_167":205,"_169":72,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":256,"_99":257},"1e17b98e-418b-11f0-905b-76b3cceeab13","main.tsx","bad28e36-01d6-443e-836e-6f363b0d0a2a",["D",1749072620931],[],[253],"files",[155,174,184,190,199,209,219,225,234,243,251],"counts",{"_262":32,"_263":264,"_265":238,"_266":267},"pulls","branches",2,"forks","envVars",{"_268":32,"_269":32},"count","emptyCount","contents",[],{"_105":175,"_161":141,"_158":177,"_95":176,"_169":180,"_167":179,"_101":32,"_160":159,"_107":273,"_162":163,"_171":-5,"_99":274},["D",1749072620931],[157,176],"upstreamProject","upstreamBranch",{"_105":144,"_107":278,"_279":280,"_95":43,"_142":106,"_101":281,"_143":-5,"_145":-5,"_282":283,"_109":-5,"_152":22,"_111":112,"_151":94,"_16":122,"_150":96},["D",1748282405481],"updatedAt",["D",1752520993682],1233,"lockfileKey","1756156324058-esm.town_v_nbbaier_thirdTimer@1233-main","emptyEnvVars","isNew","flags",[],"routes/_app.x.$handle.$name.branch.$branch.version.$version.code.$",{"_93":94,"_95":96,"_97":98,"_101":102,"_99":100,"_103":290,"_153":295,"_258":329,"_195":330,"_270":333,"_334":335,"_338":-5,"_339":32,"_340":341,"_342":343},{"_105":106,"_95":96,"_107":291,"_109":-5,"_110":22,"_111":112,"_113":-5,"_114":-5,"_14":115,"_116":-5,"_117":22,"_118":119,"_120":121,"_16":122,"_123":124,"_125":124,"_126":127,"_128":127,"_129":127,"_130":124,"_131":124,"_23":292,"_135":293,"_138":294,"_152":22},["D",1748282405481],{"_93":94,"_133":134},{"_93":94,"_137":134,"_14":115},{"_101":140,"_95":98,"_105":141,"_142":106,"_143":144,"_145":146,"_147":112,"_148":106,"_149":122,"_150":96,"_151":94},[296,302,314,320,323,326],{"_105":156,"_95":157,"_158":159,"_160":-5,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":166,"_101":32,"_167":168,"_169":-5,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":297,"_99":301},[298],{"_105":175,"_95":176,"_158":177,"_160":159,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":178,"_101":32,"_167":179,"_169":180,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":299,"_99":300},[],[157,176],[157],{"_105":185,"_95":186,"_158":187,"_160":-5,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":188,"_101":32,"_167":168,"_169":-5,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":303,"_99":313},[304,307,310],{"_105":191,"_95":192,"_158":193,"_160":187,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":194,"_101":32,"_167":195,"_169":196,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":305,"_99":306},[],[186,192],{"_105":200,"_95":201,"_158":202,"_160":187,"_161":141,"_162":102,"_164":22,"_107":203,"_101":204,"_167":205,"_169":206,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":308,"_99":309},[],[186,201],{"_105":210,"_95":211,"_158":212,"_160":187,"_161":141,"_162":213,"_164":22,"_107":214,"_101":121,"_167":195,"_169":215,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":311,"_99":312},[],[186,211],[186],{"_105":220,"_95":221,"_158":222,"_160":-5,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":223,"_101":32,"_167":168,"_169":-5,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":315,"_99":319},[316],{"_105":226,"_95":227,"_158":228,"_160":222,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":229,"_101":32,"_167":205,"_169":230,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":317,"_99":318},[],[221,227],[221],{"_105":235,"_95":236,"_158":237,"_160":-5,"_161":141,"_162":238,"_164":165,"_107":239,"_101":163,"_167":195,"_169":240,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":321,"_99":322},[],[236],{"_105":244,"_95":245,"_158":246,"_160":-5,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":247,"_101":32,"_167":195,"_169":248,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":324,"_99":325},[],[245],{"_105":252,"_95":253,"_158":254,"_160":-5,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":255,"_101":32,"_167":205,"_169":72,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_172":327,"_99":328},[],[253],[296,298,302,304,307,310,314,316,320,323,326],{"_105":175,"_95":176,"_158":177,"_160":159,"_161":141,"_162":163,"_164":165,"_107":331,"_101":32,"_167":179,"_169":180,"_170":22,"_171":-5,"_99":332},["D",1749072620931],[157,176],[],"upstream",{"_105":144,"_107":336,"_279":337,"_95":43,"_142":106,"_101":281,"_143":-5,"_145":-5,"_282":283,"_109":-5,"_152":22,"_111":112,"_151":94,"_16":122,"_150":96},["D",1748282405481],["D",1752520993682],"pull","ahead","behind",1197,"templates",[],"actionData","errors"]