You’ll do more.And you’ll know why.
Cycles is a focused-work timer with a written plan before each block and a quick review after it. Built for work that needs your own judgment — writing, building, studying, hard problems.
Plan, work, review, repeat
Sebastian Marshall created the Work Cycles method as a spreadsheet worksheet. Cycles keeps its core loop and turns it into a live workspace: prepare just enough, focus for a defined block, and leave a useful record.
- 01
Choose one intention
Decide what this session is for before the details compete for attention.
- 02
Plan the next cycle
Write a specific target and the first concrete step you will take.
- 03
Work the timer
Stay with that target for one timed cycle, then stop when the cycle ends.
- 04
Review, then break
Record what happened, what pulled you away, and what to change next time.
Useful for deliberate work. Wrong for passive tracking.
Cycles may fit if you…
- Do self-directed work where the next move is not always obvious.
- Want a light structure for staying with one task at a time.
- Are willing to write a few honest lines before and after working.
- Want no feed, leaderboard, or public profile — just your work and notes.
It is probably not for you if…
- You want a full project manager, calendar, or team collaboration tool.
- You need software that blocks websites or monitors every app.
- You want productivity advice without pausing to review your own work.
A timer tracks time. A review creates feedback.
“Work on the project” is easy to drift away from. A specific target gives the cycle a finish line, and writing the first step removes the decision you would otherwise face when the timer starts.
The immediate review closes the loop while the details are still fresh. Over several sessions, the same distractions, weak plans, hours when targets are more often hit, and useful adjustments become visible instead of being forgotten.
Concrete enough to guide the next block.
Specific enough to improve the next cycle.
A number that leads back to the work
Session score combines execution and discipline into one index. It helps you find the sessions worth opening again; the plan and review show what actually happened.
Enough structure to learn, without turning work into data entry
Timed cycles with real breaks
Set the cycle and break lengths. While you work, the screen keeps only the timer and target in view.
A short plan and review for every cycle
Name the target and first step before you begin. Afterward, capture whether you hit it and why.
A session debrief
Wrap up with what worked, where the work got stuck, and the takeaway worth keeping.
Pattern comparisons wait until there is enough data. Cycles does not turn one unusual afternoon into a confident recommendation.
Give the next block of work a clear target.
Start with one intention, one cycle, and one honest review.