The 3-Hour Window
RISING INDEX · MM‑INDEX‑2025‑SIG‑001 Signal Admission · Season 01 (2025)
THE 3-HOUR WINDOW — PROTECTED DEEP TIME
What we’re seeing
One protected, three-hour block each week for deep work or quiet. It is calendared, named, and respected like any external meeting.
Why it matters
Fragmented hours produce fragmented outcomes; a weekly “long runway” restores quality, pace, and dignity to the week. Teams that normalize one long block per person reduce after-hours catch-up and the hidden tax on caregivers.
Lineage / Parallel
Atelier “studio hours” and research lab blocks—same rhythm, scaled to modern hybrid weeks.
Lived markers
Door closed · phone facedown · one goal on paper · auto-reply: In focus until 1:00 PM; I’ll respond after.
Start today (10-minute setup)
- Pick the same day/time for 12 weeks.
- Title it Window.
- Draft a one-line auto-reply.
- Write this week’s single outcome on a card.
Time & tools
3 hours · calendar + auto-reply · one card + pen · water.
Field tests
- Completion: ≥1 shippable outcome (doc/decision/draft).
- Context: ≤2 context switches within 3 hours.
- Overflow: After-hours emails on Window days = 0.
Keep the standard
No stacked calls at the edges • One outcome only (not five) • Slack/email closed for the full window
Accessibility / life layers
Caregiving? Run 2×90 minutes—same rules. Neuro-inclusive? Add a visual timer and written goal.
Proof ideas
Finished artifacts/wk • adherence rate (%) • after-hours emails (count) on Window days.
Common pushbacks & replies
- “Clients need you live.” → “I’ll be responsive after 1:00; this keeps quality high.”
- “What about emergencies?” → “Text ‘URGENT—X’ and I’ll step out.”
Adoption criteria (flip to Admitted)
≥60% of team keeps the block for 8 consecutive weeks and after-hours mail drops ≥20% on Window days.
House note
If it isn’t on the calendar, it isn’t kept.
Related: The Measured Pause · House Ledger
Date: 2025-11-— · Observer/Editor: AB · Geography: [City] · Status: Observing · Next review: +6–8 weeks
