like last years: fireworks all over the world. People greet the new year with new resolutions and new goals. Someone, somewhere, said: “2026 will be the year.”
Then it happened in January.
The weeks went on, and the end of the month drew near. And for the folks at ML Research, late January has a special flavor: deadline season. ICML rolls around, and suddenly the quiet end-of-year break – when offices were empty and inboxes quiet for a long time – turns into 110% energy.
That is very different: from slow days to running days. But maybe that comparison is not a mistake, but part of the rhythm? After proper recharging, people can come back strong, full of energy.
Looking back (belatedly) in January, I found three themes that overlapped: deadlines, downtime, and flow moments. The first two are obvious. The third comes between the two and contains long sections of focused work; when something is challenging enough to require concentration, and you can stay with it for hours.
Deadlines
Deadlines come in all sizes, and in all places.
In private life, it could be a deadline for an insurance claim, an interest payment, or some official document that you shouldn't ignore for too long. In the work life, it's project milestones, feature releases, and – for researchers – paper deadlines.
If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would ever be finished.
We all know the downsides of stress, and yes, chronic stress is bad. But, over the years, I have come to realize that a indicated capacity stress, over a limited period of time, can be good. For me, those deadlines are a way to create that capacity. Suddenly, everything else pales in comparison because this one thing must be done – now.
This is also why, oddly enough, I often enjoy getting close to set standards. Not because I like to be scared. But because I like to be clear. Deadlines create priorities in a way that normal days do not.
In everyday ML work, things often feel like they're going on a lot: tests are running on the cluster, pipelines are being fixed, bugs are being fixed. There is no big finish line, only small mistakes. But sometimes, the pipe has to be sent. The feature needs to be added. Testing needs to be stable. Then, briefly, the whole team locks up. Less dialog, less side quests, more alignment. Deadlines can be stressful – but they give you focus.
It turns out, what if you don't have deadlines in your life? Don't worry, create smaller ones. Weekly internal deadline for the prototype. Friday's decision on the withdrawal set. Something that forces clarity without burning you.
Rest periods
After the deadline you are before the deadline.
Yes Yes. But, first, it's time to rest.
After a stressful phase, it becomes it's honestly good to be idle for a while. Or at least, doing less, or doing things less. After a stressful year, it's good to take an extended break and recharge the batteries.
If you track time at work and have accumulated overtime, this is a good time to use it. If you don't track time, taking a paid day – or two – to measure fitness is still a good idea. Or, leave work early: it's not laziness. Making sure you can do the things you enjoy for a long time.
I didn't look down on time off because it didn't feel productive, you don't do anything. But that's the point: leisure is productive, but we use a different currency, called preparing for the future. It restores your ability to focus later. It prevents you from slowing down as you continue to work but your attention span gets worse, your patience gets shorter, and you start needing more effort to get the same output.
That's why I recommend scheduling rest time as work time. Put it on the calendar. Especially after a big stretch. If you “wait until you feel like it,” you may never feel like you've found it.
Flow times
These three concepts are interconnected.
After the deadline, you earned your free time. Then, when you recover, you come back with renewed energy for new projects – helping you reach the next deadline. And so on.
But the interesting part is what happens in the middle downtime and deadline: flow time.
Flow time is when you work on something challenging enough that it requires real concentration, and then you stay with it long enough for your mind. in full work comes in.
I've found that's where good work happens.
The flow time comes in different ways: we can use the feature (adding attention methods, handling missing values properly, getting the analysis right, putting together a certain “performance” goal carefully, rather than knocking it down). Or it might drive the entire project forward, like a steady march toward a shipping deadline. Either way, flow requires one thing that often plagues modern work life: uninterrupted time.
The concept of flow was coined by Mihály Csíkszentmihályiand it defines exactly that sweet spot: high engagement, high focus, low distraction. You are not “trying” to concentrate; concentration happens as a side effect of being in the right place.
And if you are on the movethings are done.
So, protect the flow time clearly. Make a blocker that repeats every few hours. Turn on message notifications (or turn off apps altogether). Make one task the end of the task. Even one or two flow blocks a week can change how much you get done — and how accomplished you feel.
Closing thoughts
January reminded me that a good work rhythm isn't always pushing hard.
It's about working in cycles
- Deadlines to what matters and create focus.
- Rest periods restoring energy and preventing slow burnout.
- Flow times to do meaningful work.
Throughout the year, I try to treat this as a deliberate loop: find time off, use the time off, and invest in flow – and let deadlines do what they're meant to do: bring things to completion.
