Focus session · reading · 25 min
25-minute focus session for reading with rain on a window, when you are on your own
25 minutes on reading — pages rather than paragraphs. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
25:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Begin with the simple fact that you got here. That already happened. Being on your own is not required, but it does make this simpler. We'll go through it in order, without much decoration.
1 Before you start
- Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
- Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
- Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.
- Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
- Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
2 While the timer runs
- If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
- If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
- When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
- The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
3 When it ends
- Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
- Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
- Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
4What to put on
rain on a window — Steady rain is broadband noise with a slow natural rhythm. It masks speech and keyboard clatter without being interesting enough to listen to.
This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.