Focus session · brainstorming · 45 min
45-minute focus block for brainstorming — distant thunder, when you have just finished work
A timer, a short prep list, and 45 minutes to generate options.
45:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Unclench your jaw. You were probably holding it without noticing. The gap right after work is the easiest one to use. This is a short one, so let's use the time properly.
1 Before you start
- Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
- Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
- Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.
- Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
- Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
2 While the timer runs
- If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
- When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
- It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
- If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
3 When it ends
- Look out of a window for thirty seconds. Your eyes have been at one distance for a while.
- Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
- Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
4What to put on
distant thunder — Low rumbles with long gaps. Suits people who find sudden noises more distracting than constant ones.
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