Focus session · editing · 45 min

45-minute focus block for editing — a stream, when you only have a few minutes

A timer, a short prep list, and 45 minutes to cut and tighten.

45:00

Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.

Let your belly be soft. Not sucked in. Just soft. A few minutes is the whole requirement. This is a short one, so let's use the time properly.

1 Before you start

Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.
Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.
Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".

When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
If you feel the urge to check something, write it on the paper beside you and keep going. Deal with the list afterwards.
If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.

Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
Have a drink of water before you check anything.
Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.

a stream — Running water with small variation. Softer than rain and less repetitive than a fan.

This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.