90-minute focus session for planning with birds at dawn, if you are doing this instead of scrolling

1 Before you start

• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• If you are dreading it, make the first action physical: open the file, sharpen the pencil.
• Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.

2 While the timer runs

• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.

3 When it ends

• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
• Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
• Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.

4What to put on

birds at dawn — Bright but not sharp. Better for early sessions than for late ones.