Focus session · decluttering · 25 min
Deep work timer: 25 minutes of decluttering (white noise), when you have been putting it off
One block of decluttering with white noise underneath. 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.
Start with the noise that is already in the room. We are not going to try to remove it yet. You have been putting this off. Starting is the only step that matters. No preamble. We start with the body.
1 Before you start
- Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.
- If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
- Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
- Remember that motivation usually arrives after starting, not before.
- Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.
2 While the timer runs
- The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
- When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
- If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
- If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
3 When it ends
- Look out of a window for thirty seconds. Your eyes have been at one distance for a while.
- If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
- Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.
4What to put on
white noise — Flat across all frequencies and very effective at covering speech. Some people find it harsh after an hour; keep the volume low.
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