Focus session · brainstorming · 45 min
Deep work timer: 45 minutes of brainstorming (birds at dawn), if you are new to this
One block of brainstorming with birds at dawn underneath. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
45:00
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. Nothing here assumes you have done this before. Straight through, at a normal pace.
1 Before you start
- Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
- Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
- Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
- If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
- Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
2 While the timer runs
- Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
- When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
- If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
- When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
3 When it ends
- Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
- Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
- Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
4What to put on
birds at dawn — Bright but not sharp. Better for early sessions than for late ones.
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