Focus session · reading · 45 min
Deep work timer: 45 minutes of reading (forest at dusk), when you are on your own
One block of reading with forest at dusk 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.
Let your tongue rest down, away from the roof of your mouth. Being on your own is not required, but it does make this simpler. We'll be efficient and then you can get on with your day.
1 Before you start
- Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.
- Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
- Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
- 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.
2 While the timer runs
- When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
- If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
- If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
- If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
3 When it ends
- 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.
- Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
4What to put on
forest at dusk — Birds settling, leaves moving, nothing sudden. It works because it sounds like a place you can safely ignore.
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