Focus session · reading · 90 min
Deep work timer: 90 minutes of reading (a stream), if you are fitting this around other people
One block of reading with a stream underneath. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
90:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Begin with the simple fact that you got here. That already happened. It is designed to fit around other people’s schedules. Follow the instructions and let the rest look after itself.
1 Before you start
- Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
- Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
- Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
- Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
- Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.
2 While the timer runs
- If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
- If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
- It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
- When you get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.
3 When it ends
- If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
- Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
- Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.
4What to put on
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.