Focus session · decluttering · 25 min
Focus session for decluttering: 25 minutes, a stream, when you have more time than usual
25 minutes of decluttering, with a stream and a note on what to do when you drift.
25:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
If you're tired, you can let that be true. Tired is allowed here. This is the longer version, for a day with some slack in it. We'll go through it in order, without much decoration.
1 Before you start
- Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.
- Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
- Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
- Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
- Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
2 While the timer runs
- If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
- When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
- When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
- When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.
3 When it ends
- If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
- Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.
- Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
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.