Focus session · planning · 45 min
Focus session for planning: 45 minutes, distant traffic, if you are new to this
45 minutes of planning, with distant traffic and a note on what to do when you drift.
45:00
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. Nothing here assumes you have done this before. This works better when you don't overthink it.
1 Before you start
- Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
- Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
- Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
- Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
- Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.
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 finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
- If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
- When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
3 When it ends
- Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
- Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.
- Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
4What to put on
distant traffic — A low continuous wash from a road you are not on. Familiar and easy to stop hearing.
This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.