Focus session · writing · 45 min

Focus session for writing: 45 minutes, a train carriage, when you are not sure this will work

45 minutes of writing, with a train carriage 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.

There is nothing to get right here. Nothing is being scored. Not being sure it will work is a perfectly good reason to try it once. We'll be efficient and then you can get on with your day.

1 Before you start

  • Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.
  • Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
  • 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".
  • Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".

2 While the timer runs

  • Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
  • If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
  • Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
  • It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.

3 When it ends

  • Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
  • Look out of a window for thirty seconds. Your eyes have been at one distance for a while.
  • Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.

4What to put on

a train carriage — Rhythmic, low, and slightly rumbly. Many people find the motion-and-noise combination easier to work to than silence.

This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.