Focus sessions
A timer, a short prep list, and a note on what to do when you drift. 300 blocks for writing, coding, studying and the rest of the work that needs an hour.
A 90-minute block for language practice, with brown noise, when you are not sure this will work
A single 90-minute block for language practice — repetition rather than novelty.
Start the block →25-minute focus session for studying with a stream, on a day that started badly
25 minutes on studying — reading and notes, not highlighting. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →45-minute focus session for drawing with plain quiet, when you are at home and cannot settle
45 minutes on drawing — without correcting anything yet. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →90-minute focus session for reading with a train carriage, after eating too much
90 minutes on reading — pages rather than paragraphs. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →Deep work timer: 25 minutes of thesis writing (birds at dawn), if you are tired of apps
One block of thesis writing with birds at dawn underneath. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →Deep work timer: 50 minutes of design work (white noise), if you have done this a hundred times
One block of design work with white noise underneath. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →Deep work timer: 90 minutes of decluttering (a stream), when you have already had a long week
One block of decluttering with a stream underneath. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →45-minute focus block for admin and email — rain on a window, on a low-energy afternoon
A timer, a short prep list, and 45 minutes to clear the queue.
Start the block →50-minute focus block for portfolio work — a train carriage, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
A timer, a short prep list, and 50 minutes to finish the pieces.
Start the block →90-minute focus block for problem solving — vinyl crackle, when you have been on screens all day
A timer, a short prep list, and 90 minutes to stay with the difficulty.
Start the block →Focus session for coding: 45 minutes, a fan or air conditioner, when you have woken up too early
45 minutes of coding, with a fan or air conditioner and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →Focus session for practising an instrument: 50 minutes, distant thunder, when the day has been loud
50 minutes of practising an instrument, with distant thunder and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →25-minute exam revision session with café murmur and a timer, when you feel fine and want to stay that way
Sit down, press start, and test yourself for 25 minutes. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →45-minute data work session with a fireplace and a timer, if you have five quiet minutes
Sit down, press start, and work through the numbers for 45 minutes. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →50-minute editing session with distant traffic and a timer, when you have tried everything else
Sit down, press start, and cut and tighten for 50 minutes. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →A 25-minute block for brainstorming, with a fan or air conditioner, when you have just finished work
A single 25-minute block for brainstorming — quantity before quality.
Start the block →A 45-minute block for research, with a washing machine, before you go back to something hard
A single 45-minute block for research — with a note file open beside you.
Start the block →A 90-minute block for applications and forms, with café murmur, when you want to be left alone
A single 90-minute block for applications and forms — dull but finite.
Start the block →25-minute focus session for planning with a library, when you are not in the mood
25 minutes on planning — on paper, so you can see it. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →45-minute focus session for writing with plain quiet, when you are somewhere unfamiliar
45 minutes on writing — the first draft, not the good version. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →90-minute focus session for language practice with forest at dusk, when you feel restless rather than tired
90 minutes on language practice — repetition rather than novelty. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →Deep work timer: 25 minutes of studying (birds at dawn), when nothing else has worked today
One block of studying with birds at dawn underneath. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →Deep work timer: 50 minutes of drawing (brown noise), when you are on your own
One block of drawing with brown noise underneath. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →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.
Start the block →25-minute focus block for thesis writing — plain quiet, when you have more time than usual
A timer, a short prep list, and 25 minutes to add to the pile.
Start the block →50-minute focus block for design work — a train carriage, when you have been putting it off
A timer, a short prep list, and 50 minutes to make decisions.
Start the block →90-minute focus block for decluttering — birds at dawn, if you are sceptical about all of this
A timer, a short prep list, and 90 minutes to move things out.
Start the block →Focus session for admin and email: 45 minutes, white noise, when you are cold and want to be warm
45 minutes of admin and email, with white noise and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →Focus session for portfolio work: 50 minutes, a stream, when you only have a few minutes
50 minutes of portfolio work, with a stream and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →25-minute problem solving session with rain on a window and a timer, when you want something simple
Sit down, press start, and stay with the difficulty for 25 minutes. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →45-minute coding session with a fireplace and a timer, when you want to finish something
Sit down, press start, and work through the problem for 45 minutes. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →50-minute practising an instrument session with vinyl crackle and a timer, when you are doing this for the first time
Sit down, press start, and drill the hard bars for 50 minutes. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →A 25-minute block for exam revision, with a fan or air conditioner, if you are doing this in the middle of the day
A single 25-minute block for exam revision — recall rather than re-reading.
Start the block →A 45-minute block for data work, with distant thunder, when you need to stop thinking about work
A single 45-minute block for data work — checking as you go.
Start the block →A 90-minute block for editing, with café murmur, if you are doing this instead of scrolling
A single 90-minute block for editing — the boring pass that makes it readable.
Start the block →25-minute focus session for brainstorming with a fireplace, if you are new to this
25 minutes on brainstorming — quantity before quality. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →45-minute focus session for research with distant traffic, when your attention is scattered
45 minutes on research — with a note file open beside you. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →90-minute focus session for applications and forms with a fan or air conditioner, when you have been meaning to start
90 minutes on applications and forms — dull but finite. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →Deep work timer: 25 minutes of planning (a washing machine), before something difficult
One block of planning with a washing machine underneath. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →Deep work timer: 50 minutes of writing (brown noise), when the house is busy
One block of writing with brown noise underneath. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →Deep work timer: 90 minutes of language practice (a library), when the weather has kept you inside
One block of language practice with a library underneath. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →25-minute focus block for studying — plain quiet, when you are short on time
A timer, a short prep list, and 25 minutes to take in the material.
Start the block →50-minute focus block for drawing — forest at dusk, on a day that started badly
A timer, a short prep list, and 50 minutes to fill the page.
Start the block →90-minute focus block for reading — birds at dawn, when you are at home and cannot settle
A timer, a short prep list, and 90 minutes to read properly.
Start the block →Focus session for thesis writing: 45 minutes, brown noise, after eating too much
45 minutes of thesis writing, with brown noise and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →Focus session for design work: 50 minutes, a stream, if you are tired of apps
50 minutes of design work, with a stream and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →Focus session for decluttering: 90 minutes, plain quiet, if you have done this a hundred times
90 minutes of decluttering, with plain quiet and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →45-minute admin and email session with a train carriage and a timer, when you have already had a long week
Sit down, press start, and clear the queue for 45 minutes. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →50-minute portfolio work session with birds at dawn and a timer, on a low-energy afternoon
Sit down, press start, and finish the pieces for 50 minutes. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →A 25-minute block for problem solving, with white noise, when you cannot concentrate on anything else
A single 25-minute block for problem solving — before looking anything up.
Start the block →A 45-minute block for coding, with distant thunder, when you have been on screens all day
A single 45-minute block for coding — one function at a time, not the whole system.
Start the block →A 90-minute block for practising an instrument, with rain on a window, when you have woken up too early
A single 90-minute block for practising an instrument — slowly, with the metronome.
Start the block →25-minute focus session for exam revision with a fireplace, when you need something unremarkable
25 minutes on exam revision — recall rather than re-reading. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →45-minute focus session for data work with vinyl crackle, after a difficult conversation
45 minutes on data work — checking as you go. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →90-minute focus session for editing with a fan or air conditioner, when you are somewhere noisy
90 minutes on editing — the boring pass that makes it readable. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →Deep work timer: 25 minutes of brainstorming (distant thunder), after a long day
One block of brainstorming with distant thunder underneath. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →Deep work timer: 50 minutes of research (café murmur), when you are waiting for something
One block of research with café murmur underneath. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →Deep work timer: 90 minutes of applications and forms (a fireplace), when you are too tired to try hard
One block of applications and forms with a fireplace underneath. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →25-minute focus block for planning — distant traffic, when you are not sure this will work
A timer, a short prep list, and 25 minutes to decide what happens when.
Start the block →50-minute focus block for writing — forest at dusk, when you are not in the mood
A timer, a short prep list, and 50 minutes to get words down.
Start the block →Nothing is tracked here. Close the tab whenever you like — the timer is the only thing that knows.