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