Complete all preparation before the production session…

When This Fires

• Before any dedicated production session (writing, designing, coding, analyzing)
• When production sessions consistently run long due to mid-session information gathering
• When the first 15 minutes of every session are spent "getting set up"
• Complements Sequence batches (within-batch sequencing) with the pre-batch preparation that makes sequencing effective

Common Failure Mode

"I'll find what I need as I go" — starting a writing session without gathering references, data, or templates, and discovering mid-session that you need to look up three statistics, find a client email, and locate last quarter's report. Each retrieval breaks flow. Pre-gathering takes the same 15 minutes but doesn't break any flow because the flow hasn't started yet.

The Protocol

(1) Before each production session, create a pre-flight checklist specific to the output type: files opened, templates loaded, references accessible, tools ready, notifications silenced. (2) Complete the entire checklist before starting the session timer. If an item is missing, gather it now — not during the session. (3) The preparation is "external setup": it happens in the 10-15 minutes before the session, not as part of the session itself. (4) If you discover during a session that you're missing something critical, note it, use a placeholder, and continue producing. Don't break the session to retrieve it unless the session literally cannot proceed. (5) After the session, update your pre-flight checklist: add items you discovered you needed mid-session so they're pre-gathered next time.