Pre-decide everything before a deep work session…
Eliminate decision points during deep work startup by pre-deciding tool configuration, document access, notification state, and physical materials before the session begins.
When This Fires
- Setting up for any planned deep work session
- Noticing that your deep work blocks start with 10-15 minutes of fiddling and organizing
- Designing a daily deep work ritual or routine
- When the gap between "I should start working" and "I'm actually working" is consistently too long
Common Failure Mode
Treating the preparation as part of the deep work block. If your 90-minute deep work session starts with 15 minutes of setting up tools and organizing materials, you have a 75-minute session with a 15-minute startup tax. The preparation should happen before the block starts — during a shallow work period, transition buffer, or the night before.
The Protocol
Before each deep work session (ideally the night before or during a transition buffer): (1) Open only the documents/files you'll need — close everything else. (2) Set devices to Do Not Disturb. (3) Place physical materials at your workspace: notebook, pen, water, headphones. (4) Write one sentence specifying what you'll work on first (the ready-to-resume note from the previous session, or a fresh task). (5) When the session starts, sit down and begin. No decisions needed — the environment is pre-configured.