I ran 15 km last Sunday morning. It was not an easy session. My legs were heavy. But I emptied my tank completely by pushing hard on the final kilometer. That was a good running session.

But it is a terrible strategy for creative output.

Builders or creators often grind until they hit absolute zero. They burn out the engine. That reminds me of Twyla Tharp's rule for her choreography work. Tharp always stopped her studio sessions while she still had a small piece of momentum left.

Stopping early protects your energy. It keeps the creative desire alive for the next day.

Here's what I do now.

Normally, I write until my brain locks up. Now, when the writing is flowing well and I know exactly what comes next, I stop. I walk away from the desk.

I write down one sentence right before I close the screen. It is a single raw instruction or an unfinished thought. I leave the note at the top of my screen.

When I am back at the desk the next morning, I am not starting from a blank page. The note tells me exactly where to place my focus. I am not starting with willpower. It keeps the writing pace consistent.

I was exploring Twyla Tharp's notes on sustainable work habits in The Creative Habit. I found her focus on pacing over raw endurance is solid and worth implementing in my practice.

Just another coffee thought from Gav.

That wraps up my deep dive into Twyla Tharp's PKM practice. Moving forward, I'll be exploring how other thinkers capture and process their ideas. If you found this issue valuable, feel free to share or repost.