Motivation & wellbeing
Run a pace check
Updated May 20261 min read
A pace check is a 90-second pause. The tool surfaces a single reflection card — a quiet observation about how knowledge work, recovery, or focus actually works — and offers two ways to respond. No scoring, no streak. The point is to notice, not to optimize.
From the Motivation screen
- Open the Motivation screen (sidebar → Motivation).
- Tap a feeling tile. When you're feeling overstretched, IdealWeek
surfaces the Pace Check tool.
Motivation feeling tiles - Read the prompt. Each card pairs a short reflection with the
research that informs it. There's nothing to answer — just two
actions to choose between.
Pace check prompt - Choose how to act. Tap Adjust today's plan to land in the
timeline and reshape the day, or Step away for the rest of today
to cancel today's remaining notifications and pause until tomorrow.
The screen pops back to the Motivation grid with a confirmation.
Confirmation after Step away
Tips
- A pace check landing on a hard reflection often points at something to unload. The Memos tool is a natural next step — see Capture a memo.
- The card varies between runs (a 30-day window prevents repeats), so the tool stays fresh if you check in regularly.
- "Step away" cancels every scheduled notification for today; it does not affect tomorrow's check-in or daily quote.
See also
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Read a motivation articleRead a curated article matched to your current emotional state in IdealWeek. Open the Article tile on the Motivation screen, pick a feeling (Stuck, Overwhelmed, Drained, etc.), and read offline.Capture a memoWrite a private memo or reflection in IdealWeek. The Memos tool on the Motivation screen keeps a chronological log of small notes you wouldn't want as ideas or objectives.Start a pomodoro sessionRun a 25-minute pomodoro on today's activity in IdealWeek. Launch from the Motivation screen Pomodoro tile and choose how long the focus block runs in Settings.
