How a session works

A session is two people on a video call, each doing their own work. That is all it is. If you have never done this before, here is what to expect, so nothing is a surprise.

The five steps

Step 1: Join and say hello. Open the meeting link a minute or two before the start. A hello is enough. You do not need to make small talk.
Step 2: Say what you will work on. One sentence each, for example “I am clearing my inbox.” It does not need to be impressive, or the same kind of work as theirs.
Step 3: Work. Mute yourself and get on with your own task. You are not working together and nobody is checking your work. Keep your camera the way you both chose.
Step 4: Check in at the end. In the last minute or two, say how it went. Not finishing is normal and fine.
Step 5: Say goodbye. Thank them and leave the call. If it went well, you can book again from your Sessions page.

These are a suggestion, not a script. If you and your partner prefer something else, do that.

Before it starts

Pick one task. Something you can start in the first minute. Have what you need open before you join.
Find the meeting link. It is on your Sessions page once the invite is accepted. If email notifications are on, we also send it to you both 15 minutes before the start.
If you sent the invite, you are the host. Open the call a couple of minutes early so your partner is not left waiting to be let in.
Cannot make it? Cancel on your Sessions page before the start time. Nobody is penalised, and your partner is told.

Quiet, some talk or open talk

Everyone picks a meet-up style on their profile, and a match card says when yours is the same as theirs.

Quiet. Hello and your task at the start, a quick check-in at the end, and silence in between. Stay muted.
Some talk. As above, plus the odd word is welcome: a short check-in halfway, or a quick question.
Open talk. Chatting while you work is fine for both of you.

If your styles differ, go with the quieter one unless you both say otherwise. The same goes for cameras: if one of you prefers camera off, that is the end of the question.

Longer sessions

For 90 minutes or more, agree at the start whether you will take a break. A five-minute break around the halfway point is a common choice. Say when you step away and when you are back, so your partner is not left wondering.

What if

They do not turn up. Give it ten minutes, then carry on with your task alone or leave. Most often something came up. If the same person does it more than once, you can report it.
You are running late. Join anyway and say hello. There is no way to message your partner through Anchor2X before the call, so joining late is better than not joining.
You need to leave early. Say so and go. You can leave any session at any moment, and you never owe anyone an explanation.
You get nothing done. It happens to everyone. Showing up still counts, and you do not have to pretend otherwise at the check-in.
It feels awkward. That is common in the first minute of a first session. Naming your task out loud and then muting gives you both something to do.
Something does not feel right. Leave the call. Then block or report them from your Sessions page. A person reads every report. See Safety.

What a session is not

It is not a meeting. There is no agenda and nothing to prepare for your partner.
It is not coaching or accountability. Nobody checks whether you finished.
It is not for socialising, dating, selling or recruiting. See what we expect of every member.
It does not work for everyone, and that is fine. Our Research page explains what is known and what is not.