Tom Elmhirst highlights the importance of a lean and organized session workflow to boost efficiency and focus during mixing. He achieves this by bouncing down large multi-track sessions into essential stems, such as combining layered elements or multi-mic sources, which helps avoid the clutter of excessive tracks.
This preparation allows for intuitive and goal-oriented mixing. Elmhirst often relies on assistants for this task, but the principle remains the same: streamline your session to focus on creativity rather than organization.
If you're working solo, try organizing your session a day in advance. This way, you can dive into mixing with a fresh perspective, enhancing creativity and focus.