25-minute admin and email session with birds at dawn and a timer, on a day that started badly

1 Before you start

• Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
• Tell yourself the goal is time spent, not output produced.
• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.

2 While the timer runs

• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.

3 When it ends

• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
• Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.

4What to put on

birds at dawn — Bright but not sharp. Better for early sessions than for late ones.