25-minute focus block for portfolio work

1 Before you start

• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
• Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
• Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.

2 While the timer runs

• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.

3 When it ends

• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.

4What to put on

a fireplace — Crackles and a low roar underneath. Warm, irregular, and undemanding.