25-minute focus session for drawing with white noise, when you are not sure this will work

1 Before you start

• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
• Decide that today's session does not have to be good. It has to happen.
• 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.
• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.

2 While the timer runs

• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.

3 When it ends

• Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.
• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.

4What to put on

white noise — Flat across all frequencies and very effective at covering speech. Some people find it harsh after an hour; keep the volume low.