45-minute focus block for writing — a train carriage, when you have tried everything else

1 Before you start

• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
• Choose one question to answer in this block, rather than a whole subject to cover.
• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.

2 While the timer runs

• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
• If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.

3 When it ends

• Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
• Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.

4What to put on

a train carriage — Rhythmic, low, and slightly rumbly. Many people find the motion-and-noise combination easier to work to than silence.