45-minute focus session for decluttering with distant thunder, on a day that started badly

1 Before you start

• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
• Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
• Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.

2 While the timer runs

• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.

3 When it ends

• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
• Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.
• Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.

4What to put on

distant thunder — Low rumbles with long gaps. Suits people who find sudden noises more distracting than constant ones.