50-minute focus block for drawing — rain on a window, when you are somewhere unfamiliar

1 Before you start

• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
• Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.

2 While the timer runs

• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
• If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.

3 When it ends

• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.

4What to put on

rain on a window — Steady rain is broadband noise with a slow natural rhythm. It masks speech and keyboard clatter without being interesting enough to listen to.