50-minute focus session for editing with plain quiet, when you have tried everything else

1 Before you start

• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
• Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.

2 While the timer runs

• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• If you feel the urge to check something, write it on the paper beside you and keep going. Deal with the list afterwards.
• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.

3 When it ends

• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
• Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.

4What to put on

plain quiet — No added sound at all. If you have a quiet room, that is usually better than any recording of one.