90-minute editing session with café murmur and a timer, on a low-energy afternoon

1 Before you start

• Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
• Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
• Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
• Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.

2 While the timer runs

• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.

3 When it ends

• Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.
• Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.

4What to put on

café murmur — The blur of other people talking, with none of the words close enough to follow. Some people concentrate better with a low level of company.