90-minute studying session with a fireplace and a timer, when you need something unremarkable

1 Before you start

• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
• If your mind is already racing, write down the three loudest thoughts before you begin.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.

2 While the timer runs

• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
• When you get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.
• When you notice you have drifted, do not restart the block. Just come back and carry on counting from where the timer is.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.

3 When it ends

• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.

4What to put on

a fireplace — Crackles and a low roar underneath. Warm, irregular, and undemanding.