A 25-minute block for practising an instrument, with a fireplace, when you are cold and want to be warm

1 Before you start

• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
• Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
• Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.
• Choose one question to answer in this block, rather than a whole subject to cover.
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".

2 While the timer runs

• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.

3 When it ends

• Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
• Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.
• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.

4What to put on

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