A 45-minute block for data work, with vinyl crackle, if you are sceptical about all of this

1 Before you start

• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
• Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".

2 While the timer runs

• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
• If you feel the urge to check something, write it on the paper beside you and keep going. Deal with the list afterwards.
• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.

3 When it ends

• Look out of a window for thirty seconds. Your eyes have been at one distance for a while.
• Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.
• Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.

4What to put on

vinyl crackle — A thin layer of surface noise over nothing much. Just enough texture to stop the room feeling empty.