A 45-minute block for exam revision, with a stream, if you have done this a hundred times

1 Before you start

• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
• Decide that today's session does not have to be good. It has to happen.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
• Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.

2 While the timer runs

• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.
• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
• When you get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.
• If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.

3 When it ends

• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Leave the file open if you are coming back. Closing it makes restarting harder.

4What to put on

a stream — Running water with small variation. Softer than rain and less repetitive than a fan.