A 50-minute block for data work, with birds at dawn, if you have five quiet minutes

1 Before you start

• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
• Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
• Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
• Make sure your chair is at a height where your feet are flat on the floor.

2 While the timer runs

• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.

3 When it ends

• Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.

4What to put on

birds at dawn — Bright but not sharp. Better for early sessions than for late ones.