A 90-minute block for brainstorming, with vinyl crackle, when you want to finish something

1 Before you start

• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• Choose one question to answer in this block, rather than a whole subject to cover.
• Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.
• Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.

2 While the timer runs

• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.

3 When it ends

• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
• Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.

4What to put on

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