A 90-minute block for problem solving, with a fireplace, when you are short on time

1 Before you start

• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.

2 While the timer runs

• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
• When you get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.

3 When it ends

• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.

4What to put on

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