A 90-minute block for reading, with a train carriage, when you want to be left alone

1 Before you start

• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
• Tell yourself the goal is time spent, not output produced.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.

2 While the timer runs

• If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
• Notice the moment your hand moves toward your phone. That moment is the whole skill.
• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.

3 When it ends

• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.

4What to put on

a train carriage — Rhythmic, low, and slightly rumbly. Many people find the motion-and-noise combination easier to work to than silence.