A 90-minute block for research, with rain on a window, when you want to finish something

1 Before you start

• Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.
• Choose one question to answer in this block, rather than a whole subject to cover.
• Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.
• Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.

2 While the timer runs

• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
• If you feel the urge to check something, write it on the paper beside you and keep going. Deal with the list afterwards.

3 When it ends

• Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
• Take the break away from the screen, even if it is just the other side of the room.

4What to put on

rain on a window — Steady rain is broadband noise with a slow natural rhythm. It masks speech and keyboard clatter without being interesting enough to listen to.