Deep work timer: 25 minutes of drawing (a train carriage), when you have been meaning to start

1 Before you start

• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
• Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.

2 While the timer runs

• When you get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.
• If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
• 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.

3 When it ends

• Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
• Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.

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.