Deep work timer: 25 minutes of portfolio work (birds at dawn), if you are sceptical about all of this

1 Before you start

• 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.
• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.
• Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
• Set the timer where you can see it, or where you can deliberately not see it.

2 While the timer runs

• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
• If you feel restless, change your posture rather than your task.
• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.

3 When it ends

• 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.
• Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.

4What to put on

birds at dawn — Bright but not sharp. Better for early sessions than for late ones.