Deep work timer: 25 minutes of writing (a train carriage), when you are somewhere noisy

1 Before you start

• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
• Choose one question to answer in this block, rather than a whole subject to cover.
• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
• Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.

2 While the timer runs

• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.

3 When it ends

• Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
• Do not immediately open the thing you were avoiding. Give the block a proper end.
• Leave the desk tidier than you found it. Two minutes now saves ten later.

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.