Deep work timer: 45 minutes of data work (a train carriage), when you have woken up too early

1 Before you start

• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
• Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
• Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.

2 While the timer runs

• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.
• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.

3 When it ends

• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.

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.