Deep work timer: 45 minutes of portfolio work (a stream), when you have more time than usual

1 Before you start

• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
• Remember that motivation usually arrives after starting, not before.
• Get water now, so you do not have to get up in fifteen minutes.
• Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".

2 While the timer runs

• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.

3 When it ends

• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.

4What to put on

a stream — Running water with small variation. Softer than rain and less repetitive than a fan.