Deep work timer: 45 minutes of practising an instrument (plain quiet), when you want to finish something

1 Before you start

• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• Lower the bar until starting feels almost silly, then start.
• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
• Remember that motivation usually arrives after starting, not before.
• Close the door, or put headphones on, whichever signals "working" to the people around you.

2 While the timer runs

• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.

3 When it ends

• Look out of a window for thirty seconds. Your eyes have been at one distance for a while.
• Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.

4What to put on

plain quiet — No added sound at all. If you have a quiet room, that is usually better than any recording of one.