Deep work timer: 45 minutes of reading (rain on a window), when the weather has kept you inside

1 Before you start

• Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
• Tell yourself the goal is time spent, not output produced.
• 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.

2 While the timer runs

• When you get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.
• If you are stuck, say the problem out loud. It changes what you can see.
• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.

3 When it ends

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

4What to put on

rain on a window — Steady rain is broadband noise with a slow natural rhythm. It masks speech and keyboard clatter without being interesting enough to listen to.