Deep work timer: 90 minutes of coding (distant thunder), when you only have a few minutes

1 Before you start

• Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.
• Expect to want to stop at about the eight-minute mark. That is normal and it passes.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.
• Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
• Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.

2 While the timer runs

• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.
• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
• If your attention keeps sliding, shorten the next block rather than abandoning this one.

3 When it ends

• Decide whether the next block is the same task or a different one. Do not drift into it.
• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.
• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.

4What to put on

distant thunder — Low rumbles with long gaps. Suits people who find sudden noises more distracting than constant ones.