Deep work timer: 90 minutes of problem solving (rain on a window), when you have been putting it off

1 Before you start

• Dim the screen slightly. Bright screens make long sessions harder than they need to be.
• Remember that motivation usually arrives after starting, not before.
• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
• Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
• 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.
• 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 get an idea for something else, park it. Do not follow it.

3 When it ends

• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.

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.