Focus session for brainstorming: 25 minutes, a train carriage, if you are doing this in the middle of the day

1 Before you start

• Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.
• Decide what you will do if you get stuck: write the problem out, then move on.
• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
• Remember that motivation usually arrives after starting, not before.
• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.

2 While the timer runs

• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
• When you finish a piece, pause for three seconds before starting the next. It keeps the pace honest.

3 When it ends

• Write one line about where to start next time. Future you will be grateful.
• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
• Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.

4What to put on

a train carriage — Rhythmic, low, and slightly rumbly. Many people find the motion-and-noise combination easier to work to than silence.