Focus session for design work: 25 minutes, vinyl crackle, when you are somewhere unfamiliar

1 Before you start

• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
• Accept that the first five minutes will feel like wading. Wading counts.
• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
• Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
• Write down the one thing you are going to do, in a single sentence, before you start.

2 While the timer runs

• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.
• The first urge to stop usually arrives early. Sit through it once and the second one is quieter.
• If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.

3 When it ends

• Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.

4What to put on

vinyl crackle — A thin layer of surface noise over nothing much. Just enough texture to stop the room feeling empty.