Focus session for design work: 90 minutes, distant traffic, when you are not in the mood

1 Before you start

• Put the thing you keep reaching for out of arm's reach.
• Tell yourself the goal is time spent, not output produced.
• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• If you are dreading it, make the first action physical: open the file, sharpen the pencil.
• Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.

2 While the timer runs

• When the timer feels too long, look at it less. The clock is not the task.
• If you are bored, the boredom is usually the last thing before something clicks.
• If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
• If you start tidying your desk, that is avoidance. Sit back down.

3 When it ends

• Have a drink of water before you check anything.
• Note what you actually got done, not what you meant to get done.
• Put the notes you made where you will find them next time.

4What to put on

distant traffic — A low continuous wash from a road you are not on. Familiar and easy to stop hearing.