Focus session for planning: 45 minutes, a fan or air conditioner, if you have five quiet minutes

1 Before you start

• Turn off notifications for the next block, not just to silent.
• Plan to leave the last two minutes for writing down where to pick up next time.
• Decide now what you will do when the timer ends. Otherwise the decision will eat the first five minutes.
• Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
• Put your phone in another room, or in a drawer you cannot reach without standing up.

2 While the timer runs

• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
• 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.

3 When it ends

• 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.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.

4What to put on

a fan or air conditioner — A constant mechanical hum with no variation. The lack of change is the point — nothing in it asks for your attention.