Consistently picking the same space for focused work will condition your brain to enter the right state of mind.

For any focused work session, we should prevent the distractions we can control.

• A good ritual should be accessible most of the time you plan to work. If you focus best in a library, but it is closed on weekends when you need it, it is not a good ritual.
• It should assist with getting into work, not adding steps that tu...

Anxiety is a cause of procrastination. You feel your upcoming work will be difficult, so you find a way to distract yourself.

Keep a time log of when you do focused work throughout the day. It makes focus more noteworthy than the feeling of being busy all day.

Wearing headphones can block out some of the ambient sounds and create a subtle barrier to being interrupted.

The sign needn't be real - signaling to people you're going to do some focused work is enough.