What do you do to prepare to attempt to do an intellectually taxing task?

Lots of research.
Time to just think about it.
Quiet room.
Set aside good amount of time.
Work in sprints of 20–30 minutes.
10-minute breaks.

Good night’s sleep before the the task !

I turn off the television. Having music on is okay.

I give myself 24 hours to devise a strategy.

I just do it.

I turn off tv or music, and make sure there’s nothing else that has to be taken care of first, like no appts, etc. Then I just go at it until I’m tired or not thinking straight, which usually occur at the same time, at which point I take a break and come back to it fresh.

Good rest. Quiet space. Physical comfort.