Everything you repeat, written down once.

Build a chapter-by-chapter outline from a premise in about 2 hours. The outline is a map, not a contract. It's meant to change.

1. Premise
2. Three-act skeleton · 20 minutes
3. Chapter list · 30 minutes
4. Break · 10 minutes
5. Chapter one-liners · 30 minutes
6. Check for gaps

Diaphragmatic breathing practice to make running breathing easier, for 10 rounds. Lie on your back with your knees bent, one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Only the bottom hand should move.

1. Inhale · 4 seconds
2. Exhale · 6 seconds

Repeats for 10 rounds

Smoky, deep red West African rice steamed in a slow-cooked pepper and tomato base. Serves 6, in about 1½ hours. Letting the bottom catch a little gives it the prized party-jollof smokiness.

1. Gather the pepper base
2. Gather the pot
3. Blend the base
4. Soften the onion · 5 minutes
5. Fry the tomato paste · 5 minutes
6. Reduce the base · 20 minutes
7. Steam the rice · 30 minutes
8. Check the rice · 10 minutes
9. Rest and fluff · 10 minutes

Planks and side planks that climb from 30 to 60 seconds. About 7 minutes. Squeeze your glutes and push the floor away. If your hips sag, drop to your knees.

1. Forearm plank · 30 seconds
2. Rest · 15 seconds
3. Side plank, left · 30 seconds
4. Side plank, right · 30 seconds
5. Rest · 15 seconds
6. Forearm plank · 45 seconds
7. Rest · 15 seconds
8. Side plank, left · 45 seconds
9. Side plank, right · 45 seconds
10. Rest · 15 seconds
11. Forearm plank · 60 seconds

Three focused passes that turn rough documentation into docs people can follow. About 1 hour. Each pass looks for one kind of problem only.

1. Prepare
2. Accuracy pass · 20 minutes
3. Break · 5 minutes
4. Clarity pass · 15 minutes
5. Scannability pass · 10 minutes
6. Final checks

Miso soup made properly, from a quick homemade dashi. Serves 4, in about 1 hour, mostly soaking.

1. Gather the dashi
2. Gather the soup
3. Soak the kombu · 30 minutes
4. Heat the kombu · 10 minutes
5. Steep the bonito · 3 minutes
6. Strain the dashi
7. Soak the wakame · 5 minutes
8. Warm the tofu · 2 minutes
9. Dissolve the miso
10. Serve

Yogic sleep: deep rest lying down, guided by your own attention. About 15 minutes. Lie on your back with a blanket over you. The aim is to stay just on the edge of sleep.

1. Settle · 60 seconds
2. Set a sankalpa · 60 seconds
3. Rotate through the body · 5 minutes
4. Breath awareness · 3 minutes
5. Opposite sensations · 2 minutes
6. Visualise · 2 minutes
7. Repeat your sankalpa · 60 seconds

Take an illustration from thumbnail to clean line art in about 1¾ hours.

1. Gather reference
2. Thumbnails · 10 minutes
3. Rough sketch · 20 minutes
4. Fresh eyes · 5 minutes
5. Refine · 20 minutes
6. Inks · 30 minutes
7. Save

A Tibetan compassion practice: breathing in others' pain and breathing out relief. About 10 minutes. You're not actually taking on anyone's suffering. You're training your heart to stay open to it instead of turning away.

1. Settle · 60 seconds
2. Texture · 2 minutes
3. For yourself · 2 minutes
4. For someone you know · 3 minutes
5. For everyone · 2 minutes

The 10-20-30 method: easy, moderate, then all out, back to back, for 5 rounds. Works for running, cycling or rowing. Warm up for 10 minutes first. For a longer session, rest 2 minutes and play it again.

1. Easy · 30 seconds
2. Moderate · 20 seconds
3. Sprint · 10 seconds

Repeats for 5 rounds

Charred, marinated chicken in a rich tomato and butter sauce. Serves 4, in about 1½ hours. Serve with basmati rice or naan.

1. Gather the marinade
2. Gather the sauce
3. Marinate the chicken · 30 minutes
4. Char the chicken · 8 minutes
5. Soften the onion · 8 minutes
6. Toast the aromatics · 60 seconds
7. Simmer the tomatoes · 15 minutes
8. Blend the sauce
9. Simmer with cream · 10 minutes
10. Finish and serve

Build up to your first strict pull-up, for 4 rounds. Do this two or three times a week. Once you can do 5 slow negatives, try a full pull-up at the start of each session.

1. Dead hang · 30 seconds
2. Rest · 30 seconds
3. Scapular pulls
4. Negative pull-ups
5. Rest · 1.5 minutes
6. Inverted rows
7. Round rest · 1.5 minutes

Repeats for 4 rounds

Eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce, served straight from the pan. Serves 4, in about 35 minutes. Have plenty of bread ready for mopping up.

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Soften the onion and pepper · 10 minutes
3. Toast the spices · 60 seconds
4. Simmer the sauce · 10 minutes
5. Poach the eggs · 6 minutes
6. Serve

Hold four balancing poses on each side to build steadiness and focus. About 8 minutes. Fix your gaze on a single point that isn't moving. Wobbling is part of it.

1. Tree pose, right · 45 seconds
2. Tree pose, left · 45 seconds
3. Eagle pose, right · 30 seconds
4. Eagle pose, left · 30 seconds
5. Dancer pose, right · 30 seconds
6. Dancer pose, left · 30 seconds
7. Half moon, right · 30 seconds
8. Half moon, left · 30 seconds
9. Mountain pose · 60 seconds

Turn a cup of tea into a ten-minute meditation, inspired by the Japanese tea ceremony. No phone, no book: just you and the cup.

1. Prepare
2. Look · 60 seconds
3. Smell · 30 seconds
4. First sip · 60 seconds
5. Drink slowly · 6 minutes
6. Reflect · 30 seconds