for the ones whose exam-week panic freezes them
Goal
Use a 2-minute warmup to break exam-week paralysis and slide into a 90-minute deep block.
Source principle
In high-pressure weeks, the 2-minute rule is the on-ramp: start tiny, then ride the momentum into a longer block. : from Atomic Habits by James Clear.
The plan
- ✍️8:00-8:02 AMWrite one flashcard. Just one, two minutes max.
- ➡️8:02-8:04 AMKeep going 2 more min: same task, no scale-up promise.
- 📖8:04-8:10 AMOpen the textbook to the target chapter.
- 🧠8:10-9:40 AMDeep block 1: 90 min, same topic. The flashcard was the on-ramp.
- 💧9:40-9:50 AMBreak: 10 min, water, walk, no screens.
- 📖9:50-11:20 AMDeep block 2: 90 min, same or next topic.
- 🚶11:20-11:30 AMWalk outside, no phone.
- ☕11:30-11:40 AMSnack + water.
- 📓11:40-11:45 AMLog: 'two 90-min blocks via 2-min warmup'.
Reward
Post-block snack + walk outside