Routines fail because they are designed for good days. A routine that survives bad days is short, specific, and easy to restart.
Three daily blocks
On school days, pick two 25–30 minute blocks and one 10 minute review. Fix them in the timetable—after dinner, before school, on the bus. If a block slips, run it at half length later that day. The point is continuity.
What to do in blocks
Block A: active recall from yesterday’s prompts. Fast, binary marking.
Block B: new learning compressed into prompts: definitions, examples, single maths questions.
Review: five quick prompts from last week and last month. Stop while it still feels easy.
Friction killers
Put materials where you study. Pre‑write tomorrow’s first three prompts at the end of each session. Use a visible timer. Charge devices elsewhere. These tiny constraints decide whether a routine survives the afternoon slump.
Weekly anchor session
Once a week, run a 60–90 minute session for a past‑paper section. Time it, mark it with the scheme, and add items to a mistake log. The next day, turn the log into ten‑minute drills.
Sunday reset
Spend 15 minutes setting the week: choose block times, pick which prompts you’ll test, and queue one past‑paper section. If you miss a day, don’t catch up—resume with today’s plan.
Term plan in one page
Divide the term into four blocks. Block 1 builds the habit. Block 2 adds weekly past‑paper timing. Block 3 doubles recall volume for weak topics. Block 4 focuses on mixed sections and speed. Keep a one‑page tracker on your wall with boxes to tick; progress should be visible, not abstract.
Handling messy weeks
Expect collisions with sport, travel, and assignments. Keep the slots even if they shrink to ten minutes. The win is maintaining identity: you are someone who keeps the routine. Momentum is a skill.
Measuring progress
Track only two numbers: weekly minutes completed and past‑paper scores. If minutes are steady and scores rise, keep going. If minutes drop, cut scope, not consistency. If scores stall, add a second weekly past‑paper block for a month.
Why it sticks
Short blocks lower friction. The anchor session builds exam skill. The Sunday reset prevents drift. You are never deciding what to do; you are executing a plan that already fits your life.
This routine works because it is light enough to keep. Consistency beats intensity. If the week is heavy, shrink the blocks, don’t cancel them.
