Everything you repeat, written down once.

Shatteringly crisp outside, fluffy inside. Serves 4, in about 1¼ hours. A little bicarb in the water roughs up the surface for extra crunch.

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Heat the fat
3. Parboil · 10 minutes
4. Steam dry and rough up · 2 minutes
5. First roast · 20 minutes
6. Turn and roast again · 25 minutes
7. Season and serve

Low-impact, no-jumping cardio that won't annoy the neighbours, for 4 rounds. Move with purpose: the effort comes from speed and range, not impact.

1. Fast march · 45 seconds
2. Step jacks · 45 seconds
3. Standing knee drives · 45 seconds
4. Squat to calf raise · 45 seconds
5. Speed skaters, low impact · 45 seconds
6. Round rest · 30 seconds

Repeats for 4 rounds

An Indian street-style omelette with onion, tomato, chilli and coriander. Serves 1, in 10 minutes. Serve with buttered toast or a paratha.

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Mix
3. Cook the first side · 2 minutes
4. Flip and finish · 60 seconds

Outline what you actually wrote, not what you meant to, to find structural problems fast. About 50 minutes.

1. Number the paragraphs
2. Summarise each one · 30 minutes
3. Label the jobs · 10 minutes
4. Spot the problems

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

Four moves in Tabata timing, 20 seconds on and 10 off, for 2 rounds: 8 intervals in all. Warm up for 5 minutes first.

1. Burpees · 20 seconds
2. Rest · 10 seconds
3. Mountain climbers · 20 seconds
4. Rest · 10 seconds
5. Squat jumps · 20 seconds
6. Rest · 10 seconds
7. Push-ups · 20 seconds
8. Rest · 10 seconds

Repeats for 2 rounds

Five fully supported poses to wind down before bed, about 25 minutes. Gather a bolster or a couple of firm pillows, a yoga block or a thick book, and a blanket. Every pose should feel completely effortless.

1. Supported child's pose · 5 minutes
2. Supported bridge · 5 minutes
3. Supported bound angle · 5 minutes
4. Legs up the wall · 5 minutes
5. Savasana · 5 minutes

Crisp romaine, garlicky croutons and a punchy anchovy dressing made from scratch. Serves 4, in about 25 minutes.

1. Gather the dressing
2. Gather the salad
3. Bake the croutons · 10 minutes
4. Make the paste
5. Emulsify the dressing
6. Prepare the lettuce
7. Toss and serve

The original Tabata protocol: 20 seconds all out, 10 seconds rest, for 8 rounds. Only four minutes, but it should be very hard. Warm up properly first with a few minutes of easy movement.

1. Squat jumps · 20 seconds
2. Rest · 10 seconds

Repeats for 8 rounds

From raw footage to a watchable rough cut in about 2½ hours. Story first. No colour, music or effects until the cut works.

1. Ingest
2. Selects · 30 minutes
3. Assembly · 40 minutes
4. Break · 10 minutes
5. Tighten · 30 minutes
6. Watch it through

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

The Roman way: guanciale, eggs, pecorino and pepper, with no cream. Serves 2, in about 25 minutes. Put a pot of salted water on to boil before you start.

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Whisk the eggs
3. Render the guanciale · 8 minutes
4. Boil the spaghetti · 9 minutes
5. Temper the eggs
6. Toss it together
7. Serve

Three 25-minute sprints for when the house finally goes quiet, for 3 rounds. Before you start, reread only the last paragraph you wrote. Nothing more, or you'll start editing.

1. Sprint · 25 minutes
2. Log your words
3. Break · 5 minutes

Repeats for 3 rounds

The opening of Joseph Pilates' classical mat order. About 12 minutes. Move with control, not momentum. Draw your belly in and breathe deeply throughout.

1. The Hundred · 1.7 minutes
2. Roll-up
3. Single leg circles
4. Rolling like a ball
5. Single leg stretch · 45 seconds
6. Double leg stretch · 45 seconds
7. Spine stretch forward

A juicy, crisp-skinned Sunday roast chicken with a quick pan gravy. Serves 4, in about 2¾ hours, including salting.

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Dry brine · 60 minutes
3. Bring to room temperature · 30 minutes
4. Butter the chicken
5. Roast hot · 20 minutes
6. Roast low · 50 minutes
7. Rest · 15 minutes
8. Make the gravy · 3 minutes
9. Carve and serve