Page 101 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

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are in a high-pressure test-taking situation. Time after time, top performers in
fields as different as surgery and computer programming deliberately seek
coaches who place them under stress by challenging them and driving them to
perform better. 8

Focusing on process, not product, is important in avoiding procrastination. It is the consistent,
daily time you spend getting into the flow of your studies that matters most. Focus on doing a
Pomodoro—a twenty-five-minute timed work session—not on completing a task. In a
similar way, notice how, in this picture, physicist and surfer dude Garret Lisi is focused on the
moment—not on the accomplishment of having surfed a wave.

When you first try using the Pomodoro, you will probably be amazed at how

often the urge arises to take a quick peek at something non-work-related. But at
the same time, you will also be pleased at how easy it is to catch yourself and
turn your attention back to your work. Twenty-five minutes is such a brief period
that almost any adult or near-adult can focus his attention for that long. And
when you are done, you can lean back and savor the feeling of accomplishment.

START!