Every round starts with a buy phase. You check what you have, decide what you need, and commit before the clock runs out. I started treating my mornings the same way.

Before I open any messages, I write three things on a sticky note: the one thing I must finish, the one thing I’d like to finish, and the one thing I’m ignoring on purpose. That last one matters more than it sounds.

Then I make coffee and start. No inbox until the first task is done.

Some days it falls apart anyway, and that’s fine. A bad round doesn’t mean a lost match. You just buy again and go.