Reverse the order

Run the same steps backward and ask what breaks or improves. It is a stress test on order dependence: if flipping the sequence changes nothing, order was never the issue, and you should look elsewhere for the real constraint.

Run the same steps backward and ask what breaks or improves. It is a stress test on order dependence: if flipping the sequence changes nothing, order was never the issue, and you should look elsewhere for the real constraint.

Example

Flip your statistics routine: attempt 10 practice problems cold, then read the chapter, then watch the lecture. The reading now answers questions you already feel, which is why your friend moves faster. Order was doing real work, not the materials.