It's been interesting watching myself find my composing process. Things I have found so far:

--It is easiest for me, at least right now, to approach whatever I am working on from many angles--working on one piece or section for anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours, then it feels like the door closes, I feel hopeless for a while, then I go find another door I can open. I may work on two, or six, different pieces/sections/movements in one day. And very rarely in order of the actual piece--I'll write endings first , then work on a beginning, then tweak a sample, etc. It feels like putting together a big puzzle, but without seeing the final picture first.

--I need breaks to refresh and restart myself--today I took a few breaks, five minutes of meditation, five minutes of yoga, a little cleaning. As long as the breaks stay short, this really helps me return to the work freshened and with new eyes. Meditation and yoga both help a lot--meditation, because I come back with a feeling of a slightly altered mind, and yoga because, really anything dealing with my body is useful for the music I am writing.