Question about Phases 1+2

I wonder if I’ve been doing Phase 1&2 wrong. When I get close to PONR, I stop for the duration of an exhale until I can gain control and then start again. I was just re-reading the guide and it says to stop for 30-60 seconds. Tomorrow will be my last day of Phase 2 (multiple tries, always came accidentally before).

Two questions:

1. is the proper way to stop for a minimum of 30 seconds? Or am I looking for my arousal to drop to a certain level? Or simply stopping so as to not cum?

2. Assuming I succeed tomorrow, can I move on to Phase 3, or does this warrant a repeat?