Don’t overdo it

Research suggests a knowledge worker should spend four hours of deep creative, highly productive work per day.

How many hours do you currently dedicate to deep work? Look at your calendar and count the hours spent in deep work.

If you have too many hours, t...

You can work productively in a creative way for only a certain number of hours per day. Even then, you need proper sleep, nutrition, and exercise for more energy and better focus.

Also consider your family, friends, coworkers, and clients, who count on you and your good health.

Check email only at set points during the day. 

• you may decide that you'll only check your email before lunch, and at the end of the day.
• you can also reserve time to read and respond to email after a long period of focused work, or at the time of day when your energy and c...