Everything is urgent and nothing is important — here's what actually works

Reserve specific hours on your calendar for focused work on your most important tasks, and refuse to let interruptions steal that time.

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   Identify your most important task for the week — This is the one task that, if completed, makes everything else easier or less urgent. Write it down. It's your 'One Big Thing'.
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   Block 2-3 hours on your calendar for that task — Use a recurring event called 'Deep Work' or 'Maker Time'. Set it during your peak energy hours — for me that's 9-11 AM. Mark yourself as 'Busy' and turn off notifications.
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   Protect the block like a meeting with your CEO — When someone tries to schedule over it, say 'I have a prior commitment.' If an 'urgent' request comes in, defer it to after the block. Most things can wait 2 hours.
4. 4
   After the block, schedule 15 minutes for interruptions — Call it 'Reactive Time'. Use it to respond to emails, Slack messages, and unexpected requests. This prevents the day from being consumed by other people's priorities.
5. 5
   At the end of the week, review what got done — Compare your completed tasks to your 'One Big Thing'. If the big thing isn't getting done, your blocks are too short or too frequently interrupted. Adjust accordingly.

Identify the 20% of tasks that produce 80% of your results, and focus your energy there instead of spreading it thin.

1. 1
   List your top 10 tasks for the week — Don't include routine tasks like checking email or attending stand-ups. Only include tasks that directly move a project or goal forward.
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   Ask: which 2 of these will drive the most impact? — Consider both short-term results and long-term value. Often the most impactful tasks are also the ones you've been avoiding because they're hard.
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   Move those 2 tasks to the top of your daily block — Schedule them first in your time blocks. Everything else is secondary. If you only get those 2 done, you've had a productive week.
4. 4
   Delegate, defer, or delete the remaining 8 tasks — Be honest: many of those 8 tasks are either busywork, someone else's problem, or things that don't actually need to happen this week.
5. 5
   Repeat this exercise every Sunday evening — Make it a habit. After 3 weeks, you'll start automatically filtering tasks through the 80/20 lens before writing them down.

Group similar tasks — like emails, phone calls, or creative work — into dedicated time slots to minimize the mental cost of switching.

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   Categorize your tasks by type — Common categories: communication (email, Slack, calls), creative (writing, designing, strategizing), administrative (billing, scheduling, organizing), and learning (reading, courses).
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   Assign each category to a specific day or time block — For example: Monday morning = admin, Tuesday afternoon = creative, Wednesday all day = meetings. Or within a day: 9-10 AM = communication, 10-12 PM = deep work.
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   Turn off notifications for all categories except the current one — If you're in your communication block, keep Slack and email open. If you're in creative block, close them completely. Use 'Do Not Disturb' mode.
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   Use a timer to enforce the block length — Set 50 minutes for the category, then take a 10-minute break. During the break, you can check notifications briefly, but don't start a new task type.
5. 5
   Review your batching schedule after one week — Adjust based on what felt natural. Maybe you need two creative blocks per week, or shorter admin blocks. The goal is a rhythm, not a straitjacket.

Eliminate interruptions at their source by silencing notifications and setting clear boundaries with colleagues and family.

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   Turn off all non-essential notifications on your phone and computer — Keep only calls from key contacts (your partner, your boss) and alarms. Everything else — including email, Slack, social media, news — goes silent. You can check them on your own schedule.
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   Set your phone to 'Do Not Disturb' during work hours — On iPhone, use the Focus mode. On Android, use 'Do Not Disturb'. Schedule it to turn on automatically at the start of your work day.
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   Communicate your focus hours to colleagues and family — Send a Slack status: 'Deep work until 11 AM. Will reply to messages after.' Or tell your family: 'I'm unavailable between 9 and 11. Unless the house is on fire, please text me and I'll respond at 11.'
4. 4
   Use a physical signal like a closed door or headphones — If you work in an open office, noise-cancelling headphones are a universal 'do not disturb' sign. At home, a 'recording' sign on your door works wonders.
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   Schedule a 15-minute window to check all notifications — Do this after your focus block ends. Process everything in one batch instead of reacting throughout the day.

Create a written, repeatable process for your most common tasks and decisions so you don't waste mental energy figuring out what to do next.

1. 1
   Identify your 3 most frequent task types — For me: writing client proposals, managing project boards, and responding to support tickets. For you it might be different. Pick the tasks you do at least weekly.
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   Write down the exact steps for each task type — Include templates, checklists, and decision rules. For example: 'When a new support ticket comes in: 1) Read it, 2) If it's a bug, tag it as 'bug' and assign to dev, 3) If it's a feature request, tag it as 'enhancement' and move to backlog.'
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   Store these SOPs in a place you can access quickly — Use a tool like Notion, Evernote, or a physical binder. The key is that you don't have to think about the process — you just follow the steps.
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   Use your SOPs to make decisions faster — When a new task appears, check if it fits one of your SOPs. If yes, execute the SOP without deliberation. This cuts decision fatigue by 50% or more.
5. 5
   Review and update your SOPs monthly — As your work changes, your SOPs should evolve. Set a recurring calendar reminder to review them and remove outdated steps.