Anders Ericsson wrote a great book ‘Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise’. For more than thirty years he’s studied people, the special ones who stand out as experts in their fields—athletes, musicians, chess players, doctors, salespeople, teachers, and more. He delved into the nuts of bolts of what they do and how they do it.
One key aspect is ‘Great Performers’ in all these fields did so in deliberate 90 minute time blocks, 4.5 hours per day on average.
Want to model the greatest performers in the world? Here’s how with 3 key takeaways:
1. Our ability to focus
- You cannot be productive in 5 hours without focus.
- 90 Minutes Reps X 3 – rests in between
- Train your brain. Meditation is a workout for your brain – the research is unequivocal on how good this is for you. Work that muscle!
- Can you turn off email, turn off iPhone (don’t be a rat), turn off WiFi, turn off social media, turn off fantasy football?
- How often can you be singularly focused over the day?
2. Intensity to which we can focus
- Cal Newport ‘Deep Work’ you need 2 Variables (1)TIME X (2)INTENSITY OF FOCUS
- When you are intensely focused in smaller blocks of time you get WAY MORE DONE
- Multi-tasking wipes out large of quantum of time. 27% of your year to be exact according to the ‘The ONE THING’.
- Turn off your email/distractions/notifications you get one month back in your year!
3. DO IT CONSISTENTLY (the hardest part)
- How? Make the decision once then install it as a habit so you don’t have to think about it.
- Create an ‘IF/THEN Algorithms’. (eg If I come to work I’m in proactive mode 1st for 90 mins, if I make 60 calls, if I’m awake then I create) Done.
- How? Figure out your rhythm.
- Creative aka Proactive Work 1st
- Teamwork 2nd
- Monkey work 3rd
- Intensely Focus in 90 Minute Deep Work time blocks.
- THE hardest part – do it consistently.
90 Minutes X 3. No mobile phones, No email, No interruptions.
It’s hard work.
