Aportionofthisbookincludestheauthors’thoughtsondietandexercise.Itissuppliedforinformationalpurposesonlyandisnotmeanttotaketheplaceofadoctor’sadvice.Beforeembarkingonanyregimenofdietandexerciseyoushouldfirstconsultyourownphysician.

Copyright©2018byJohnKnappandJohnZeratskyAllrightsreserved.PublishedintheUnitedStatesbyCurrency,animprintoftheCrownPublishingGroup,adivisionofPenguinRandomHouseLLC,NewYork.crownpublishing.com

CURRENCYanditscolophonaretrademarksofPenguinRandomHouseLLC.

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataNames:Knapp,Jake,author.|Zeratsky,John(Productdesigner),author.Title:Maketime:howtofocusonwhatmatterseveryday.Description:NewYork:Currency,[2018]|Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.Identifiers:LCCN2017059817|ISBN9780525572428Subjects:LCSH:Timemanagement.|Work-lifebalance.|Self-realization.Classification:LCCBF637.T5K632018|DDC650.1/1—dc23LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2017059817

ISBN 9780525572428EbookISBN 9780525572435

IllustrationsbyJakeKnapp(withLukeKnappandFlynnKnapp)CoverdesignbyZakTebbalCoverphotograph:(iPhone)RafaelFernandez/WikimediaCommonsv5.3.2a

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTIONMostofOurTimeIsSpentbyDefault

MeettheTimeDorks

TheBackstory,Part1:TheDistraction-FreeiPhone

TheBackstory,Part2:OurDorkyQuesttoMakeTime

FourLessonsfromtheDesignSprintLaboratory

HOWMAKETIMEWORKSMakeTimeIsJustFourSteps,RepeatedEveryDay

Highlight:StartEachDaybyChoosingaFocalPoint

Laser:BeatDistractiontoMakeTimeforYourHighlight

Energize:UsetheBodytoRechargetheBrain

Reflect:AdjustandImproveYourSystem

TheMakeTimeTactics:Pick,Test,Repeat

NoPerfectionRequired

The“Everyday”Mindset

TheMissingMonths

WhatWillBetheHighlightofYourDay?

ThreeWaystoPickYourHighlight

TrustYourGuttoChoosetheBestHighlight

CHOOSEYOURHIGHLIGHT1. WriteItDown

2. GroundhogIt(or,“DoYesterdayAgain”)

3. StackRankYourLife

4. BatchtheLittleStuff

5. TheMight-DoList

6. TheBurnerList

7. RunaPersonalSprint

MAKETIMEFORYOURHIGHLIGHT8. ScheduleYourHighlight

9. BlockYourCalendar

10. BulldozeYourCalendar

11. FlakeItTillYouMakeIt

12. JustSayNo

13. DesignYourDay

14. BecomeaMorningPerson

15. NighttimeIsHighlightTime

16. QuitWhenYou’reDone

ALoveAffairwithEmail

RedesigningYouTube

WhyInfinityPoolsAreSoHardtoResist

Don’tWaitforTechnologytoGiveBackYourTime

CreateBarrierstoDistraction

BETHEBOSSOFYOURPHONE17. TryaDistraction-FreePhone

18. LogOut

19. NixNotifications

20. ClearYourHomescreen

21. WearaWristwatch

22. LeaveDevicesBehind

STAYOUTOFINFINITYPOOLS23. SkiptheMorningCheck-In

24. BlockDistractionKryptonite

25. IgnoretheNews

26. PutYourToysAway

27. FlyWithoutWi-Fi

28. PutaTimerontheInternet

29. CanceltheInternet

30. WatchOutforTimeCraters

31. TradeFakeWinsforRealWins

32. TurnDistractionsintoTools

33. BecomeaFair-WeatherFan

SLOWYOURINBOX34. DealwithEmailattheEndoftheDay

35. ScheduleEmailTime

36. EmptyYourInboxOnceaWeek

37. PretendMessagesAreLetters

38. BeSlowtoRespond

39. ResetExpectations

40. SetUpSend-OnlyEmail

41. VacationOfftheGrid

42. LockYourselfOut

MAKETVA“SOMETIMESTREAT”43. Don’tWatchtheNews

44. PutYourTVintheCorner

45. DitchYourTVforaProjector

46. GoàlaCarteInsteadofAll-You-Can-Eat

47. IfYouLoveSomething,SetItFree

FINDFLOW48. ShuttheDoor

49. InventaDeadline

50. ExplodeYourHighlight

51. PlayaLaserSoundTrack

52. SetaVisibleTimer

53. AvoidtheLureofFancyTools

54. StartonPaper

STAYINTHEZONE55. Makea“RandomQuestion”List

56. NoticeOneBreath

57. BeBored

58. BeStuck

59. TakeaDayOff

60. GoAllIn

YouAreMoreThanaBrain

YouAwakentotheRoarofaSaber-ToothedTiger

TheModernLifestyleIsanAccident

ActLikeaCavemantoBuildEnergy

KEEPITMOVING61. ExerciseEveryDay(butDon’tBeaHero)

62. PoundthePavement

63. InconvenienceYourself

64. SqueezeinaSuperShortWorkout

EATREALFOOD65. EatLikeaHunter-Gatherer

66. CentralParkYourPlate

67. StayHungry

68. SnackLikeaToddler

69. GoontheDarkChocolatePlan

OPTIMIZECAFFEINE70. WakeUpBeforeYouCaffeinate

71. CaffeinateBeforeYouCrash

72. TakeaCaffeineNap

73. MaintainAltitudewithGreenTea

74. TurboYourHighlight

75. LearnYourLastCall

76. DisconnectSugar

GOOFFTHEGRID77. GetWoodsy

78. TrickYourselfintoMeditating

79. LeaveYourHeadphonesatHome

80. TakeRealBreaks

MAKEITPERSONAL81. SpendTimewithYourTribe

82. EatWithoutScreens

SLEEPINACAVE83. MakeYourBedroomaBedRoom

84. FaketheSunset

85. SneakaNap

86. Don’tJet-LagYourself

87. PutOnYourOwnOxygenMaskFirst

Fine-TuneYourDayswiththeScientificMethod

TakeNotestoTrackYourResults(andKeepYouHonest)

SmallShiftsCreateBigResults

“QUICKSTART”GUIDETOMAKETIME

SAMPLEAGENDAS

FURTHERREADINGFORTIMEDORKS

SHAREYOURTACTICS,FINDRESOURCES,ANDGETINTOUCH

THANK-YOUNOTES

ILLUSTRATIONCREDITS

MAKETIMETESTREADERS

INTRODUCTION

Thisishowpeopletalknowadays:

Andthisishowourcalendarslook:

Allday,ourphonesneverstop:

Andbyevening,we’realmosttootiredforNetflix:

Doyoueverlookbackandwonder“WhatdidIreallydotoday?”Doyoueverdaydream about projects and activities you’ll get to someday—but “someday”nevercomes?

Thisisabookaboutslowingdownthecrazyrush.It’saboutmakingtimeforthingsthatmatter.Webelieveit’spossible tofeel lessbusy,belessdistracted,andenjoythepresentmomentmore.Maybethatsoundsalittlehippy-dippy,butwe’reserious.Make Time is not about productivity. It’s not about getting more done,

finishingyour to-dos faster,oroutsourcingyour life. Instead, it’sa frameworkdesigned tohelpyouactuallycreatemore time in yourday for the thingsyoucareabout,whetherthat’sspendingtimewithyourfamily,learningalanguage,startingasidebusiness,volunteering,writinganovel,ormasteringMarioKart.Whateveryouwanttimefor,wethinkMakeTimecanhelpyougetit.Momentbymomentanddaybyday,youcanmakeyourlifeyourown.Wewanttostartbytalkingaboutwhylifeissobusyandchaoticthesedays.

Andwhy, ifyou feel constantly stressedanddistracted, it’sprobablynotyourfault.In the twenty-first century, two very powerful forces compete for every

minuteofyourtime.Thefirst iswhatwecall theBusyBandwagon.TheBusyBandwagon is our culture of constant busyness—the overflowing inboxes,stuffed calendars, and endless to-do lists. According to the Busy Bandwagonmindset,ifyouwanttomeetthedemandsofthemodernworkplaceandfunctionin modern society, you must fill every minute with productivity. After all,

everyoneelseisbusy.Ifyouslowdown,you’llfallbehindandnevercatchup.ThesecondforcecompetingforyourtimeiswhatwecalltheInfinityPools.

Infinity Pools are apps and other sources of endlessly replenishing content. Ifyoucanpull torefresh, it’sanInfinityPool.If itstreams, it’sanInfinityPool.This always-available, always-new entertainment is your reward for theexhaustionofconstantbusyness.But is constant busyness really mandatory? Is endless distraction really a

reward?Orarewealljuststuckonautopilot?

MostofOurTimeIsSpentbyDefaultBoth forces—the Busy Bandwagon and the Infinity Pools—are powerfulbecause they’ve become our defaults. In technology lingo, default means thewaysomethingworkswhenyoufirststartusingit.It’sapreselectedoption,andifyoudon’tdosomethingtochangeit,thatdefaultiswhatyouget.Forexample,ifyoubuyanewphone,bydefaultyougetemailandWebbrowserappsonthehomescreen. By default, you get a notification for every new message. Thephonehasadefaultwallpaper imageandadefault ring tone.All theseoptionshavebeenpreselectedbyApple orGoogle orwhoevermadeyour phone; youcanchangethesettingsifyouwantto,butit takeswork,somanydefaultsjuststick.Therearedefaults innearlyeverypartofour lives.It’snot justourdevices;

our workplaces and our culture have built-in defaults that make busy anddistracted the normal, typical state of affairs. These standard settings areeverywhere.Nobodyeverlookedatanemptycalendarandsaid,“Thebestwayto spend this time is to cram it full of randommeetings!”Nobody ever said,“Themost important thing today is everybody else’s whims!” Of course not.Thatwould be crazy.But because of defaults, it’s exactlywhatwe do. In theoffice,everymeetingdefaults to thirtyorsixtyminuteseven if thebusinessathandactually requiresonly aquick chat.Bydefault otherpeople choosewhatgoesonourcalendars,andbydefaultwe’reexpected tobeokaywithback-to-back-to-backmeetings. The rest of ourwork defaults to email andmessagingsystems, and by default we check our inboxes constantly and reply-allimmediately.Reacttowhat’sinfrontofyou.Beresponsive.Fillyourtime,beefficient,and

getmoredone.ThesearethedefaultrulesoftheBusyBandwagon.

Whenwe tearourselvesawayfromtheBusyBandwagon, the InfinityPoolsarereadytolureusin.WhiletheBusyBandwagondefaultstoendlesstasks,theInfinityPoolsdefaulttoendlessdistraction.Ourphones,laptops,andtelevisionsare filledwithgames, social feeds, andvideos.Everything is atour fingertips,irresistible,evenaddictive.Everybumpoffrictionissmoothedaway.RefreshFacebook.BrowseYouTube.Keepuponthenonstopbreakingnews,

play Candy Crush, binge-watch HBO. These are the defaults behind theravenous Infinity Pools, devouring every scrap of time the Busy Bandwagonleavesbehind.Withtheaveragepersonspendingfour-plushoursadayontheirsmartphoneandanotherfour-plushourswatchingTVshows,distractionisquiteliterallyafull-timejob.

There you are in the middle, pulled in opposite directions by the BusyBandwagonandtheInfinityPools.Butwhataboutyou?Whatdoyouwantfromyourdaysandfromyour life?Whatwouldhappen ifyoucouldoverride thesedefaultsandcreateyourown?Willpower isn’t the way out. We’ve tried to resist the siren song of these

forcesourselves, andweknowhow impossible it canbe.Wealso spentyearsworking in the technology industry,andweunderstand theseapps,games,anddeviceswellenoughtoknowthattheyeventuallywillwearyoudown.Productivityisn’tthesolution,either.We’vetriedtoshavetimeoffchoresand

cram inmore to-dos.The trouble is, there are alwaysmore tasks and requestswaitingtotaketheirplace.Thefasteryourunonthehamsterwheel,thefasteritspins.Butthereisawaytofreeyourattentionfromthosecompetingdistractionsand

takebackcontrolofyourtime.That’swherethisbookcomesin.MakeTimeisaframeworkforchoosingwhatyouwanttofocuson,buildingtheenergytodoit,andbreakingthedefaultcyclesothatyoucanstartbeingmoreintentionalaboutthe way you live your life. Even if you don’t completely control your ownschedule—andfewofusdo—youabsolutelycancontrolyourattention.We want to help you set your own defaults. With new habits and new

mindsets,youcanstopreacting to themodernworldandstartactivelymakingtimeforthepeopleandactivitiesthatmattertoyou.Thisisn’taboutsavingtime.It’saboutmakingtimeforwhatmatters.Theideasinthisbookcangiveyouspaceinyourcalendar,inyourbrain,and

inyourdays.Thatspacecanbringclarityandcalmtoeverydaylife.Itcancreateopportunitiestostartnewhobbiesorgettothat“someday”project.Alittlespaceinyourlifemightevenunlockcreativeenergyyoulostorneverfoundinthefirstplace.Butbeforeweget intoallof that,we’dliketoexplainwhotheheckweare,whywe’re so obsessedwith time and energy, and howwe came upwithMakeTime.

MeettheTimeDorksWeare Jake and JZ.1We are not rocket-building billionaires likeElonMusk,handsomeRenaissancemen likeTimFerriss, or genius executives like SherylSandberg.Most time-management advice iswritten by or about superhumans,butyouwillfindnosuperhumanityinthesepages.We’renormal,falliblehumanbeingswhogetstressedoutanddistractedjustlikeeveryoneelse.What makes our perspective unusual is that we’re product designers who

spentyearsinthetechindustryhelpingtobuildserviceslikeGmail,YouTube,and Google Hangouts. As designers, our job was to turn abstract ideas (like“Wouldn’titbecoolifemailsorteditself?”)intoreal-lifesolutions(likeGmail’sPriorityInbox).Wehadtounderstandhowtechnologyfitsinto—andchanges—daily life. This experience gives us insight into why Infinity Pools are socompelling,andhowtopreventthemfromtakingover.Afewyearsago,we realizedwecouldapplydesign tosomething invisible:

howwe spent our time.But instead of startingwith a technology or businessopportunity, we started with the most meaningful projects and the mostimportantpeopleinourlives.Eachday,wetriedtomakealittletimeforourownpersonaltoppriority.We

questioned thedefaultsof theBusyBandwagonand redesignedour to-do listsandcalendars.Wequestioned thedefaultsof the InfinityPoolsandredesignedhowandwhenweusedtechnology.Wedon’thavelimitlesswillpower,soeveryredesign had to be easy to use. We couldn’t erase every obligation, so weworked with constraints. We experimented, failed, and succeeded, and, overtime,welearned.In this book,we’ll share the principles and tacticswe’ve discovered, along

withmanytalesofourhumanerrorsanddorkysolutions.Wethought thisonewasagoodplacetostart:

TheBackstory,Part1:TheDistraction-FreeiPhone

Jake

Itwas2012,andmy twosonswereplayingwithawooden train in

ourlivingroom.Luke(age:eight)wasdiligentlyassemblingthetrackwhileFlynn(age:baby)drooledonalocomotive.ThenLukepickedhisheadupandsaid:

His questionwasn’t intended tomakeme feel bad; hewas justcurious.But I didn’t haveagoodanswer. Imean, sure, therewasprobablysomeexcuseforcheckingmyemail rightat thatmoment.But not a great one.All day, I’d been looking forward to spendingtimewithmy kids, and now that it was finally happening, I wasn’treallythereatall.

At that moment, something clicked. It wasn’t just that I hadsuccumbedtoonemomentofdistraction—Ihadabiggerproblem.

Everyday,Irealized,Iwasreacting:tomycalendar,toincomingemail, to the infinite streamof new stuff on the Internet.Momentswith my family were slipping past me, and for what? So I couldansweronemoremessageorcheckoffanotherto-do?

TherealizationwasfrustratingbecauseIwasalreadytryingtofindbalance.WhenLukewasborn in2003, I’dsetoutonamission tobecomemoreproductiveatworksothatIcouldspendmorequality

timeathome.

By 2012, I considered myself a master of productivity andefficiency.Ikeptreasonablehoursandwashomeintimefordinnerevery night. This was what work/life balance looked like, or so Ibelieved.

Butifthatwasthecase,whywasmyeight-year-oldsoncallingmeoutforbeingdistracted?IfIwassoontopofthingsatwork,whydidIalwaysfeelsobusyandscattered?IfIstartedthemorningwithtwohundred emails and got to zero by midnight, was that really asuccessfulday?

Thenithitme:Beingmoreproductivedidn’tmeanIwasdoingthemost importantwork; itonlymeant Iwasreactingtootherpeople’sprioritiesfaster.

As a result of being constantly online, I wasn’t present enoughwithmychildren.AndIwasperpetuallyputtingoffmybig“someday”goal of writing a book. In fact, I’d procrastinated for years withouttypingsomuchasapage.I’dbeentoobusytreadingwaterinaseaof other people’s emails, other people’s status updates, andsnapshotsofotherpeople’slunch.

I wasn’t just disappointed inmyself, I was pissed off. In a fit ofirritation, I grabbed my phone and furiously uninstalled Twitter,Facebook, and Instagram. As each icon disappeared from myhomescreen,Ifeltaweightlift.

ThenIstaredattheGmailappandgrittedmyteeth.Atthattime,IhadajobatGoogle,andI’dspentyearsworkingontheGmailteam.IlovedGmail.ButIknewwhatIhadtodo.Icanstillrememberthemessage that popped up on the screen asking me, almost indisbelief,ifIwassureIwantedtoremovetheapp.Iswallowedhardandtapped“Delete.”

Withoutmyapps, Iexpectedto feelanxietyand isolation.And inthe days after that, I did notice a change. But I wasn’t stressed;instead,Ifeltrelief.Ifeltfree.

IstoppedreflexivelyreachingformyiPhoneattheslightesthintofboredom. Time with my kids slowed down in a good way. “Holysmokes,” I thought. “If the iPhonewasn’tmakingmehappier,whatabouteverythingelse?”

I lovedmy iPhoneandall the futuristicpowers itgaveme.But Ialso had accepted every default that came with those powers,leavingme constantly tethered to the shiny device inmypocket. Istarted wondering how many other parts of my life needed to bereexamined, reset, and redesigned. What other defaults was Iacceptingblindly,andhowcouldItakecharge?

Soonaftermy iPhoneexperiment I tookanewjob. ItwasstillatGoogle, only now I worked at Google Ventures, a venture-capitalfirmthatinvestedmoneyinoutsidestartups.

Thefirstdaythere,ImetaguynamedJohnZeratsky.

At first, I wanted to dislike him. John is younger and—let’s behonest—better-looking than Iam.Evenmoredespicable,however,was his constant calm. John was never stressed. He completedimportantworkaheadofscheduleyetsomehowfoundtimeforsideprojects.Hewoke early, finishedwork early,went homeearly.Hewasalwayssmiling.Whatthehellwashisdeal?

Well,IendedupgettingalongjustfinewithJohn,orasIcallhim,JZ. I soon discovered he was a kindred spirit—my brother fromanothermother,ifyouwill.

Likeme,JZwasdisillusionedwiththeBusyBandwagon.Webothlovedtechnologyandhadspentyearsdesigningtechservices(whileIwasatGmail,hewasatYouTube).ButwewerebothbeginningtounderstandthecostoftheseInfinityPoolstoourattentionandtime.

And likeme, JZwasonamission to do somethingabout it.Hewaskindof likeObi-WanKenobiabout thisstuff,only insteadofarobe, heworeplaid shirts and jeans, and insteadof theForce, hewas interested in what he called “the system.” It was almostmystical. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but he believed itexisted: a simple framework for avoiding distractions, maintainingenergy,andmakingmoretime.

Iknow;itsoundedkindofweirdtome,too.Butthemorehetalkedaboutwhatsuchasystemcould look like, themore I foundmyself

nodding my head. JZ was way into ancient human history andevolutionary psychology, andhe saw that part of theproblemwasrooted in the huge disconnect between our hunter-gatherer rootsand our crazy modern world. He looked through the lens of aproduct designer and figured this “system” would work only if itchangedourdefaults,makingdistractionsharder toaccess insteadofrelyingonwillpowertoconstantlyfightthem.

Well,heck, I thought. Ifwecouldcreate thissystem, itwouldbeexactlywhatIwaslookingfor.SoIteamedupwithJZ,andthequestbegan.

TheBackstory,Part2:OurDorkyQuesttoMakeTime

JZ

Jake’sdistraction-freeiPhonewasabitextreme,andIadmitIdidn’ttry it rightaway.Butonce Idid, I loved it.So the twoofusbegansearching for other redesigns—ways to switch our default settingfrom“distracted”to“focused.”

Istarted reading thenewsonlyonceaweekand reprogrammedmy sleep schedule to become a morning person. I experimentedwitheatingsixsmallmealsadayandthentriedeatingjusttwolargeones. I adopteddifferent exercise regimens, fromdistance runningtoyogaclassestodailypush-ups.Ievenpersuadedmyprogrammerfriends to build me customized to-do-list apps. Meanwhile, Jakespent a full year tracking his daily energy levels in a spreadsheet,

trying to understand whether he should drink coffee or green tea,whetherheshouldexerciseinthemorningortheevening,andevenwhetherhelikedbeingaroundpeople(theanswer:yes…mostly).

We learned a lot from this obsessive behavior, but we wereinterestedinmorethanjustwhatworkedforus;westillbelievedintheideaofasystemthatanyonecouldtailortotheirownlife.Tofindit,we’dneedsomehuman testsubjectsbesidesourselves,andasluckwouldhaveit,wehadtheperfectlaboratory.

While working at Google, Jake created something he called a“design sprint”: basically a workweek redesigned from the groundup. For five days, a teamwould cancel allmeetings and focus onsolvingasingleproblem,followingaspecificchecklistofactivities.Itwas our first effort at designing time rather than products, and itworked—thedesignsprintquicklyspreadacrossGoogle.

In 2012, we started working together to run design sprints withstartups in theGoogleVenturesportfolio.Over thenext fewyears,weranmore than150of these five-daysprints.Nearlya thousandpeople participated: programmers, nutritionists, CEOs, baristas,farmers,andmore.

For a couple of Time Dorks, the whole thing was an amazingopportunity.Wehadthechancetoredesigntheworkweekandlearnfromhundredsofhigh-performingteamsatstartupsincludingSlack,Uber,and23andMe.ManyoftheprinciplesbehindMakeTimewereinspiredbywhatwediscoveredinthosesprints.

FourLessonsfromtheDesignSprintLaboratoryThefirstthingwelearnedwasthatsomethingmagichappenswhenyoustartthedaywithonehigh-prioritygoal.Eachsprintday,wedrewattentiontoone

bigfocalpoint:OnMonday,theteamcreatesamapoftheproblem;onTuesday,eachpersonsketchesonesolution;onWednesday, theydecidewhichsolutionsarebest;onThursday, theybuildaprototype;andonFriday, theytest it.Eachday’sgoalisambitious,butit’sjustonething.Thisfocalpointcreatesclarityandmotivation.Whenyouhaveoneambitious

butachievablegoal,attheendoftheday,you’redone.Youcancheckitoff,letgoofwork,andgohomesatisfied.Anotherlessonfromourdesignsprintswasthatwegotmoredonewhenwe

banneddevices. Sincewe set the rules,wewere able to prohibit laptops andsmartphones,and thedifferencewasphenomenal.Without theconstant lureofemail and other Infinity Pools, people brought their complete attention to thetaskathand,andthedefaultswitchedtofocus.We also learned about the importance of energy for focused work and

clearthinking.Whenwefirststartedrunningdesignsprints,teamsworkedlonghours,fueledbysugarytreats.Lateintheweek,energywouldplummet.Sowemade adjustments, and saw how things like a healthy lunch, a quick walk,frequent breaks, and a slightly shorter workday helpedmaintain peak energy,resultinginbetterandmoreeffectivework.Lastly, these experiments taught us the power of, well, experiments.

Experimentingallowedus to improve theprocess, and seeing the results ofourchangesfirsthandgaveusadeepconfidencethatwenevercouldhavebuiltjustbyreadingaboutsomeoneelse’sresults.Oursprintsrequiredawholeteamandawholeweek,butwecouldseeright

away that there was no reason individuals couldn’t redesign their days in asimilarway.ThelessonswelearnedbecamethefoundationforMakeTime.Ofcourse,itwasn’tayellowbrickroadtoperfection.Westillgotsweptupin

theBusyBandwagonandsuckedintotheInfinityPoolsofdistractionnowandagain. Although some of our tactics turned into habits, others sputtered andfailed. But taking stock of our results each day helped us understandwhy wetripped up. And this experimental approach also allowed us to be kinder toourselves when we made mistakes—after all, every mistake was just a datapoint,andwecouldalwaystryagaintomorrow.Despite our stumbles, Make Time was resilient. We found ourselves with

more energy and headspace thanwe’d ever had, andwewere able to take onbigger projects: the kinds of “someday” things we’d never been able to getaroundtobefore.

Jake

Iwantedtostartwritingintheevenings,butrealizedthatthelureofwatching TV was a big problem. So I experimented and made aseriouschangetomydefaults,puttingtheDVDplayerintheclosetand unsubscribing from Netflix. With the freed-up time, I startedworking on an adventure novel, and I stuck with it, pausing onlywhenwewroteourbookSprint.WritingwassomethingI’dwantedtodosinceIwasakid,andmakingtimeforitfeltawesome.

JZ

For years, my wife, Michelle, and I had dreamed of taking longsailing trips together. So we bought an old sailboat and startedspendingourweekends fixing it up.Weapplied thesame tacticofchoosing one daily task and putting time on the calendar to get itdone and as a result made time to learn about diesel enginemaintenance,electricity,andoceannavigation.Togetherwe’venowsailed from San Francisco to Southern California, Mexico, andbeyond.

WeweresoexcitedaboutourresultsthatwestartedbloggingabouttheMakeTimetechniques thatworkedforus.Hundredsof thousandsofpeopleread theposts,andmanyofthosereaderswrotetous.Ofcourse,someofthemwantedtoinformus thatwe’re self-righteousmorons, but the vastmajority of responseswereinspiringandawesome.Peopleexperienceddramaticchangesfromtactics

suchasremovingappsontheirsmartphonesandprioritizingonetaskeachday.Theyfoundrenewedenergyandfelthappier.Theexperimentsworkedforlotsofpeople,not just forus!Asone reader toldus,“It’sweirdhoweasy theswitchwas.”Andthat’sjustit:Reclaimingyourtimeandattentioncanbeweirdlyeasy.As

Jakelearnedfromhisdistraction-freeiPhone,thechangesdonotrequiretonsofself-discipline.Instead,changecomesfromresettingdefaults,creatingbarriers,and beginning to design the way you spend your time. Once you start usingMakeTime, these smallpositive shiftsbecomeself-reinforcing.Themoreyoutryit,themoreyou’lllearnaboutyourselfandthemorethesystemwillimprove.MakeTime isn’tanti-technology;we’reboth technerds,afterall.Wewon’t

ask you to disconnect entirely or become a hermit. You can still follow yourfriendsonInstagram,readthenews,andsendemailslikeamodernperson.Butby challenging the standard behaviors in our efficiency-obsessed, distraction-saturated world, you can get the best of technology and put yourself back incontrol.Andonceyoutakecontrol,youcanchangethegame.

HOWMAKETIMEWORKS

MakeTimeIsJustFourSteps,RepeatedEveryDay

ThefourdailystepsofMakeTimeareinspiredbywhatwelearnedfromdesignsprints, from our own experiments, and from readers who have tried out theframeworkandsharedtheirresults.Here’sazoomed-outviewofhoweachdaylooks:

The first step is choosing a singlehighlight to prioritize inyourday.Next,you’ll employ specific tactics to stay laser-focused on that highlight—we’lloffer a menu of tricks to beat distraction in an always-connected world.Throughouttheday,you’llbuildenergysoyoucanstayincontrolofyourtimeandattention.Finally,you’llreflectonthedaywithafewsimplenotes.

Let’szoominforacloserlookatthosefoursteps.

Highlight:StartEachDaybyChoosingaFocalPointThefirststepinMakeTimeisdecidingwhatyouwanttomaketimefor.Everyday,you’llchooseasingleactivitytoprioritizeandprotectinyourcalendar.Itmightbeanimportantgoalatwork,likefinishingapresentation.Youmightchoose something at home, like cookingdinner or plantingyour garden.YourHighlightmightbesomethingyoudon’tnecessarilyhavetodobutwanttodo,like playing with your kids or reading a book. Your Highlight can containmultiplesteps;forexample,finishingthatpresentationmightincludewritingtheclosing remarks, completing the slides, and doing a practice run-through. Bysetting“finishpresentation”asyourHighlight,youcommit tocompleteall thetasksrequired.Ofcourse,yourHighlightisn’ttheonlythingyou’lldoeachday.Butitwill

beyourpriority.Askingyourself“What’sgoingtobethehighlightofmyday?”ensuresthatyouspendtimeonthethingsthatmatter toyouanddon’t losetheentire day reacting to other people’s priorities.When you choose aHighlight,youputyourselfinapositive,proactiveframeofmind.To help you do that, we’ll share our favorite tactics for choosing a daily

Highlightandactuallymakingtimetoaccomplishit.Butthisaloneisn’tenough.You’llalsoneedtorethinkhowyoureacttodistractionsthatmightgetinyourway,andthat’sexactlywhatthenextstepisallabout.

Laser:BeatDistractiontoMakeTimeforYourHighlightDistractions like email, social media, and breaking news are everywhere, andthey’renotgoingaway.Youcan’tgoliveinacave,throwawayyourgadgets,and swear off technology entirely. But you can redesign the way you usetechnologytostopthereactioncycle.We’ll show you how to adjust your technology so you can find Laser

mode.Simplechangeslikeloggingoutofsocialmediaappsorschedulingtimetocheckemailcanhaveahugeeffect—we’llprovidespecifictacticstohelpyoufocus.

Energize:UsetheBodytoRechargetheBrainToachievefocusandmaketimeforwhatmatters,yourbrainneedsenergy,andthatenergycomesfromtakingcareofyourbody.That’s why the third component ofMake Time is to charge your battery

withexercise, food, sleep,quiet, and face-to-face time. It’snot ashardas itmight sound. The lifestyle defaults of the twenty-first century ignore ourevolutionaryhistoryandrobusofenergy.That’sactuallygoodnews:Becausethingsaresooutofwhack,therearealotofeasyfixes.TheEnergize section containsmany tactics you can choose from, including

sneakinganap,givingyourselfpartialcredit forexercise,and learninghowtousecaffeinestrategically.Wewon’taskyoutobecomeafitnessfreakoradoptawackydiet. Instead,we’ll offer simple shifts you canmake for the immediaterewardofhavingenergyforthethingsyouwanttodo.

Reflect:AdjustandImproveYourSystemFinally,beforegoingtobed,you’lltakeafewnotes.It’ssupersimple:You’lldecidewhichtacticsyouwanttocontinueandwhichonesyouwanttorefineordrop.2Andyou’ll thinkbackonyourenergylevel,whetheryoumadetimeforyourHighlight,andwhatbroughtyoujoyintheday.Over time, you’ll build a customized daily system tailored to your unique

habits and routines, your unique brain and body, and your unique goals andpriorities.

TheMakeTimeTactics:Pick,Test,RepeatThisbookincludesdozensoftacticsforputtingMakeTimeintopractice.Sometacticswillworkforyou,butsomewon’t(andsomemayjustsoundnuts).It’slikeacookbook.Youwouldn’ttryalltherecipesatonce,andyoudon’tneedtodoallthetacticsatonce,either.Instead,you’llpick,test,andrepeat.Asyouread,takenoteofanytacticsyou

wanttotry.Foldthecornerofthepageormakealistonapieceofpaper.Lookfor tactics that seem doable but a little challenging—and especially, look fortacticsthatsoundlikefun.Onyour firstdayusingMakeTime,wesuggest tryingone tactic fromeach

step.Thatis,onenewtactictohelpyoumaketimeforyourHighlight,onethatkeepsyoulaser-focusedbychanginghowyoureacttodistractions,andoneforbuildingenergy—threetacticstotal.

Youdon’t necessarily have to try somethingneweveryday. Ifwhat you’redoingisworking,keepitup!Butif it isn’torifyouthinkitcouldworkbetterstill,eachdayisachancetoexperiment.YourversionoftheMakeTimesystemwillbetotallypersonalized,andbecauseyoubuiltityourself,you’lltrustit,anditwillfitintoyourexistinglifestyle.

NoPerfectionRequiredWhile developing Make Time, we immersed ourselves in books, blogs,magazines,andscientificresearch.Alotofwhatwereadwasintimidating.Wewereconfrontedwithhundredsofglossy,perfectlives:theeffortlesslyorganizedexecutive,theenlightenedmindfulyogi,thewriterwiththeperfectprocess,thecarefreehostpan-searingtrumpetmushroomswithonehandwhileblowtorchingcrèmebrûléeswiththeother.

It’sstressful, isn’t it?Noneofuscanbeperfecteaters,perfectlyproductive,perfectlymindful,andperfectlyrestedallthetime.Wecan’tdothefifty-seventhingsbloggerstelluswe’resupposedtodobefore5a.m.Andevenifwecould,we shouldn’t. Perfection is a distraction—another shiny object taking yourattentionawayfromyourrealpriorities.We’dlikeyoutoforgettheideaofperfectionwhenitcomestoMakeTime.

Don’teventrytodoitperfectly—there’snosuchthing!Butthere’salsonowayto screw it up.And youwon’t have to start over if you “fall off thewagon,”becauseeachdayisacleanslate.Keep inmind thatneitherofususesall the tactics in thisbookall the time.

Weusesometacticsallthetimeandsometacticssomeofthetime,andweeachusesometacticsnoneofthetime.TherearethingsthatworkforJZthatdonotworkforJakeandviceversa.Weeachhaveourownimperfectformula,andthatformulacanchangedependingonwhat’sgoingon.WhenJake is traveling,hetemporarilyinstallsanemailapponhisphone,andJZhasbeenknowntobinge-watch Netflix on occasion—Stranger Things is so good! The goal is notmonasticvowsbutaworkableandflexiblesetofhabits.

The“Everyday”MindsetIfyoureadMakeTimecovertocover,itcanfeellikealottodo.Heck,evenifyouskiparoundthebook—whichweencourage—itcanstillfeellikealottodo.Soinsteadofthinkingofthesetacticsas“morethingsyouhavetodo,”considerways to make them part of your normal life. That’s why we suggest, forexample,walkingtowork(thispage)andexercisingathome(thispage)ratherthananexpensivegymmembershiporanhourlongfitnessclasseverymorning.Thebesttacticsaretheonesthatfitintoyourday.They’renotsomethingyou

forceyourselftodo;they’rejustsomethingyoudo.Andinmostcases,they’llbethingsyouwanttodo.We’re confidentMakeTimewill help you create space in your life for the

thingsthatmattermost.Andonceyoustart,you’llfindthatMakeTimeisself-reinforcing. You can begin with one small change. Positive results willcompoundasyougoandyou’llbeabletotacklebiggerandbiggergoals.Evenifyou’realreadyamasterofefficiency,youcanuseMakeTimetobringattentionandsatisfactiontowhat’sworkingwell.Wecan’tgetyououtofeverypointlessmeetingormagicallysetyourinboxto

zero,andwewon’ttrytoturnyouintoaZenmaster.Butwecanhelpyouslowdown a little, turn down the noise of themodernworld, and findmore joy ineachday.

1Inthisbook,“JZ”standsforJohnZeratsky.NottobeconfusedwiththemusicianandbusinessmogulJay-Z.Trynottobedisappointed.

2Or,intheimmortalwordsofRobBaseandDJEasyRock:“Takeitofftherack,ifit’swack,putitback.”

Wedonotrememberdays,weremembermoments.—CESAREPAVESE

Ifyouwant tomake timefor things thatmatter, theBusyBandwagonwill tellyoutheansweristodomore.Getmoredone.Bemoreefficient.Setmoregoalsandmakemoreplans.It’stheonlywaytofitthoseimportantmomentsintoyourlife.Wedisagree.Doingmoredoesn’thelpyoucreatetimeforwhatmatters;itjust

makesyoufeelevenmorefrazzledandbusy.Andwhenyou’rebusydayafterday,timeslidesbyinablur.This chapter is about stopping the blur, slowing down, and actually

experiencingthemomentsyouwanttosavorandrememberratherthanrushingthroughthemjusttogettothatnextitemonyourto-dolist.Thisideaisprettysimple,butwecameaboutitthehardway,bylosingweeksandmonthsofourownlivestoawhirlingchurnofbusyness.

TheMissingMonths

JZ

Itwas early 2008, the beginning of one of the snowiestwinters inChicago’s history. Thedayswere short. The streetswereamess.Gettingtoworkwasadailybattleagainsttheelements.AndonedayIwokeupwithashocking realization: Icouldn’t remember the lasttwomonths.

Don’tbealarmed.Ididn’thaveanyscarymedicalproblems,andI

wasn’t unwittingly tangled in a JasonBourne–styleCIA plot. But itwas still serious. The months had simply disappeared, withouttextureorterrainorfootprintstomarktheirpassage.

And Iwanted to remember that time,because thingsweregoingwell.Ihadagoodjob,agreatgirlfriend,andclosefriendswholivednearby. An outsider would have looked at my life and said, “He’slivingthedream.”SowhydidIfeeldisconnectedfromtherealityofmydreamlikelife?

Ididn’tknowwhatwaswrong,butIsuredidwanttofigureitout.So,naturally,Ibeganexperimenting.

Istartedbygettingproductive.IthoughtifIpackedmoreintoeachday, I’d have more to remember. A couple of years earlier, whileworking at a fast-paced tech startup, I became obsessed withmaking themost of every hour. My work was neatly planned andorganized; I processed and cleared my inbox every day; I evencarried a stack of notecards in my pocket so I could capture anyspontaneousthoughtsorideas.Notasinglemomentofthinkingtimewastobewasted!

Thatworkedwellenoughattheoffice,soIwondered:Couldthesekinds of productivity hacks helpmemake themost ofmy time athome, too? I began to seemy lifeasaproblem tobesolvedwithcategorizedto-dolists,arigidcalendar,andanabsurdfilingsystem.

It didn’t work. I was so focused on small tasks that the daysslipped by even faster than before. The blur was gettingworse. Itsucked.

I decided to overhaul my approach. Instead of obsessivelymanaging my minutes, I turned my attention to the long term. Icreated lists of one-year, three-year, five-year, and ten-year goals,whichIaskedmygirlfriendtoreviewanddiscusswithme.(Thenextyearshemarriedme,soIguessshewasonthesamepagewithatleastoneofmygoals.)

Settinggoalsseemedmoremeaningful thanoptimizingmy to-dolist, but I still felt adrift—these objectives were too far away to bemotivating. And there were other problems: What if my prioritieschanged?AllofasuddenI’drealizeIwasworkingtowardagoalthatno longer mattered to me. And living a “someday” life wasdemoralizing.InthewordsofauthorJamesClear,Iwasessentiallysaying, “I’m not good enough yet, but I will be when I reach mygoal.”

Myexperimentsweren’tworking.Iwasstuckbetweenday-to-dayminutiae and too-far-away goals, and the dreary February andMarchweatherdidnothingtoliftmyspirits.Buteventually,thewinterended, spring turned to summer, the birds started to sing, andalmostbyaccident,IbegantoseethesolutionI’dbeenlookingfor.

I realized Ididn’tneedperfectlyplanned task listsorwell-crafted

long-termplans. Instead, itwas simplebut satisfyingactivities thathelped stop the blurring of time. For example, I startedmeeting agroupoffriendseveryFridayforlunchatarestaurantacrosstown.Iwould look forward to that all week. Other days, I’d go for a runalongthe lakefrontafterwork.Andwhentheweatherwasright, I’dsometimesleavetheofficeearly,walktotheharbor,andgosailingforafewhoursbeforesunset.Thelongdaysandwarmnightssurehelped—summerarrivedatexactlytherighttimeformethatyear.Ihadbeenluckytostumbleuponawaytoaddmeaningtoeachdayandfortunatetorecognizeitasthesolutiontomyproblem.

Itwasn’tjustoutside-the-officeplansthathelpedmestoptheblur.After seeing how much making time for those activities helped, Ibegantothinkofmyworkintermsofmoremeaningfulactivities,too.Insteadofcheckingoffasmanyto-dosaspossibleorracingtoclearmyinboxbeforeheadinghome,Ifocusedonaccomplishmentsthatwere satisfying and important. One day I found myself lookingforward to a big presentation I was giving to executives, and Irealized it was similar to the satisfaction I got from the lunches,lakefrontjogs,andeveningsails.Istartedthinkinglessaboutmyto-do list and more about substantial projects like leading designworkshopsandspendingadayfixingsoftwarebugswithengineers.

Of course, my life wasn’t all social lunches and milestones atwork. I had plenty of mundane stuff to get done, like answeringemails, keeping our apartment clean, and returning library booksbefore the deadline. And I did get those things done, but theyweren’twhereIdirectedmygreatestfocus.

AsIreflectedonmymissingmonthsandwhathelpedmestopthebluroftime,Ibegantounderstandsomething:Ilovedthinkingaboutbig,loftygoalsandIwasgoodatgettingthingsdonehourbyhour,

butneitherwastrulysatisfying.IwashappiestwhenIhadsomethingIcouldholdon to in thepresent—achunkof time thatwasbiggerthanato-dobutsmallerthanafive-yeargoal.AnactivityIcouldplanfor,lookforwardto,andappreciatewhenitwasdone.

Inotherwords,Ineededtomakesureeverydayhadahighlight.

Webelievethatfocusingonthesein-betweenactivities—inthespacebetweengoalsandtasks—isthekeytoslowingdown,bringingsatisfactiontoyourdailylife,andhelpingyoumaketime.Long-termgoalsareusefulfororientingyouinthe rightdirectionbutmake it hard to enjoy the time spentworkingalong theway.Andtasksarenecessarytogetthingsdone,butwithoutafocalpoint,theyflybyinaforgettablehaze.

Plentyofself-helpgurushaveofferedsuggestionsforsettinggoalsandplentyof productivity experts have created systems for getting things done, but thespacebetweenhasbeenneglected.WecallthemissingpieceaHighlight.

WhatWillBetheHighlightofYourDay?Wewant you to begin each day by thinking aboutwhat you hopewill be thebrightspot.If,attheendoftheday,someoneasksyou,“Whatwasthehighlightof your day?”what do youwant your answer to be?When you look back onyour day,what activity or accomplishment ormoment do youwant to savor?That’syourHighlight.

YourHighlightisnottheonlythingyou’lldoeachday.Afterall,mostofuscan’tignoreourinboxesorsaynotoourbosses.ButchoosingaHighlightgivesyouachancetobeproactiveabouthowyouspendyourtimeinsteadof lettingtechnology,officedefaults,andotherpeoplesetyouragenda.AndalthoughtheBusyBandwagonsaysyoushouldtrytobeasproductiveaspossibleeachday,weknowit’sbettertofocusonyourprioritiesevenifthatmeansyoudon’tgettoeverythingonyourto-dolist.YourHighlightgiveseachdayafocalpoint.Researchshowsthatthewayyou

experience your days is not determined primarily bywhat happens to you. Infact,youcreateyourownrealitybychoosingwhatyoupayattention to.1Thismightseemobvious,butwethinkit’sabigdeal:Youcandesignyourtimebychoosingwhereyoudirectyourattention.AndyourdailyHighlightisthetargetofthatattention.

Focusing on a daily Highlight stops the tug-of-war between Infinity Pooldistractions and the demands of theBusyBandwagon. It reveals a third path:beingintentionalandfocusedabouthowyouspendyourtime.

ThreeWaystoPickYourHighlightChoosingyourdailyHighlightstartswithaskingyourselfaquestion:

WhatdoIwanttobethehighlightofmyday?

Answering this question isn’t always easy, especially when you’re justbeginning to use Make Time. Sometimes you’ve got many important tasks.Maybethere’soneyou’resuperexcitedabout(“Bakebirthdaycake”),onewithaloomingdeadline(“Finishslidedeck”),orevenanastyjobhangingoveryourhead(“Putrattrapsingarage”).So how should you decide? We use three different criteria to choose our

Highlight.

UrgencyThefirststrategyisallabouturgency:What’sthemostpressingthingIhavetodotoday?Have you ever spent hours churning through email and attendingmeetings

onlytorealizeattheendofthedaythatyoufailedtomaketimefortheonethingyou really needed to do? Well, we have. Lots of times. And whenever ithappens,wefeelmiserable.Oh,theregret!Ifyouhavesomethingthatabsolutelypositivelymustbeaccomplishedtoday,

makeityourHighlight.YouoftencanfindurgentHighlightsonyourto-dolist,email, or calendar—look for projects that are time-sensitive, important, andmedium-size (in other words, they don’t take ten minutes but don’t take tenhours,either).YoururgentHighlightmightbeoneofthefollowing:

Createapricequoteandsendittoacustomerwho’sexpectingitbeforetheendoftheweek.Requestcateringandvenueproposals foraneventyou’reorganizingatwork.Prepareandcookdinnerbeforefriendscomeover.Helpyourdaughterfinishabigschoolprojectthat’sduetomorrow.Editandsharevacationphotosthatyourfamilyiseagertosee.

SatisfactionThesecondHighlightstrategy is to thinkaboutsatisfaction:Attheendoftheday,whichHighlightwillbringmethemostsatisfaction?Whereas the first strategy is all aboutwhatneeds to get done, this strategy

encouragesyoutofocusonwhatyouwanttogetdone.Again, you can start with your to-do list. But instead of thinking about

deadlines and priorities, take a different approach: Think about the sense ofaccomplishmentlockedinsideeachpotentialHighlight.Lookforactivitiesthatarenoturgent.Instead,considerprojectsyou’vebeen

meaning togetaround tobuthaven’tquite found the time.Maybeyouhaveaparticularskillyouwanttoputtouse,ormaybeit’sapetprojectthatyouwanttodevelopbeforesharingitwiththeworld.Theseprojectsaresupervulnerable

to procrastination, because although they’re important, they are not time-sensitive,andthatmakesthemeasytopostpone.UseyourHighlighttobreakthe“someday”cycle.HerearesomeexamplesofSatisfyingHighlights:

Finish the proposal for a new work project you’re excited about andshareitwithafewtrustedcolleagues.Researchdestinationsforyournextfamilyvacation.Draft1,500wordsofthenextchapterinyournovel.

JoyThethirdstrategyfocusesonjoy:WhenIreflectontoday,whatwillbringmethemostjoy?Noteveryhourhastobeoptimizedandorchestratedformaximumefficiency.

One of our goals withMake Time is to steer you away from the impossiblevision of perfectly planned days and toward a life that’smore joyful and lessreactive.Thatmeansdoingsomethingsjustbecauseyoulikedoingthem.Tootherpeople,someofyourjoyfulHighlightsmaylooklikewastesoftime:

sittingathomereadingabook,meetingafriendtoplayFrisbeeinthepark,evendoing a crossword puzzle. Not to us. You only waste time if you’re notintentionalabouthowyouspendit.AllsortsofHighlightscanbringyoujoy.Herearesomeexamples:

Goingtoyourfriends’housewarmingpartyMasteringanewsongontheguitarHavingafunlunchwithyourhilariouscoworkerTakingyourkidtotheplayground

TrustYourGuttoChoosetheBestHighlightWhichstrategyshouldyouuseonanyparticularday?Wethinkthebestwaytochoose aHighlight is to trust your gut to decidewhether an urgent, joyful, orsatisfyingHighlightisbestfortoday.2

Agood rule of thumb is to choose aHighlight that takes sixty to ninetyminutes.Ifyouspendlessthansixtyminutes,youmightnothavetimetogetinthezone,butafterninetyminutesoffocusedattention,mostpeopleneedabreak.Sixty to ninety minutes is a sweet spot. It’s enough time to do somethingmeaningful, and it’s a reasonable amount of time to create in your schedule.Withthetacticsinthischapterandthroughoutthebook,we’reconfidentyoucanmakesixtytoninetyminutesforyourHighlight.Whenyou’restartingout,choosingaHighlightmayfeelstrangeordifficult.If

thishappenstoyou,don’tworry;it’sperfectlynatural.Overtime,you’llgetthehang of it and choosingwill become easier and easier.Remember, you reallycan’t screw it up.And becauseMakeTime is a daily system, nomatterwhathappens,youcanalwaystweakyourapproachandtryagaintomorrow.Ofcourse,yourHighlightisn’tmagical.Decidingwheretofocusyourenergy

on any particular day isn’t going tomake it happen automatically. But beingintentionalisanessentialsteptowardmakingmoretimeinyourlife.ChoosingaHighlightmakesfocusingonyourpriorities thedefault,soyoucanspendtimeandenergyonwhatmatters,notonreactingtothedistractionsanddemandsofmodernlife.

Jake

It’snever too late in theday tochoose (or change)yourHighlight.Recently, I had a really lousy day. In the morning, I’d planned tomakemyHighlightediting100pagesoftheMakeTimemanuscript.But all day long I was randomized by everything from a plumbingproblem to a pounding headache to unexpected dinner guests. Inthe afternoon, I realized I could change my Highlight—and myattitude. Idecided toscrapmyeditinggoal for thedayand insteadfocusonenjoyingthedinnerwithfriends.WhenImadethatchoice,mywholedayturnedaround.Icouldletgoandenjoy.

Afterlosingthosewintermonthsin2008,JZdidn’thaveaflashofinspirationthatledhimtotheideaofaHighlight.Buthisobservationthatdailysatisfactioncomesfromamedium-sizeHighlightratherthantinytasksorloftygoalsplantedtheseedthatgrewintothephilosophyweusetoplanourdays.NowwebothselectaHighlighteveryday3andhavecomeupwithabunchof

tacticsthathelpusturnourintentionsintoaction.Someareeverydaythingssuchas scheduling your Highlight (#1), and others are occasional, like stringingtogethermultipledailyHighlightsintoasortofpersonalsprint(#7).ThenextsectionisacollectionoftacticsforchoosingaHighlightandmaking

timeforitinyourday.Asyoureadthetacticsonthefollowingpages,rememberthemantraPick,Test,Repeat.Makeanoteofthetacticsthatsoundhelpful,fun,and a little challenging. If you’re just startingwithMakeTime, focus on oneHighlight tactic at a time. If it works, keep it in your routine. If you needadditional help choosing andmaking time for yourHighlight, come back andadd another tactic you want to try. Now let’s start highlighting the people,projects,andworkthatmattermosttoyou.

HIGHLIGHTTACTICS

ChooseYourHighlight

1.WriteItDown

2.GroundhogIt(or,“DoYesterdayAgain”)

3.StackRankYourLife

4.BatchtheLittleStuff

5.TheMight-DoList

6.TheBurnerList

7.RunaPersonalSprint

1.WriteItDownYes,weknowthissoundsobvious,butthere’saspecial,almostmagicalpowerto writing down your plans: The things you write down are more likely tohappen.IfyouwanttomaketimeforyourHighlight,startbywritingitdown.MakewritingdownyourHighlightasimpledailyritual.Youcandoitatany

time,but theevening(beforebed)andthemorningworkbestformostpeople.JZ likes to think about tomorrow’s Highlight as he’s winding down in theevening. Jake chooses hisHighlight in themorning, sometime between eatingbreakfastandstartingwork.

WhereshouldyourecordyourHighlight?You’vegotplentyofoptions.Thereare apps (check our recommendations atmaketimebook.com) thatwill remindyoutowriteitdowneveryday.YoucanputyourHighlightonyourcalendarasanall-dayevent.Youcanjotitdowninanotebook.ButifwehadtopickonemethodforwritingdownaHighlight,we’dchoosestickynotes.They’reeasytogetandeasytouse,andtheydon’trequirebatteriesorsoftwareupdates.Youcanwrite downyourHighlight andnever look at it again—oryou can

stickittoyourlaptop,phone,fridge,ordeskasapersistentbutgentlereminderoftheonebigthingyouwanttomaketimefortoday.

2.GroundhogIt(or,“DoYesterdayAgain”)

NotsurewhattochooseforyourHighlight?JustlikeBillMurrayinthemovieGroundhogDay,youcandoyesterdayagain.TherearelotsofgreatreasonstorepeatyourHighlight:

Ifyoudidn’tgettoyourHighlight,it’sprobablystillimportant.Repeatforasecondchance.IfyoustartedyourHighlightbutdidn’tfinishitorifyourHighlightwaspartofabiggerproject,todayistheperfectdaytomakeprogressorstartapersonalsprint(#7).Repeattobuildmomentum.If you’re establishing a new skill or routine, you’ll need repetition tocementthebehavior.Repeattocreateahabit.If yesterday’s Highlight brought you joy or satisfaction, hey, there’snothing wrong with more of that! Repeat to keep the good timesrolling.

You don’t have to reinvent yourself each day. Once you’ve identifiedsomethingthat’simportanttoyou,focusingonitdayafterdaywillhelpittakerootinyourlife,grow,andflourish.Soundscheesy,butit’strue.

3.StackRankYourLifeIf you’re feeling stuck choosing a Highlight or if you’re feeling a conflictbetween competing priorities in your life, try this recipe for ranking your bigpriorities:

Ingredients

1pen1pieceofpaper(orthenotesapponyourphone)

1.Makealistofthebigthingsthatmatterinyourlife.We don’t just mean at work. This list can include “Friends” or “Family” or“Parenting”;itcanincludeyoursignificantother—or,ifyou’reinthemarketfora significant other, “Dating.” You might list hobbies (“Soccer,” “Painting”)alongsidework.Your big things can be as broad as “Work” or as specific as“Get promoted” or “Apollo project.” Other categories to consider are health,finances,andpersonalgrowth.

Includeonlybig stuff and try touseone-or two-word titles (thiskeepsthelisthighlevel).Don’tprioritizethelistyet,justwriteit.Listthreetotenthings.Then…

2.Choosetheonemostimportantthing.Thisiseasiersaidthandone,butyoucandoit!Herearesometips:

Considerwhat’smostmeaningfultoyou,notwhatismosturgent.Thinkaboutwhatneeds themosteffortorwork.Forexample,exercisemightbeveryimportant,butifyoualreadyhaveastronghabitinplace,youmightshiftyourfocuselsewhere.Followyourheart.Forexample,youmightthinkyoushouldput“Work”aheadof“Fiddlelessons”butyoureallywishyoucouldmakethefiddleyourtoppriority.Well,doit!Don’tsweat it—this list isn’tset instone.Youcanalwaysmakeanew

stackranknextmonth,nextweek,tomorrow,orevenlaterthisafternoon.Onceyou’vechosenthemostimportantthing…

3.Choosethesecond,third,fourth,andfifthmostimportantthings.

4.Rewritethelistinorderofpriority.

5.Drawacirclearoundnumberone.Ifyouwanttomakeprogressonyournumberonepriority,you’llneedtomakeityourfocuswheneverpossible.Drawingthecirclereinforcesthisprioritization—there’ssomethingsymbolicaboutputtingyourdecisioninink.

6.UsethislisttohelpyouchooseHighlights.Keep this list around to remind yourself of your one highest priority—and tobreaktiesbetweentwoactivitieswhenyou’renotsurehowtospendyoureffort.

Jake

I’llshareacoupleofmyownlists.First,fromAugust2017:

1. Family

2. WriteMakeTime

3. Writenovel

4. Advisingandworkshops

Onemonthlater,inSeptember,Ireshuffledmylist:

1. WriteMakeTime

2. Family

3. Advisingandworkshops

4. Writenovel

Yes,Idemotedmyfamilytonumber2.Whatajerk!ButIknewIhad to put thepedal to themetal onMakeTime so thatwe couldfinishthemanuscriptbeforeJZlefttowntosailtoMexicoinOctober.Andmy family was in a good spot—my kids were back in schoolafter a summer in which we did a bunch of projects and traveledtogether, and we had good defaults in place for spending timetogether.Shiftingfamilytonumbertwodidn’tmeanignoringthem;itjustmeantbeinghonestwithmyselfaboutwhereImostneededtofocus.

4.BatchtheLittleStuffItcanbetoughtofocusonyourHighlightwhenyouknowtherearedozensofnon-Highlight tasks piling up. We have the same problem. In fact, JZ’sHighlighttodayistofinishadraftofthistactic,butatsomepointthisweekhealso has to catch up on email (he got behind while traveling last week) andreturnafewphonecalls.

Fortunately, we have a solution: Bundle up the small tasks and use batchprocessingtogetthemalldoneinoneHighlightsession.Inotherwords,makeabatch of small things your big thing. For example, one day this week, JZ’sHighlightwillbe“catchuponemail”or“returnphonecalls.”ThesesmalltasksmaynotsoundlikeHighlightmaterial—noonewishesthey

couldmaketimeforemail—butthere’sasurprisingsatisfactionthatcomesfromcatchingup.Andwhenyoucatchupallatonce insteadofconstantly tryingtokeepyourinboxorto-dolistempty,yousuperchargethatfeelingofsatisfaction.Justdon’tdo iteveryday.This isaonce-in-a-while tactic,awayofdealing

with the necessary chores and tasks that otherwise invade our days. You’llrealize the realpowerof this tacticon thedaysyoudon’tuse it:knowingyoucansafelyignoresmall,nonurgenttasks,lettingthempileupwhileyoufocusonyour Highlight. After all, with batching the little stuff, you have a plan forcatchingup.

TacticBattle:To-DoListsRemember,notall tacticsworkforallpeople,and thatgoes for the twoofus.Sometimes we disagree on whether a tactic really worked (do I have moreenergy because I took a caffeine nap [#72] or just because I took a nap?).Sometimeswehaveverydifferentobjectiveresults.Butratherthanwaterdownour opinions, when we disagree, we’ll present our conflicting advice head toheadsothatyoucanexperimentanddecideforyourselfwhereyoustand.Here’sone thingwedoagreeon:Wehate to-dolists.Checkingoff finished

tasksfeelsgood,butthefleetingglowofaccomplishmentmasksanuglytruth:Most to-dos are just reactions to other people’s priorities, not yours. And nomatterhowmanytasksyoufinish,you’reneverdone—moreto-dosarealwayswaiting to take their place. To-do lists just perpetuate the feeling of“unfinishedness”thatdogsmodernlife.To-dolistsalsocanobscurewhat’sreallyimportant.We’reallsusceptibleto

choosing the path of least resistance, especially when we’re tired, stressed,overwhelmed, or just plain busy. To-do listsmake itworse because theymixeasy tasks with hard-but-important ones. When you use a to-do list, you’retemptingyourselftoputoffthoseimportanttasksandknockoffoneoftheeasyitemsinstead.Butto-dolistsaren’tallbad.Theyletyoucapturethingssoyoudon’thaveto

hold them all in your brain. To-do lists let you see everything in one place.

They’reanecessaryevil.So asmuch aswe dislike to-do lists,we have to use them.Over the years,

we’vebothdevelopedourownspecialto-do-listtechnique.Naturally,eachofusthinkshissolutionisthebest,sowe’llletyoudecide.

5.TheMight-DoList

JZ

My solution to the to-do-list problem is to separate the decisionabout what to do from the act of doing it. I call my approach theMight-Do List. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a list of things youmightdo.ProjectssitonyourMight-DoListuntilyoudecidetomakethem your Highlight and schedule them on your calendar. Here’showthepiecesfittogether:

You’re especially vulnerable to path-of-least-resistance thinkingwhenyoudon’tplan.Butwhenyoutakean important taskoffyourMight-Do List, make it your daily Highlight, and put it on yourcalendar,you’llknowyoumadea thoughtfuldecisionabouthowto

spend your time, and you can pour your energy into the task athand.

AMight-DoList canhelpyouavoid the to-do-list treadmillat theofficeoronpersonalprojects.In2012,mywifeandIboughtourfirstsailboattogether. In2016,wesoldthatboatandboughtadifferentone.Eachtime,weweretakingonnotjustaboatbutabigproject.There were literally hundreds of to-dos required to get the boatsready,fromthetrivial(installtowelhooks)totheintense(sterilizetheplumbing so it’s safe for drinkingwater). Ifwehadworkeddirectlyfromour to-do list,wewouldhavebeenoverwhelmed. Instead,weused a Might-Do List to help us stay organized (and sane!) andensurethatweweremakingtimefortheimportanttasksratherthanfritteringawaydayafterdayontheeasystuff.

Here’show itworked:Beforeadayof boatwork,we’d sit downwithourMight-DoListandtalkabouteverythingwecoulddo.We’dusethesamethreeHighlightcriteria—urgency,satisfaction,andjoy—toselecttheworkthatwasimportanttodotoday.Thenwe’dputitonthecalendar,usingourbestguessatthetimerequired.Whenthespecified time rolled around, we’d show up at our boat, tools andcoffee in hand, with a plan for the day. This helped us stayintentional and focused and allowed us to finish each day with adeepsenseofsatisfactionandaccomplishment.

6.TheBurnerList

Jake

I love the ideaofJZ’s“Might-Do” framework,but Ineedsomethingmore detailed to help me choose and track the most importantHighlights.MymethodiscalledtheBurnerList. Itwon’t trackeverydetailofeveryprojectorhelpyou juggleamillion tasks.But that’sexactlythepoint.TheBurnerListisintentionallylimited.Itforcesyouto acknowledge that you can’t take on every project or task thatcomes your way. Like time andmental energy, the Burner List islimited,andso it forcesyou tosaynowhenyouneed toandstayfocusedonyournumberonepriority.Here’showtomakeone:

1.Divideasheetofpaperintotwocolumns.

Get out a single blank sheet of paper and create two columns bydrawingalinedownthemiddle.Theleft-handcolumnisgoingtobeyourfrontburner,andtheright-handcolumnyourbackburner.

2.Putyourmostimportantprojectonthefrontburner.

You are allowed to have one and only one project, activity, orobjectiveonthefrontburner.Nottwo,notthree—justone.

Inthetopleft-handcorner,writethenameofyourmostimportantprojectandunderlineit.Thenlisttheto-dosforthattopproject.Thisshouldincludeanytaskyoucandointhenextfewdaystomovetheprojectforward.

3.Leavesomecounterspace.

Leavetherestof thefirstcolumnempty. Itmightbetemptingto fillthespacewitheverytaskyoucanthinkof,buttheBurnerListisnotintended to fill the paper’s surface area efficiently; it’s intended tomakegooduseofyourtimeandenergy.Theblankspacegivesyouroomtoaddmoretasksforthetopprojectastheycomeup,butjustas important, extra visual space makes it easier to focus on theimportantstuff.

4.Putyoursecondmostimportantprojectonthebackburner.

Atthetopof theright-handcolumn,writethenameofyoursecondmost important project andunderline it, then list the related to-dosunderneath.

The idea is todirectyour timeandattentionasyouwould ifyouwere cooking on a stove. You’d naturally focus most of yourattentiononthefrontburner.Sure,you’reawareofthebackburner

andmightreachbacktheretostirapotorflipapancakeeverynowandagain,butthefrontburneriswheretheactionis.

5.Makeakitchensink.

Finally, about halfway down the right-hand column, list anymiscellaneoustasksthatyouneedtodobutthatdon’tfitwithproject1orproject2.Itdoesn’tmatterifthey’repartofproject3orproject4or are totally random; they get chucked into the kitchen sink witheverythingelse.

TheBurnerListwon’thave room foreverything,and thatmeansyou’ll have to let go of things that aren’t as important. But again,that’s exactly the point. I’ve found that one big project, one smallproject,andashortlistofcatchalltasksareallIcan(orshould!)takeonatonce.Ifitdoesn’tfitonthepaper,itwon’tfitinmylife.

The Burner List is disposable and gets scrapped every time Icrossoffafewfinishedto-dos.Igenerally“burn”throughalisteveryfewdaysandthenre-createitoverandover.Thisactofre-creatingthe list is important. It allowsme todiscard someunfinished tasksthat no longer matter, and it also allows me to reconsider which

projectsbelongonthefrontandbackburnersrightnow.Sometimesit’llbeaworkprojectthatgetsthehigh-priorityspot,andsometimesit’ll be a personal project. It’s okay and natural for things to shift.What’s important is therecanonlybeone frontburnerprojectatatime.

Nowgetcooking!

7.RunaPersonalSprintWheneveryoubeginaproject,yourbrainislikeacomputerstartingup,loadingrelevantinformation,rules,andprocessesintoyourworkingmemory.This“bootup”takestime,andyouhavetoredoittoacertainextenteverytimeyoupickuptheproject.This iswhy, in our design sprints, teamsworkon the sameproject for five

daysinarow.Informationstaysinpeople’sworkingmemoryfromonedaytothenext,allowingthemtogetdeeperanddeeperintothechallenge.Asaresult,wecanaccomplishexponentiallymorethanwecouldifthosesamehourswerespreadacrossweeksandmonths.Butthiskindofasprint isn’t justfor teams;youcanruna“personalsprint”

yourself. Whether you’re painting the living room, learning to juggle, orpreparing a report for a new client, you’ll do better work and make fasterprogress ifyoukeepat it forconsecutivedays.JustchoosethesameHighlightforseveraldaysinarow(breakingitupintostepsforeachdayifyouneedto)andkeepyourmentalcomputerrunning.

Jake

I’veseenthiseffectwithmywriting.Thefirstdayafteralongbreakishard. Imaynotwritemuchofanything,and Iget frustratedandcranky.Theseconddayisstillslow,butIfeelI’mstartingtobootup.Bythethirddayandfourthday,I’minthezone—andIdowhateverIcantokeepthemomentum.

HIGHLIGHTTACTICS

MakeTimeforYourHighlight

8.ScheduleYourHighlight

9.BlockYourCalendar

10.BulldozeYourCalendar

11.FlakeItTillYouMakeIt

12.JustSayNo

13.DesignYourDay

14.BecomeaMorningPerson

15.NighttimeIsHighlightTime

16.QuitWhenYou’reDone

8.ScheduleYourHighlightIfyouwanttomaketimeforyourHighlight,startwiththecalendar.LikewritingdownyourHighlight(#1),thistacticcouldhardlybesimpler:

1. ThinkabouthowmuchtimeyouwantforyourHighlight.2. ThinkaboutwhenyouwanttodoyourHighlight.3. PutyourHighlightonthecalendar.

When you schedule something, you’re making a commitment to yourself,sendingyourselfatinymessagethatsays:“I’mgoingtodothis.”ButschedulingyourHighlighthasanotherimportantbenefit:Itforcesyoutoconfrontthetrade-offsinhowyouspendyourtime.Imaginetoday’sHighlightistobuygroceriesandcookdinnerforyourfamily.Youthink,“Dinnershouldbereadyat7p.m.orthe kidswon’t get to bed in time.And I need to start cooking at 6 p.m.ThatmeansIhavetoleavetheofficeat5p.m.soIhavetimetostopatthestoreonmywayhome.”Youaddaneventtoyourcalendarat5p.m.andlabelit“Leavework.”

Onceyou’vescheduledyourHighlight,thattimeistaken.Youcan’tscheduleanymeetingsorcommittoanyotheractivity.Whenotherthingscomeup,youget to decide whether to schedule them in the remaining time around yourHighlightorwhethertheycanwait.Youcanseeyourprioritiestakeformrightthereonyourcalendar.

JZ

Early inmycareer,Ididn’thavemanymeetings,soIneverusedacalendar.ButIhadato-dolist.EverydayI’dgettotheoffice,takealookatmyto-dolist,andthink,“WhatshouldIdotoday?Ooh,that!”I’dpickoutsomethingthatseemedeasyandtime-sensitiveandgettowork.Butbytheendoftheday,Iwasoftendisappointed:Ihadn’tnecessarily done the most important things, and I never finishedeverythingonmyto-dolist.

Later, I started working at Google. You can’t work at Googlewithout using a shared calendar. Not only do you need it to keeptrackofyourmeetings(therearealot),butcolleaguesalsocanseeyourscheduleandinviteyoutomeetingsbyaddingthemdirectlytoyourcalendar.

Ironically,itwasthebusy,meeting-heavycultureofGoogle—andtherequireduseofacalendar—thathelpedmemaketimeforthingsthatwere important tome.Withacalendar, Icouldseehow Iwasspendingmy time, andmy colleagues could see, too. And asmyschedule got crazier, I realized I had to schedulemyHighlight if Iwantedtomaketimeforit.

9.BlockYourCalendarIf you start with an empty calendar, you can schedule your Highlight for theideal time,when your energy is highest and your focus is at its peak.But formostofus,startingthedaywithablankcalendarisaboutaslikelyasfindingathousand-dollarbillon thesidewalk: Itcertainlycouldhappen,butwe’dbetter

notcountonit.4Andifyouworkinanofficewherecolleaguescanaddmeetingstoyourcalendar, forgetabout it.You’llhave to takeadifferentapproach:Usedaily“donotschedule”blockstomakeroomforyourHighlight.

JZ learned this trick from his friend Graham Jenkin. In 2007 and 2008,GrahamwasJZ’sbossatGoogle,andtoJZ,itseemedlikeGrahamcoulddoitall. He managed something like twenty people, and he gave each of thempersonal attention and true support. He also led the redesign of AdWords,Google’sflagshipadvertisingproduct.Thismeanthewasinvolvedineverythingfrom designing user interfaces, to testing with customers and reviewingspecifications, to coordinating with engineers. Everyone wondered whereGraham found the time, and most people (including JZ) assumed he workedreallylonghours.Buttheywerewrong.Inmanyways,Grahamhadthetypicalscheduleofacorporatemanager.Each

day was packed with meetings. But there was something unusual about hiscalendar:From6to11a.m.eachday,Grahamhadscheduledtimewithhimself.“That’smy time. Iwakeup early, get to the office early, hit the gym,grab

breakfast, then work for a couple hours before my meetings begin,” Grahamsaid.“Don’tpeoplescheduleoverit?”JZasked.“Sometimestheytry,butIjusttellthemI’vealreadygotplans.”Tenyears later,we stilluseGraham’s trick tomake time forourHighlight.

Andwepickedupafewmoretipsalongtheway.

Playoffense,notdefense.Don’tuseyour“donotschedule”blocksjusttoavoidcoworkersorgetoutofmeetings.Beveryintentionalwithanytimeyoublock—turnitintoEnergizetime(seethispage)orHighlighttime.

Don’tbegreedy.Wedidsayyoushouldblockyourcalendar,butyoushouldn’tfillitupentirely.It’sgoodtoleaveunblockedspacefor opportunities, and your coworkers will appreciate youravailability. When you start out with this tactic, you might tryblockinganhourortwoeachdayandthenadjustfromthere.

Take itseriously. Ifyoudon’t take thosecommitmentsseriously,other people won’t either. Treat these blocks like importantmeetings, and when people try to double-book you, rememberGraham’ssimpleandeffectivecomeback:“I’vealreadygotplans.”

10.BulldozeYourCalendarIf you can’t block your calendar, there’s another way to clear time for yourHighlight:Bulldozeit.Imagine a tiny bulldozer driving through your calendar, pushing events

around. The bulldozer might compress one meeting by fifteen minutes andanother by thirty. It might shove your one-on-one from the morning to theafternoon or push your lunch back by half an hour so you can get a full twohours ofHighlight time. The bulldozer could even stack all yourmeetings ononeortwodaysoftheweek,freeinguptheotherdaysforsolowork.Bulldozing is admittedly easier if you’re the boss than it is if you’re the

intern,5 but you might have more control over your calendar than you think.There’s no harm in telling people something important cameup and asking iftheycanmeetalittleearlierorlaterorforaquickchatinsteadofforanhour.Infact, whenmeetings are shortened or disappear from the calendar, people areusuallythrilled.Wealltrytosayyestomeetingrequestsbecausethat’sthedefaultinvirtually

everyofficeculture.Butdon’tassumethere’sagoodreasonbehindthelengthofeverymeetingorthetimeofdayitshowsuponyourcalendarorevenwhyyou

wereinvited.Officeschedulesaren’tformedbysomegranddesign;theycongealorganically,likepondscum.It’sokaytocleanthingsup.

11.FlakeItTillYouMakeItTherewillbedaysandweekswhenyoufeelsobusyandoverscheduledthatyoucan’timaginehowyou’llevermaketimeforyourHighlight.Whenthishappens,askyourselfwhatyoucancancel.Canyouskipameeting,pushbackadeadline,orditchyourplanswithafriend?Weknow,weknow.Thismindsetsoundshorrible.EventheNewYorkTimes

bemoaned today’s culture of last-minute cancellation, calling this the “GoldenAgeofBailing.”You knowwhat?We think bailing is fine provided that you do something

worthwhileinstead.Ofcourse,youcan’tskipoutoneverythingallthetime,butthere’sabigmiddlegroundbetweenblindlyservingyourcalendarandbeinganunreliableflake.Justbehonest,explainwhyyou’rebailing,andletitgo.Bailingisnotagood

long-termstrategy;overtime,you’llgetafeelforhowmanycommitmentsyoucantakeonwhilestillmakingtimeforyourHighlight.Butinthemeantime,it’sbetter to ruffle a few feathers than to always push your priorities off for“someday.”Goaheadandflakeout.Don’tfeelbad.Andifpeoplecomplain,justtellthemwesaiditwasokay.

12.JustSayNoBlocking, bulldozing, and flaking are great ways to make time for yourHighlight. But the best way to get out of low-priority obligations is never toaccepttheminthefirstplace.Forthetwoofus,sayingnodoesn’tcomenaturally.We’rethekindofpeople

whodefaulttoyes.Thisispartlyniceness—wewishwecoulddoitall,andwewanttobehelpful.Andtobehonest,it’spartlyalackofguts.It’smucheasiertosayyes.Sayingnotoaninvitationoranewprojectcanfeeluncomfortable,andwe’velostmanyhours,days,andweeksofHighlighttimebecausewedidn’t

havethecouragetodeclineacommitmentupfront.But we’ve been working on it, and we’ve found that we’re much happier

whenwedefaulttono.Whathelpedusmaketheswitchwasdevelopingscriptsforvarioussituationssothatwealwaysknowhowtosayno.AreyoualreadyfullycommittedtoyourHighlightandtrulydon’thavetime?

“Sorry, I’m reallybusywith somebigprojects, and I just don’t have time foranythingnew.”Could you squeeze in a new project but worry about giving it the proper

attention?“Unfortunately,Idon’thavethetimetodoagreatjobonthis.”Invited toanactivityorevent thatyouknowyouwon’tenjoy?“Thanks for

theinvitation,butI’mnotreallyintosoftball.”6

Inshort,benicebuthonest.Overtheyears,we’veheardaboutmanytrickytechniquesfordeflectingrequests,makingupexcuses,ordeferringindefinitely,andwe’vetriedsomeofthem.Buttheydon’tfeelgood,andthey’renothonest.Worse,theyjustdelaytheharddecisionuntilalatertime,andthosehalfchoicescanweigh you down, sticking to you like barnacles on the hull of a boat. Soditchthetricks,shedthebarnacles,andtellthetruth.Justbecauseyou’resayingnotothisrequestdoesn’tmeanyoucan’tsayyes

inthefuture.Again,sayitonlyifyoumeanit.“Ireallyappreciatetheinvitation,andI’dlovetohangoutanothertime.”Or“Itmeansalotthatyou’daskformyhelp,andIhopewecanworktogetherinthefuture.”OurfriendKristenBrillantesuseswhatshecalls theSourPatchKidmethod

when she says no. Just like the candy, Kristen’s answers are sour at first butsweet at the end. For example: “Unfortunately, my team won’t be able toparticipate.ButyoumightaskTeamX;they’dbeperfectforthiskindofevent.”The key, says Kristen, is to make sure the sweet ending is authentic, not anempty add-on. If she can, she’ll offer a connection to another person withcapacityorinterestforwhomtheinvitationmightbeacoolopportunity.Ifnot,sheoffersencouragementorgratitude.Somethingassimpleasa“Thankyouforthinkingofme;thissoundsreallyfun”goesalongway.

13.DesignYourDayWhenweranourdesignsprintsforGoogleVentures,weplannedeachdayhour

by hour and evenminute byminute. Every sprint was another opportunity toperfectourformula.Wekepttrackoftheebbsandflowsofworkthroughouttheday—whenpeople’senergydipped,whenthingsmovedtoofastor tooslow—andadjustedaccordingly.BlockingyourcalendarandschedulingyourHighlightisagreatwaytostart

making time. But you can take this proactive, intentional mindset to anotherlevel by learning fromour sprints anddesigning yourentire day. JZ has beendoingthisforyears,structuringthetimeinhiscalendarlikethis:

Yes,it’sdetailed.Verydetailed.Heactuallyblockedtimeformakingcoffeeandshowering!JZdesignshistimelikethisnearlyeveryday.Intheevening,helooksbackandquicklyevaluateshisscheduleforwhatworkedandwhatdidn’tand compares his planwith howhe really spent his time.Then he adjusts hisfuturescheduletoaccountforwhathe’slearned.Being this scheduled might sound annoying: “Where’s the freedom and

spontaneity,man?”But in reality,astructureddaycreates freedom.Whenyoudon’thaveaplan,youhavetodecideconstantlywhattodonext,andyoumightget distracted thinking about all the things you should or could do. But acompletelyplanneddayprovidesthefreedomtofocusonthemoment.Insteadofthinkingaboutwhattodonext,you’refreetofocusonhowtodoit.Youcanbeintheflow,trustingtheplansetoutbyyourpastself.Whenisthebesttimeofdaytocheckemail?Howlongshouldittake?Youcandesigntheanswersaheadoftimeratherthanreactinginrealtime.

Jake

SarahCooper isoneofmyrolemodels.A fewyearsago,shequither job at Google to become a full-time writer and comedian andthen promptly started cranking out hilarious posts on her websiteThe Cooper Review, racked up millions of readers, and signed adeal for threebooks.Sonaturally,when Iquitmy jobatGoogle, Iwent toSarah foradviceonhowshescheduledher timenow thatshewasn’tworkinginanoffice.

Sarah’s secretwas establishing a solid, predictable schedule bydesigningherdayhourbyhour.Sheusedanotebook forplanningher schedule and evaluating what really did or didn’t get doneafterward.“Itmademerealizethereareactuallyenoughhoursinthedaytogetstuffdone.Insteadofwritingto-dolists,Imapoutmydayinhalf-hourincrements.”

I liked the idea and I knew all about JZ’s freakish devotion tomicromanaginghiscalendar,soIgave itashot.Rather thanusingmycalendarorajournal,IusedanapproachrecommendedbyCalNewport inDeep Work: writing my schedule on a piece of blankpaper, then replanning throughout the day as things change andevolve,likethis:

Itworked.Theconstant redesigninggavemeahandleonhow Iwasspendingmytime,showedmewhenmybestwritingtimewas,andhelpedmeestablisharoutine.Now,whenIfeelthingsareoutofwhack,Iknowwhattodo—it’stimetoredesignmyday.

TacticBattle:Morningvs.NightIfyoucan’tmaketimeforyourHighlightinthemiddleoftheday,youmighttrycreatingsomespaceintheearlymorningorlateevening.JZ’sanightowlwhoturned himself into a morning person. Jake couldn’t make the switch, so heoptimizedthenight.Hereareourstrategies.

14.BecomeaMorningPerson

JZ

In2012,Idecidedtobecomeamorningperson.

It didn’t come naturally. My whole life, whenever I had to wakeearly—forameeting,event,orclass—Istruggledtogetoutofbed.Ialways seemed to be rushing and running late, and the feeling offoggy,zombielikefatigueloomedovermydaylikeahangover.

But I was fascinated by the potential of mornings. Those earlyhoursseemedlikeagift:acoupleof“free”hourswhenIcouldworkon my Highlight and prepare for the day. Becoming a morningpersonalsowouldgivememoretimewithmywife,whoworkedatacompanyinwhichearlymeetingswerethenorm.IhatedkeepingadifferentschedulefromMichelle,anditcutintoourtimetogether.

Asanaturalnightowl,IknewIneededaplanifIwantedtoavoidthegroggy, unfocused feelingofmypreviousearlymornings.So Idecidedtoresearchwhathadworkedforotherpeopleandtrysomesimpleexperiments.

It worked. With the help of a couple of easy tricks, I traded atypical night-owl schedule—up till midnight or later, staring at ascreen, doing design work, writing, coding—for an uncommonroutineinwhichIgotosleepearly,wakeupearly,andoftenusethequietmorninghoursformydailyHighlight.

HerearethetricksI’dsharewithanynightowlswhowanttostartwakingearly.

StartwithLight,Coffee,andSomethingtoDo

Don’t underestimate the importanceof light inwakingup.Humansarehardwiredtowakewhenit’slightandgetsleepywhenit’sdark.ButifyouwanttomaketimeforyourHighlightbeforetheworkday,youcan’twaitforsunrise;formostoftheyearinmuchoftheworld,youneedtowakebeforedawn.SowhenIwakeup,Iturnoneverylight inmyapartment (orboatwhen I’m livingaboard).And I try toalwayswatch thesunrise,even if it’sanhouror twoafter Igetup;seeingtheskygofromdarktolightremindsmybrainthatit’stimetotransitionfromnighttoday.

Coffee is also super important tome.Sure, the caffeine is nice,

but thepreparation routine isessential tomymorning. It takesmefifteenminutes tomakecoffeeusingasimplepour-over technique:boilwater,grindbeans,positionfilter,addgrounds,pourwater.Thisprocessismorelabor-intensivethanusingamachine,butthat’stheidea. My slow coffee ritual keeps me occupied during the low-willpower period when I would otherwise check email or look atTwitter,bothofwhicharelikelytosendmeintoareactivevortexofunproductivity. Instead, I stand in the kitchen (or galley), wake upslowly, thinkaboutmyday,andenjoya freshcupofcoffeewhile IsettleintoworkonmyHighlight.

Givingyourselfsomethingtodointhemorningwillhelpyouwakeupearly,butformeit’salsowhyIwakeupearly.EvenonthedayswhenIdon’tworkonmydailyHighlight first thing in themorning, Istillfindreasonstomaketimeinthosepredawnhours.Exerciseisagreat morning activity. Even doing dishes, ironing shirts, orstraightening up around the house helps me wake up and feelproductivebeforethedayhasstarted.

However,evenwithlight,coffee,andsomethingtodo,it’stoughtowake up early without making some adjustments to your eveningroutine.

DesigntheNightsBefore

Startwithanhonestassessmentofhowmuchsleepyouneedandhowmuch you get. I feel best after seven to eight hours of sleep(andsometimesnine,especiallyinthewinter).MostdaysIwakeuparound5:30a.m., so thatmeans I need to go tobedaround9:30p.m. If you’re a night owl, you might think it’s impossible to fallasleep this early.So did I. But formost of us, it’s society, not ourbodies,thatdictatesourdefaultbedtime.Ifyouwanttotryresetting

thatdefault,hereareafewtipsthatcanhelp.

Pay attention to how food and drink affect your sleep. There’splentyofevidencethatalcoholdoesnotimprovesleepqualityeventhoughitmightfeelthatway,anditparticularlyimpairsREMsleep.Ienjoydarkchocolateafterdinner (see#69),but I learned thehardwayaboutitssurprisingcaffeinecontent.

Finally, adjust your environment to wind down and signal“bedtime” to your body. I begin by lowering the lights. I turn offperipheral lightsinthekitchenandfoyer,thenswitchtofloorlampsinthelivingroomandbedroom.Myfavoriteroutine—anddorkiestbyfar—isado-it-yourselfturn-downservice.Around7p.m.eachnight,I close the curtains in thebedroom, remove thedecorative pillowsfrom thebed,andpullback thecovers. (Checkout#84, “Fake theSunset,”formore.)

It’s not always easy for me to wake up at 5:30 a.m., but I’velearned to lovemornings.And thepayoff isamazing;by9:30a.m.most days I’ve had an hour of productive work, showered anddressed,walkedtwomiles,hadbreakfast,andenjoyedtwocupsofcoffee.

Becomingamorningpersonisnotforeveryone.Somepeoplewillhavemoresuccessmaking timeatnight.Still, it’sworthgiving itashot.Afterall,Ididn’tknowIcouldbeamorningpersonuntilItried.Sometimes we don’t know what we’re capable of until we applysomesimpletacticsandanexperimentalmindsettoourlives.

15.NighttimeIsHighlightTime

Jake

We’regeneticallypredisposed tobeeithermorningpeopleornightpeople.Ibasethisnotonsciencebutonfirsthandobservationofmysonsconductedoverthepastseveralthousanddays.

Myolderson,Luke,isamorningpersonwhowakesupsinging.Atbreakfast,hecanspeakatarateofapproximately2,600wordsperminute,andthat’swithoutanycoffee.MysonFlynn,incontrast,isanightperson.Themorningmakeshimconfusedandangry,andif Itrytotalktohimbefore7a.m.,hewillpunchmeinthecrotch.

I get it. I’m a night person, too. I tried JZ’s tactics to become amorning person butwas always thwarted by interruptions frommykids.Itwasfrustrating.Withafamilyandafull-timejob,itwasoftentoughtofinduninterruptedtimeduringthedaytodomyHighlight.Ifthe mornings were unavailable, I’d have to make the timesomewhereelse.

Idecidedtogetbetteratbeinganightperson.Irealizedthatthehours between 9:30 p.m. (when my kids were asleep) and 11:30p.m. (when Iwent to sleep) couldbe theperfect time to focus. I’dnever taken nighttime seriously before, but there were two bonushours just sitting there for the taking if only I could use themeffectively.

The biggest challengewas that even though I could easily stayawaketill11:30p.m.,mybatterywasoftendrained.Ididn’thavethemental focus to do anything significant, so I was in the habit ofsquanderingthosebonushoursonlow-energy,low-benefitactivitiessuchascheckingemailandreadingabouttheSeattleSeahawks.

Ittookmeawhiletofigureouthowtohandlethischallenge,butintheendIcameupwithathree-partstrategyforturningnighttimeinto

Highlighttime:

RechargeFirst

If I’m planning to stay up and work on a project, I’ll start byrefreshingmybrainwith a real break (#80).Aftermy younger songoes tobed (around8:30p.m.), Imightsitdownwithmywifeandoldersonandwatchpartofamovie.OrImightreadafewpagesinanovel.OrImightcleanthekitchenandputawaytoysinthelivingroom. These activities take my mind out of “busy mode” andrechargemymental battery—amajordifference from the frenzyofchecking email, reading clickbait news articles, or watching anintense TV show designed to suck me into a black hole of bingewatching.7

GoOffline

Aroundnine-thirty, I’llswitch intoHighlightmode,usually forwritingbutsometimestoprepareapresentationorworkshop.Evenwithaquickbatteryrecharge,myfocusisusuallynotat100percent,soIput a vacation timer on the Internet (#28), allowing me toconcentrateonmywritingwithminimalwillpower.

Don’tForgettoWindDown

I learnedthehardwaythatIhavetospindownmybrainafterlate-night work or I’ll seriously mess up my sleep. Dimming the lights(#84)helps,butmostimportantisgettingtobedbeforeIturnintoapumpkin.Forme,thatmagichouris11:30p.m.,andifI’mnotinbedbythen,I’lltankmyenergythenextday.

16.QuitWhenYou’reDoneItcanbehardtostopworkattheendoftheday,becausetheBusyBandwagonencouragesa“justonemorething”mentality.Onemoreemail.Onemoreto-do.Manypeoplequitonlywhenthey’retooexhaustedtogoon,andevenso,theycheckemailagainbeforetheygotobed.Hey,wefallintothattrapourselves.TheBusyBandwagondoesagreatjobof

convincingusallthat“justonemorething”istheresponsibleandhardworkingthingtodo,andoftenitseemsliketheonlywaytokeepfromfallingbehind.But it isn’t.Working till exhaustionmakesusmore likely to fall behindby

robbingusoftherestweneedtoprioritizeanddoourbestwork.Tryingtocraminjustonemorethingislikedrivingacarthatisrunningoutofgas:Nomatterhowlongyoukeepyourfootontheaccelerator,ifthetankisempty,youaren’tgoinganywhere.Youneedtostopandrefuel.Inourdesignsprints,wefoundthatifweendedeachworkdaybeforepeople

wereexhausted,theweek’sproductivityincreaseddramatically.Evenshorteningthedaybythirtyminutesmadeabigdifference.When should you quit? Instead of trying to answer every email (not

happening)orfinisheverytask(dreamon),youneedtocreateyourownfinishline.Perhapsyoucanfindaperfect timeofdaytostop—inourdesignsprints,weused5p.m.asourcutoff.Or you can use your Highlight. As quitting time approaches, think about

whether you accomplished yourHighlight. If you have, you can rest knowingyoumadetimefortheday’smostimportantjob.Nomatterhowmuchyoudidordidn’tgetdoneorhowmanyhoursyoudidordidn’twork,you’llbeabletolookback on the day with a sense of joy, accomplishment, or satisfaction—or allthree!And if youdidn’t finishyourHighlight, you (hopefully) had to bump it for

some unforeseen super important project. If that’s the case, you can still feelsatisfiedknowingyoudidsomethingurgentandnecessary.Goodjob!Nowletyourselfignorethatinboxandcallitaday.

JZ

Backin2005,IstartedworkingatatechstartupinChicago.Itwasmyfirstfull-timeofficejobandthefirsttimeIhadtofigureouthowtomanagemyenergythroughoutalongworkday.Iquicklylearnedthatitwaseasier formetofocusonwork inthehoursbefore lunch,sowhen I foundmyself struggling with a not-so-hard task late in theday, I’d givemyself permission to quit and pick it up again in themorning. Almost every time, I’d breeze through and finish in afractionofthetimeitwould’vetakenmethepreviousnight.InsteadoftryingtopowerthroughwhenIwasrunningonfumes,IrefueledbyquittingwhenIwasdone.

1Forafascinatingsummaryofthisresearchandhowitappliestoworkandlife,checkoutRaptbyWinifredGallagher.It’soneofJZ’sfavoritebooks.

2Ofcourse,ifsomethingfallsintoallthreecategories,youshouldprobablymakethatyourHighlight!3Well,almosteveryday.Remember,it’sokaytofalloffthewagon.4AccordingtotheindubitableWikipedia,“AsofMay30,2009,only336$10,000billswereknowntoexist;342remaining$5,000bills;and165,372remaining$1,000bills.”Sokeepyoureyesopen!

5AlthoughifyoucangettheCEOtoreschedulethequarterlyall-handstomaketimeforyournap,hey,morepowertoyou.

6Whenyou’resayingnotoafriend,youcantryhumorousbluntness.Friend:“Wanttoruntimedmilesatthetrackbeforeworktomorrow?”You:“HELLNO.”

7Foraninsightfullookatthescienceofbingewatchingandcliffhangers,checkoutAdamAlter’sbookIrresistible.

Topayattention,thisisourendlessandproperwork.—MARYOLIVER

Okay,you’vechosenaHighlightforthedayandyou’vemadetimeforitinyourbusyschedule.Nowthattimehasarrived,andyouneedtofocus.And,ofcourse,thisisthehardpart.This chapter is about a state of mind called Laser. When you’re in Laser

mode, your attention is focused on the present like a laser beam shining on atarget.You’re in the flow, fully engaged and immersed in themoment.Whenyou’re laser-focused on your Highlight, it feels fantastic—it’s the payoff forproactivelychoosingwhat’simportanttoyou.ThewordLasermight sound intense, but if you’ve chosen aHighlight and

cleared time, there doesn’t have to be anything hard or complicated about it.When you’re doing something you care about and have the energy to focus,Lasermodesimplyappears.Unless…yougetdistracted.DistractionistheenemyofLasermode.It’slikea

giantdiscoballinthepathofyourlaserbeam:Lightgoeseverywhereexceptinthedirectionofthetarget.Whenthathappens,youcaneasilyendupmissingoutonyourHighlight.We don’t know about you, but the two of us get distracted. A lot.We get

distracted by email. We get distracted by Twitter. We get distracted byFacebook. We get distracted by sports news, political news, tech news, andsearching for the perfect animatedGIF.We even got distractedwhilewritingthischapter.1

Wehopeyouwon’tjudgeustooharshly;afterall,it’sadistractingworldoutthere.There’salwayssomethingnewinourinbox,ontheWeb,oronthatshinysmartphone in our pocket, and we just can’t resist: Apple reports that peopleunlock their iPhones an average of 80 times per day, and a 2016 study bycustomer-research firm Dscout found that people touched their phones anaverageof2,617timesperday.Distractedhasbecomethenewdefault.

Inthisworld,willpoweraloneisnotenoughtoprotectyourfocus.We’renotsaying this because we don’t have confidence in you or to justify our ownweaknesses.We’resayingthisbecauseweknowexactlywhatyou’reupagainst.Remember,wehelpedbuildtwoofthestickiestInfinityPoolsoutthere.We’veseentheindustryofdistractionfromtheinside,andwehaveaprettygoodideaaboutwhythisstuffissoirresistible,andhowyoucanredesignthewayyouusetechnologytoregaincontrol.Hereareourstories.

ALoveAffairwithEmail

Jake

Fromthevery firstmoment Isaw it—asahighschool freshman in1992—I thought email was just about the coolest thing on earth.Typeamessage,hit“Send,”andthewordstraveledatthespeedoflight, immediately appearing on another computer—no matter if itwasdownthestreetorhalfwayaroundtheworld.Amazing!

Backwhen itwasstill aprettyniche thing that fewpeople knewabout, I attempted to impress girls by introducing them to email.“Hey, ladies,” I would say, “here’s this cool futuristic way tocommunicate. Send me an email and I’ll send you one back!”Surprisingly, this strategy was not successful, and for a long timetherewasn’tmuch Icoulddowithemail (orgirls)exceptmarvelatthepossibilities.

Of course, email eventually caught on. By 2000,when I gotmyfirst full-time office job, it was the primary form of communication.EventhoughIwasusingitmostlyforboringworkstuff,Istillthoughttherewassomethingmagicalaboutsendingelectronicmailwhizzingacrosstheglobe.

When I joined Google in 2007 and got the chance to join the

Gmailteam,Icouldhardlybelievemygoodfortune.Icouldn’thavebeenmuchmoreexcitedifI’dgottenajobasanastronaut.

Diligently, I designed ways to make Gmail better and easier touse. I worked on functional things, like a system for automaticallyorganizingmail,butalso fun things, likea tool foraddingemojis tomessagesand visual themes so that users couldpersonalize theirinboxes.

WewantedGmailtobethebestemailserviceoutthere.Andthesurest way to measure our progress was to look at how manypeopleusedGmailandhowoftentheydidso.WhenpeopleopenedupanewGmail account to try it out, did they stick around, or didtheygiveuponus?Weretheycomingbackfrequentlyenoughthatwe could be sure they liked it? Were the cool features we werebuildingevenusefultopeople?Withgiantpilesofaggregateddata,itwaspossibletofindthesethingsout.

Overtime,wecouldseeifGmailwasgrowing,andwecouldseewhetherourexperimentsweremakingtheproduct“sticky”enoughtokeep people interested. I loved thiswork. Every daywas exciting.Everyimprovementmightmakethelivesofmillionsofpeoplejustatiny bit easier. As corny as it sounds, I believed I was helping tomaketheworldabetterplace.

RedesigningYouTube

JZ

In2009,YouTubewasbestknowntomeasadestinationforfunny

catvideosandclipsofdogsskateboarding.AndI’llbehonest:WhenIwasfirstapproachedaboutjoiningtheteamasadesigner,Iwasn’ttoointerested.IknewYouTubewaspopular,butIdidn’tseehowitcouldeverbemorethanjustaquirkywebsite.

But as I learnedmore, I gotmoreexcited.Executivesexplainedtheir vision to create a new kind of television with thousands ormillionsof channels onevery possible topic. Insteadof settling forwhatwasbeingbroadcastatthemoment,YouTubewouldofferyouchannels that perfectly matched your interests. Plus, becauseanyone could post to it, it would provide a platform for aspiringfilmmakers, musicians, and other artists to get exposure for theirprojects.OnYouTube,anyonecouldbe“discovered.”

It seemed like a big opportunity, so I decided to sign up. InJanuary2010,mywifeand Imoved toSanFranciscoand I joinedtheYouTubeteam.

Afterstarting,IlearnedhowYouTube’snewvisiontranslatedintothewaywemeasuredourwork.Intheeraofskateboardingdogs,itwasallabouttheeyeballs.Howmanyvideoswerepeoplewatching?Howoftendidtheyclickonarelatedvideointhesidebar?Butwithour focusonchannels,webegan tocaremoreabout theminutes:How much time were people spending on YouTube? Were theystickingaroundforthenextvideointhechannel?Itwasanentirelynewmindset.

Inmynewjob,Ialsolearnedhowimportantthisworkwastothecompany.MyperceptionofYouTubeasaquirkyvideowebsitewasatoddswithourhugeoffice,hundredsof talentedemployees,andintense executive focus. It really hit me when my new team—assembled to redesign YouTube and make it more “channel”-oriented—wasgrantedtheuseofourCEO’sofficeasa“warroom.”

TheCEO!HecaredsomuchaboutmakingYouTubebetterthathewaswillingtogiveuphisofficeifitwouldhelpourchances.

Our efforts paid off.We launchedour big redesign in late 2011,andpeoplestartedsubscribingtochannelsandspendingmoretimewatching videos. By early 2012, the press was reporting on theresults. For example, London’s Daily Mail wrote, “YouTube issuccessfully transforming into a full-blown web TV service,” andciteddatashowingthatviewerswerestaying60percentlongerthantheyhadtheyearbefore.TheDailyMail’sanalysisreallymadeourhearts sing: “The shift is credited to YouTube’s recent relaunch,whichaddedafocusonTV-like‘Channels’andlongershows.”

Wewereelated.Our redesignofYouTubewasa rareproject inwhichvision,strategy,andexecutioncametogetherexactlyaswe’dhoped. And just like Jake, my colleagues and I loved our work.Minutebyminute,wewerebringingalittledelightintopeople’sdays.

WhyInfinityPoolsAreSoHardtoResistOkay, those are our stories. What did you notice? Of course, there’s thestereotypical Silicon Valley narrative: a bunch of idealistic nerds striving tobuild cool technology and change theworld.But if you dig deeper into thesestories,you’llfindsecretingredientsthatexplaintheirresistibleallureofInfinityPools.First,there’spassionfortechnology.Thatwasn’tfake—wefeltitthen,and

wefeelittoday.Multiplythatpassionbytensofthousandsoftechworkers,andyou get an idea of how the industry constantly churns out faster, moresophisticatedgadgetsandtechnologies.Thepeoplemakingthisstuff lovetheirwork, and they can’twait to bring the next futuristic thing to life. They trulybelievethattheirtechnologyisimprovingtheworld.Naturally,whenpeoplearepassionate about what they’re doing, they do great work. So the first secretingredient thatmakesInfinityPoolproductssuchasemailandonlinevideoso

irresistible?They’remadewithlove.Next, there’s the sophisticated measurement and capacity for continuous

improvement.AtGoogle,wedidn’thavetotrustourhunchesaboutwhatpeoplewanted; we could run experiments and get quantitative answers.Were peoplespendingmore timewatching these kinds of videos or those kinds of videos?WeretheycomingbacktoGmaildayafterdayafterday?If thenumberswereup, the improvementswereworkingandourcustomerswerehappy. Ifnot,wecould try something else. Redesigning and relaunching software isn’t exactlyeasy,butit’saheckofalotfasterthan,say,manufacturinganewmodelofcar.So the second secret ingredient is evolution: Tech products improvedramaticallyfromoneyeartothenext.The two of us eventually moved on, but we watched closely from the

sidelines.Over time, thecompetition increased.At first,GmailwasupagainstWeb-based email services such as Hotmail and Yahoo. Eventually, as morepeople started sendingmessages through social networks,Gmail competed forattentionwithFacebook.AndasiPhonesandAndroidphonesspread,Gmailhadtocompetewithsmartphoneappsaswell.ForYouTube, the competitionwas evenmore fierce.YouTube doesn’t just

compete with other video websites; it competes for your time against music,movies, video games, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And, of course, itcompeteswithtelevision;theaverageAmericanstillwatches4.3hoursofgoodold-fashioned TV every day.2 Far from fading away, television shows keepgetting better, the result of a constant race to crank out the best,most binge-worthyseries.Gmail and YouTube didn’t “win” those competitions, but the challenge

pushed themtoevolveandgrow. In2016,Gmailhad1billionusers. In2017,YouTube announced that it had reached 1.5 billion users and that on averagethoseusersspentoveronehourperdaywatchingvideos.3

Meanwhile, the competition for people’s eyeballs keeps getting tougher. In2016,Facebookannounced that its 1.65billionusers spent an averageof fiftyminutes per day across its services. The same year, Snapchat, a relativenewcomer, said its 100million users spent an average of twenty-five to thirtyminutes in the app. And that’s to say nothing of other apps and websites.Altogether, in 2017, studies showed Americans used their smartphones morethanfourhoursperday.4

This competition is the third secret ingredient that makes modern

technology so compelling. Each time one service rolls out an irresistible newfeatureorimprovement,itupstheanteforitscompetitors.Ifoneapporsiteorgame doesn’t keep you riveted, you’ve got an infinite number of options twotapsaway.Everythingisupagainsteverythingelseallthetime.It’ssurvivalofthefittest,andthesurvivorsaredamngood.ThefourthreasonInfinityPoolsaresoaddicting?Allthesetechnologiestake

advantageofthenaturalwiringofourbrains,whichevolvedinaworldwithoutmicrochips.Weevolved tobedistractible because it kept us safe fromdanger(check the flash in your peripheral vision—it might be a stalking tiger or afallingtree!).Weevolvedto lovemysteriesandstoriesbecausetheyhelpeduslearn and communicate. We evolved to love gossip and seek social statusbecausethatallowedustoformtight-knitprotectivetribes.Andweevolvedtolove unpredictable rewards, whether from a blackberry bush or a smartphonenotification, because the possibility of those rewards kept us hunting andgathering evenwhenwe returned home empty-handed.Our caveman brainsare the fourth secret ingredient. Of course we love email, video games,Facebook,Twitter,Instagram,andSnapchat—it’sliterallyinourDNA.

Don’tWaitforTechnologytoGiveBackYourTimeLook,we love technology.But there is avery seriousproblemhere.Combinethefour-plushourstheaveragepersonspendsontheirsmartphonewiththefour-plus hours the average person spendswatching television, and distraction is afull-time job. Here’s where we have to point out the (obvious) fifth secretingredient:Techcompaniesmakemoneywhenyouusetheirproducts.Theywon’t offer you small doses voluntarily; they’ll offer you a fire hose. And iftheseInfinityPoolsarehardtoresisttoday,they’llbehardertoresisttomorrow.Justtobeclear,there’snoevilempirebehinditall.Wedon’tbelievethisisan

“us vs. them” situation in which coldly calculating tech companies plot tomanipulatetheirhaplesscustomerswhilelaughingmaniacally.Wethinkthat’sabit reductionist, and it certainly doesn’t match our experience. We’ve beeninsidethosecompanies,andthey’reinhabitedbywell-meaningnerdswhowanttomakeyourdaysbetter.Forthemostpart,thenerdsaredoingjustthat,becausethebestofmodern technology is remarkable,anddelightful,and itdoesmakeour lives more convenient and more fun. When we use our smartphones tonavigateanunfamiliarcity,orhaveavideocallwithafriend,ordownloadan

entirebookinmereseconds,it’slikehavingsuperpowers.5

Butbydefault,wedon’tjustgetthebestofmoderntechnology.Wegetallofit,allthetime.Wegetfuturisticsuperpowersandaddictivedistraction,together,oneveryscreen.Thebetterthetechnologygets,thecooleroursuperpowerswillbecome—andthemoreofourtimeandattentionthemachineswillsteal.Westillbelieveinthenerds,andwehopethey’llfindcreativewaystodeliver

moresuperpowerswithlessinterruption.ButnomatterwhatAppledoestotheiPhoneorGoogledoes toAndroid, therewillalwaysbe fiercecompetition foryourattention.Youcan’twait forcompaniesorgovernment regulators togiveyourfocusback.Ifyouwantcontrol,youhavetoredesignyourownrelationshipwithtechnology.

CreateBarrierstoDistractionProduct designers like us have spent decades removing barriers tomake theseproductsaseasytoaccessaspossible.ThekeytogettingintoLasermodeandfocusingonyourHighlightistobringthosebarriersback.Inthefollowingpages,we’llofferyouavarietyoftacticsdesignedtomakeit

easiertogetintoandstayinLasermode,fromsettingupyourowndistraction-free smartphone to rearranging your living room furniture to make TV lessconvenient.These tactics are all based on the same philosophy:The bestway to defeat

distractionistomakeithardertoreact.ByaddingafewstepsthatgetinthewayofcheckingFacebook,catchinguponthenews,orturningontheTV,youcanshort-circuitthecyclethatmakestheseproductssosticky.Afterjustafewdays,you’ll have a new set of defaults:You’ll go from distracted to focused, fromreactive to intentional, and from overwhelmed to in control. It’s all aboutcreating a little inconvenience.When distraction is hard to access, you don’thavetoworryaboutwillpower.Youcanchannelyourenergyintomakingtimeinsteadofwastingit.WhenyouimmerseyourselfinLasermoderatherthanping-pongingbetween

distraction and attention, you not onlymake time forwhatmattersmost, youmakehigher-qualitytime.Everydistractionimposesacostonthedepthofyourfocus.Whenyourbrainchangescontexts—say,goingfrompaintingapicturetoansweringatextandthenbacktopaintingagain—there’saswitchingcost.Yourbrainhastoloadadifferentsetofrulesandinformationintoworkingmemory.

This“bootup”costsat leasta fewminutes,andforcomplex tasks, itcan takeeven longer. The two of us have found it can take a couple of hours ofuninterrupted writing before we’re doing our best work; sometimes it evenrequiresseveralconsecutivedaysbeforewe’reinthezone.

It’slikecompoundinterest.ThelongeryouremainfocusedonyourHighlight,themoreengagingyou’llfinditandthebetterwork(orplay)you’lldo.

ButthebenefitsofLasermodearen’tjustaboutyouandyourHighlight.Partof thereasonwe’reallsohookedondistractions is thateverybodyelse is, too.It’s thefearofmissingout—FOMO—andwe’veallgot it.Howwillwemakesmall talk if we haven’t seen the latest HBO series, or read the latest Trumptweets,orstudiedthecoolfeaturesofthebrand-newiPhone?Everybodyelseisdoingit,andwedon’twanttogetleftbehind.Wewanttoencourageyoutolookatthisabitdifferently:asanopportunityto

standout,but inagoodway. Ifyouchangeyourpriorities,peoplewillnotice.Your actions show others what’s important to you. When your friends, yourcoworkers,andyourkidsandfamilyseeyoubeing intentionalwithyour time,

you’llgivethempermissiontoquestiontheirown“alwayson”defaultandstepawayfromtheirownInfinityPools.Youaren’tjustmakingtimeforyourselfandyourownHighlight;you’realsosettingagoodexample for thepeoplearoundyou.NextupareourLasertactics:methodsfortakingcontrolofyourphone,apps,

inboxes,andTV,aswellastricksforgettingintoLasermodeandstayingtheresoyoucanenjoyyourHighlight.

LASERTACTICS

BetheBossofYourPhone

17.TryaDistraction-FreePhone

18.LogOut

19.NixNotifications

20.ClearYourHomescreen

21.WearaWristwatch

22.LeaveDevicesBehind

17.TryaDistraction-FreePhone

Andyetitwouldbeareliefinawaynottobebotheredwithitanymore…SometimesIhavefeltitwaslikeaneyelookingat

me…IfoundIcouldn’trestwithoutitinmypocket.—BILBOBAGGINS

Removingemail andother InfinityPoolapps fromourphonesmightbe thesimplest, most powerful change we’ve made to reclaim time and attention.We’ve both had distraction-free phones since 2012, and not only have wesurvived, we’ve thrived—becoming more effective in our work and justgenerallyenjoyingourdaysmore.

Jake

MyphoneusedtocalltomefrommypocketthewaytheRingcalledto Bilbo Baggins. The second I felt even the slightest twinge ofboredom,myphonewouldappear in thepalmofmyhandas ifbymagic. Now, without Infinity Pool apps, I feel less twitchy. ThosemomentswhenIusedtoinstinctivelyreachformyphone,I’mforcedtopause—anditturnsoutthosemomentsarenotsoboringafterall.

JZ

A distraction-free phone restores a feeling of quiet throughout myday.TheslowerpaceofattentionisnotonlyhelpfulwhenI’mtrying

toget intoLasermode; it’salsojustamorepleasantwaytospendtime.

Butwhenpeoplelearnaboutourdeviantlifestyle,theyoftenthinkwe’renuts.Whydon’twejustsavemoneyanduseaflipphone?Well, here’s the thing: Even after you get rid of all the Infinity Pools, a

smartphoneisstillamagicaldevice.Frommapsanddrivingdirections,tomusicandpodcasts,tothecalendarandcamera,thereareplentyofappsthatenhanceourday-to-dayexistencewithoutstealingourtime.

And we’ll be honest:We think smartphones are cool. In addition to beingdorksabouttime,we’realsodorkswholovegadgets.In2007,JZwaitedinlineforthefirstiPhone.Tenyearslater,Jakestayedupintotheweehourstoorderthe iPhone X on its release date. We love our phones—we just don’t wanteverything they offer, all the time.With a distraction-free phonewe can turnback the clock to a (slightly) simpler time when it was easier to unplug andsustainattentionwhilealsoenjoyingthebestofmoderntechnology.Ofcourse,adistraction-freephoneisn’tforeveryone.Tosome,theideaofa

smartphone without social media,Web browsers, and email sounds nuts, andwe’rewillingtoadmit thatsomepeoplemighthavebetterself-control thanwedo.Maybeyoudon’t constantly feel anoverpoweringurge topullyourphoneoutofyourpocket.Maybeyou’refirmlyincontrolofyouremailandnewsfeedsratherthantheotherwayaround.All the same, we believe everybody’s paying some cognitive cost for the

constantly updating information at our fingertips. Maybe you don’t have ablatant distraction problem the way we do, but there’s a good chance yourphone’sdefaultscouldbemoreconducivetofocus.Soevenifyoualreadyfeelin control of your phone,we encourage you to try going distraction-free as ashortexperiment.Itmightnotstick,butitwillgiveyouachancetoreconsideryourdefaults.Here,inanutshell,ishowtosetupyourowndistraction-freephone(youcan

also find a detailed guidewith screenshots for both iPhones andAndroids onmaketimebook.com):

1.Deletesocialapps.First, delete Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and so on (includingwhatever else has been invented since we wrote this). Don’t worry. If youchangeyourmindlater,itisveryeasytoinstalltheseappsagain.

2.DeleteotherInfinityPools.Anythingwithan infinite supplyof interestingcontent shouldbedeleted.Thisincludes games, news apps, and streaming video like YouTube. If youmightrefreshitobsessivelyand/orlosehourswithoutmeaningto,getridofit.

3.Deleteemailandremoveyouraccount.Email is both an alluring Infinity Pool and the beating heart of the BusyBandwagon.Andbecauseitcanbedifficult towriteproperrepliestoemailonthephone(becauseof time limitationsand thechallengesof typingona touchscreen),it’softenanxiety-provokingaswell.Wecheckemailonourphonestocatch up, but the result is usually just a reminder that we’re falling behind.Removeemailfromyourphoneandyou’llremovealotofstressalongwithit.Emailaccountsusuallyaredeeplyintegratedintothedevice,soinadditionto

deleting any email apps, you may want to go into your phone’s settings andactuallyremoveyouremailaccount.Yourphonewillissueadirewarningaboutthis (“Are you sure you want to remove your email account?”), but don’t bedeterred.Again,ifyouchangeyourmindlater,it’ssimplyamatterofreenteringyourlog-ininfo.

4.RemovetheWebbrowser.Finally, you need to disable the Swiss Army knife of distraction: the Webbrowser. You’ll probably have to venture back into the settings to make thischange.

5.Keepeverythingelse.Aswementionedabove,therearestilllotsofamazingappsthatarenotInfinityPools:onesthatmakeourlivesunquestionablymoreconvenientwithoutsuckingus into a vortex of distraction.Maps, for example, have an infinite amount ofcontent,butfewpeopleareevertemptedtobrowsemapsofrandomcities.EvenappssuchasSpotifyandAppleMusicarerelativelyharmless;sure,thereareaninfinite number of songs and podcasts out there, but you’re unlikely to beoverwhelmedby theurge to surf through theBeatles’ back catalog.The samegoes for Lyft, Uber, food delivery apps, calendar apps, weather apps,productivityapps,andtravelapps.Bottomline:Ifanappisatoolorifitdoesn’tmakeyoutwitchy,keepit.Again, yourdistraction-freephone canbe an experiment; youdon’t need to

committoitfortherestofyourlife.Giveittwenty-fourhours,aweek,orevenamonth.Ofcourse,therewillbetimeswhenyousincerelyhavetouseyouremailorabrowser,andwhenthathappens,youcantemporarilyreenabletheappsyouneed for the task at hand.The key thing here is that you’re using your phoneintentionally—it’s not using you. And when you’re done, you set the defaultbackto“off.”Wethinkyou’lllovelifewithadistraction-freephone.Asonereaderwhowas

justgettingstartedsaid,“IspentthepastweekwithadisablediPhone,andit’sbeen WONDERFUL. I thought I would miss it so much more than I do.”Anotherreaderusedatime-trackingapptorecordheriPhoneusagebeforeandaftergoingdistraction-freeandwasshockedbytheresult:“GettingridofemailandSafari isconsistentlygettingmeoffmyphoneforanextra2.5hourseachday,andonsomedayswaymore.”That’sprettyamazing; imagine recoveringoneortwohoursperdaywithsuchasimplechange!Themost important rewardofadistraction-freephone is reclaimingcontrol.

Onceyoucontrolthedefaults,you’retheboss.Andthat’showitshouldbe.

18.LogOutTypinginyourusernameandpasswordisahassle,sowebsitesandappsmakesureyoudon’thavetodoitveryoften.Theyencourageyoutostayloggedin,leavingthedoortodistractionwideopen.But you can change the default. When you’re done using email, Twitter,

Facebook, orwhatever, log out. The option is available on everywebsite andalsoineveryapponeverysmartphone.Itmightnotbeobvious,butit’salwayspossible.Andnexttimetheyaskifyouwantto“Remembermeonthisdevice,”don’tcheckthebox.

JZ

Logging out wasn’t enough of a speed bump for my distractiblebrain, so I supercharged this tactic by changingmy passwords tosomething crazy, annoying to type, and impossible to remember.Personally, I like e$yQK@iYu, but that’s just me. I store mypasswords in a password manager app so that I can sign in ifnecessary,butit’sintentionallyahassle.Remember,addingfrictionisthekeytoavoidingInfinityPoolsandstayinginLasermode.

19.NixNotificationsIdonotlikethisonesowell.Allhedoesisyell,yell,yell….Thisoneisquietasamouse.Iliketohavehiminthehouse.

—DR.SEUSS

App makers are very pushy when it comes to notifications. Who can blame

them?All theother appsaredoing it.Andwitheverythingelse screaming foryourattention,iftheyaren’tpushy,howwouldyoupossiblyremembertheirappexists?You’dprobablyuseitonlywhenyouneededto.Whatadarnedshame!6

Notificationsarenotyourfriends.They’renonstopattentionthieves.Whetheror not you try a distraction-free phone, you should at the very least turn offalmostallnotifications.Here’show.

1. Go into your phone’s settings, find the list of notifications, and turnthemoffonebyone.

2. Leaveonlythereallycriticalandusefulonesenabled,suchascalendarremindersandtextmessages.

3. Be sure to turn off email and instant messaging notifications. Thesealertsfeelcritical,whichmakesthemallthemoreinsidious,butthetruthis thatmostofuscan livewithout them.Try leaving justoneway forpeople to interrupt you with time-sensitive things (text messages, forexample).

4. Whenever a new app asks “Is it okay to show notifications?” choose“No.”

5. Giveitforty-eighthoursoraweek.Seehowyoufeel.

By turning off your notifications, you’ll teach your phone some manners.You’lltransformitfromanonstopblabberingloudmouthintoapolitebearerofimportantnews—thekindoffriendyou’dactuallywantinyourlife.

20.ClearYourHomescreenYourphoneisdesignedforspeed.Scanyourfaceorfingerprintandyou’re in.And most people keep their favorite apps right on their homescreen forimmediateaccess.Scan,tap,app!Thisfriction-freeprocessisgreatwhenyou’regettingdrivingdirections,butwhenyou’retryingtogetintoLasermode,it’sanautobahntodistraction.Toslowthingsdown,trymakingyourhomescreenblank.Movealltheicons

tothenextscreenover(andfromthesecondscreentothethirdandsoon).Don’tleave anything behind on that first screen except a nice clean view of yourbeautifulbackgroundimage.

Ablankhomescreenprovidesatinymomentofquieteverytimeyouuseyourphone.It’sanintentionalinconvenience,asmallpause—aspeedbumpkeepingdistraction one step away. If you unlocked your phone reflexively, a blankhomescreen offers you a moment to ask yourself, “Do I really want to bedistractedrightnow?”

Jake

I like to take thisastep furtherbyhavingonlyonerowofappsoneachscreen(seethispage).It’sprobablybecauseI’maneatfreak,butthesimplicitymakesmefeelcalmerandmoreincontrol.

21.WearaWristwatchIn 1714, the British government offered a £20,000 prize (that’s $5million in2018money) to anyonewho could invent a portable clock that could be usedaboardships.Ittooknearlyfiftyyearsanddozensofprototypesuntilfinally,in1761, John Harrison created the first “chronometer.” It was a technologicalmarvel that changed the world even though it was only barely portable—theclock had to be mounted in a special cabinet and stowed belowdecks for itsmaidenvoyageacrosstheAtlanticOceanaboardtheHMSDeptford.7

Todayyoucanbuyaportableclock—thatis,adigitalquartzwristwatch—fortenbucks.It’salwaysaccurate.It’slightweightandwaterproof.Itcanwakeyouupafteranaporremindyoutotakedinneroutoftheoven.It’sanamazingpieceoftechnology.But we like wearing watches for a very different reason: A wristwatch

replaces the need to check your phonewhenever youwant to know the time.Andifyou’reanythinglikeus,aquicktimecheckonyourphoneoftenpullsyouintoanInfinityPool,especiallywhenthere’sanotificationonthescreen.Ifyouwearawatch,youcankeepyoursmartphoneoutofsight.Andwhenit’soutofsight,it’seasiertoignore.

JZ

In 2010, I bought a simple Timex off the clearance rack at asporting-goods store to wear sailing. But once I put it on, I didn’twanttotakeitoff.This$17watchwasjustsouseful—betterinmanyways than a smartphone even—because its screen never crackedandthebatterylastedbasicallyforever.

22.LeaveDevicesBehind

Twiceaweek,ourfriendChrisPalmierileaveshislaptopandphoneattheofficeandgoeshomedevice-free.ChrisrunsabusyconsultingagencyinTokyo,butonthosetwoeveningshecan’tcheckemail.Hecan’teventext.Untilhegoestoworkthenextday,he’scutoff.Inconvenient?Definitely.ButChris says the temporary isolation ismadeup

for by improved focus—and sleep. On his device-free nights, he falls asleepearlier(11:30p.m. insteadof1:00a.m.),sleepsmoredeeply,andrarelywakesupinthemiddleofthenight.Heevenremembershisdreamsinthemorning…whichweassumeisagoodthing.Leavingyourdevicesbehindisahelpfultacticwhenyouwanttomaketime

foran“offline”Highlightlikereadingtoyourkidsorworkingonaprojectwithyourhands.Butifleavingyourphoneatworksoundsterrifying(orifyouhavealegitimate need to use it, like for emergency contact), you can apply theunderlyingprincipleofdeviceseparationwithlessextrememethods.Insteadofkeepingyourphonebyyoursidewhenyougethome,putitinadraweroronashelf;betterstill,stowitinyourbagandshutyourbaginthecloset.

JZ

When I’moutandabout, Iusuallycarrymyphone inmybag.Andwhen I get home, I put my bag on a shelf and go about my life.Sometimes I forget about my phone for hours. It’s a small dailyreminderthatlifegoesonwithoutmysmartphone.

LASERTACTICS

StayOutofInfinityPools

23.SkiptheMorningCheckIn

24.BlockDistractionKryptonite

25.IgnoretheNews

26.PutYourToysAway

27.FlyWithoutWi-Fi

28.PutaTimerontheInternet

29.CanceltheInternet

30.WatchOutforTimeCraters

31.TradeFakeWinsforRealWins

32.TurnDistractionsintoTools

33.BecomeaFair-WeatherFan

23.SkiptheMorningCheckInWhen you wake up in the morning, whether you slept for five hours or ten,you’vehadanicelongbreakfromtheBusyBandwagonandtheInfinityPools.Thisisagoldenmoment.Thedayisfresh,yourbrainisrested,andyouhavenoreasonto feeldistractedyet.Nonewsitemstostressabout,noworkemails tostewover.Savor it.Don’t reach for email,Twitter, Facebook, or the news right away.

It’svery tempting todoacheckin first thing in themorningandget the latestupdates;afterall,somethingintheworldalwayschangesovernight.Butassoonasyoufireupthatscreen,youstartatug-of-warofattentionbetweenthepresentmomentandeverythingoutthereontheInternet.Put it off. The longer you postpone themorning checkin—until 9 a.m., 10

a.m., or even after lunch—the longer you preserve that feeling of rested calmandtheeasieritistogetintoLasermode.

JZ

Skipping the morning checkin is essential to my morning routine(describedintactic#14).ThemorningisprimetimeformyHighlight,which usually involves the computer. So each night I domyself afavorbyclosingallmybrowsertabs(#26)andloggingoutofTwitterand Facebook (#18). Then, after I wake up andmake coffee, I’mreadytostartmyHighlightwithoutanydistractionsfromthemorningcheckin.

24.BlockDistractionKryptoniteMostofushaveoneespeciallypowerful InfinityPoolwe justcan’t resist.We

call it “distraction Kryptonite.” Just as regular Kryptonite overwhelmsSuperman,distractionKryptonitegetspastourdefensesandsabotagesourplans.YourdistractionKryptonitemightbe somethingcommonandobvious suchasFacebook, or if you’re an oddball like JZ, it might be some obscure YahooGroup for sailboat nerds. Here’s a simple litmus test: If after spending a fewminutes(or,morelikely,afewminutesthatbecomeanhour)withthiswebsiteorappyoufeelregret,it’sprobablyKryptonite.Thereareanumberofways toblockKryptonite,dependingonhowserious

youwanttogetandhowseriousyouraddictionis.IfyourKryptoniteisasocialnetwork, email, or anything that requires a password, logging out might beenoughtoslowyoudown(#18).IfyourKryptoniteisaspecificwebsite,youcanblockitorturnofftheInternetaltogetherduringyourLasertime(#28).Tostepit up, you can remove the app or account or browser from your smartphone(#17).A reader named Francis told us about the experience of blocking his

Kryptonite,Hacker News, a website packed with stories about tech startups.Whenhewent cold turkey,Francis said,hemissed the interestingarticles andintelligent discussion on the site’s comment boards. But the reward was asurprisingboost tohisemotionalwell-being:“I’mnolongerrefreshingthesitefortytimesadayandcomparingmyselftoahighlightreelofstartupexits.”A reader namedHarriette had amore extreme story. Harriette’s Kryptonite

wasFacebook,andforheritwasmorethanadistraction—itwasanunhealthyaddiction.“Iwasgluedtomyphoneinaconstantstateofanxiety,compelledtorespondtoeverymessage.Mycubicleisopentoview,andIhadstoppedeventryingtoemulatetheappearanceofworking.”Harriette realized she couldn’t keep this up—Facebook had taken over her

life.Soshedecidedtogiveitupforaweekandremoveditfromallherdevices.Itwaschallenging,ofcourse,butwhentheweekwasover,shedidn’twanttogoback.“Thethoughtofreturningtosocialmediarepulsedme,soIdecidedtogoanotherweekwithout.Twoweeksbecametwomonthsandnowtenmonths.”Admittedly, giving up Facebook was not without drawbacks. Many of her

friendscoordinatedget-togethersonFacebookandwouldn’tmakeanexception.“I was completely out of the loop. I only have contact with these longtimefriendswhenIinitiateplans—onlyahandfuloftimesinthelastfewmonths.”Butstill,shedidn’tgoback.“Despitetheconsequences,Iamsomuchhappier

now.Dramatically,drasticallyhappier.WhenI‘hitbottom,’IfeltlikeIhadlost

control of my own brain. There is no social media meme or planningconveniencethatcancompetewiththefeelingofhavingmymindback.”Harriette found that although some friendships fizzled without Facebook,

othersgot stronger.Thepeoplewho reallywanted to spend timewithher—orwho she reallywanted to see—foundways to contact her byphone, email, ortext.“I’mnotexactlyincommunicado,”saysHarriette.“ButI’mnotgoingbacktotheInfinityPoolanytimesoon.”Harriette’s experience with Facebook is certainly an extreme example, but

we’veheardcountlesssimilarstories.WhenyoustepawayfromyourdistractionKryptonite,therecanbearealfeelingofcatharsis—ofjoy,relief,andfreedom.Wefearbeingoutoftheloop,butoncewe’reoutthere,werealizeit’sactuallykindofnice.

25.IgnoretheNewsIcangatherallthenewsIneedontheweatherreport.

—PAULSIMON,“THEONLYLIVINGBOYINNEWYORK”

Thewholeconceptofbreakingnewsrunsonaverypotentmyth:Youneed toknow what’s going on around the world, and you need to know now. Smartpeoplefollowthenews.Responsiblepeoplefollowthenews.Grown-upsfollowthenews.Don’tthey?We’ve got some breaking news of our own: You don’t need to follow the

dailynews.Truebreakingnewswill findyou, and the rest isn’turgentor justdoesn’tmatter.To seewhatwemean, checkout today’snewspaper.Orgo toyour favorite

newswebsite.Lookatthetopheadlinesandthinkcriticallyabouteachone.Willthat headline change any decisions you make today? How many of thoseheadlineswillbecomeobsoletebytomorrow,nextweek,ornextmonth?Howmanyofthoseheadlinesaredesignedtoprovokeanxiety?“Ifitbleeds,it

leads”isanewsroomcliché,butit’strue.Mostnewsisbadnews,andnoneofuscan shrug off the nonstop bombardment of stories about conflict, corruption,crime,andhumansufferingwithoutittakingatollonourmoodandourability

to focus. Even once-a-day news is a persistent, anxiety-provoking, outrage-incitingdistraction.We’renotsayingyouhavetocutyourselfoffcompletely.Instead,wesuggest

readingthenewsweekly.Anythinglessfrequentislikelytomakeyoufeellikeyou’reat sea,unmoored fromhumancivilization.Anythingmore frequentandyou’llfeelfoggedin,abletofocusonlyonwhat’sinfrontofyou.Thatfogcaneasilyobscuretheimportantactivitiesandpeopleyouwanttoprioritize.JZhasbeenusingtheonce-a-weeknewsstrategysince2015.HeprefersThe

Economist, a weekly magazine that summarizes the major events in sixty toeightyinformation-packedpages,butyoumightconsideranotherweeklysuchasTIME,oryoucouldsubscribetotheSundaypaper.Youmightevenscheduleatimeeveryweektositdownandbrowseyourfavoritenewswebsites.Whicheveryou choose, the important thing is to disconnect from the 24/7 breaking newscycle. It canbe a toughdistraction to shake, but it’s also a bigopportunity tomaketime(andpreserveemotionalenergy)forwhatreallymattersinyourdailylife.

JZ

IusedtofeelguiltyifIwasn’treadingthenewseveryday.Afteralotofconsideration,IrealizedthattherearethreecategoriesofthingsIwant to know about. First, I want to be aware of major trends ineconomics, politics, business, and science. Second and maybeselfishly, I care about topics thatwill affectme directly, such as achange in health-care policy. Third, I want to know aboutopportunities to support others—for example, after a naturaldisaster.ThenIrealizedIdon’tneedthedailynewsforanyofthis.BetweenreadingTheEconomist,listeningtoaweeklynewspodcastwithmywife, andhearing theeveryday talk of the town, I’mmorethanup to speed.Then,when I need to takeaction, I can alwaysresearchmore.

26.PutYourToysAwayYourreallifebeginsafterputtingyourhouseinorder.

—MARIEKONDO

Picture this:You’re ready toworkonyourHighlight.Maybe it’sa short storyyou’vewantedtowriteoraproposalyouneedtogetdoneforwork.Soyougrabyourlaptop,flipopenthescreen,typeinyourpassword,and…“LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!” Every browser tab

screams at you. Your email automatically refreshes to show a dozen newmessages. Facebook, Twitter, CNN…headlines flash, notifications pop up allovertheplace.Youcan’tstartonyourHighlightjustyet—you’vegottotendtothosetabsfirstandseewhat’snew.Nowpicturethis:Yougrabyourlaptop,flipopenthescreen,andthen…you

seeabeautifulphotographonyourdesktopandnothingelse.Nomessages.Nobrowsertabs.Yousignedoutofemailandchatattheendofthedayyesterday,confident that if something urgent came up overnight, someonewould call ortextyou.Thesilenceisblissful.You’rereadytorock.

Reacting to what’s in front of you is always easier than doing what youintend.Andwhen they’re staringyou right in the face, tasks suchascheckingemail,respondingtoachat,andreadingthenewsfeelurgentandimportant—buttheyrarelyare.IfyouwanttogetintoLasermodefaster,werecommendputtingyourtoysaway.

ThatmeanssigningoutofappslikeTwitterandFacebook,closingextratabs,andturningoffemailandchatattheendofeachday.Likeawell-behavedkid,clean up after yourselfwhen you’re done. Take it a step further and hide thebookmarksbarinyourbrowser(weknowyou’vegotacoupleofInfinityPoolsin there) and configure your browser settings so that your homepage issomething unobtrusive (like a clock) rather than something noisy (like acollectionofsitesyouvisitfrequently).Think of the twominutes it takes to straighten up after yourself as a small

investmentinyourfutureabilitytobeproactive—notreactive—withyourtime.

27.FlyWithoutWi-FiBecauseyou’reliterallybuckledintoachair,I’vealways

foundplanesaterrificspottodoalotofwritingandreadinganddrawingandthinking.

—AUSTINKLEON

Oneofourfavoritethingsaboutairplanes(apartfromthesheerwonderofflyingthroughtheair)istheenforcedfocus.Duringaflight,there’snowheretogoandnothingtodo,andeveniftherewere,theseatbeltsignrequiresyoutokeepyourbuttinyourchair.Thestrangeparalleluniverseofanairplanecabincanbetheperfectopportunitytoread,write,knit,think,orjustbebored—inagoodway.But even on an airplane, you have to change a couple of defaults tomake

time.First, ifyourseathasascreen, turn itoffwhenyousitdown.Second, ifyour airplane has Wi-Fi, don’t pay for it. Make these two choices at thebeginningofyourflight,fastenyoursafetybelt,andenjoyLasermodeat35,000feet.8

Jake

During my decade at Google, I traveled a lot, but I made a

commitment to myself not to do any work in the air. I decidedairplanetimewasmytime,andIdedicatedittowriting.Intenyears,I wrote a lot of adventure fiction in the air, and that was hugelysatisfying. Andmy coworkers never complained that I was offline.Maybe they figured some satellite glitch or chatty seat mate wastrippingme up. Ormaybe, likeme, they understood themagic ofbeingofflineinflight.

28.PutaTimerontheInternetWhenwewere growing up,we had to dial up the Internet over a phone line(crazy,right?).Downloadspeedswereslow,andwepaidbythehour.Itwasatotalpainintheass.Butdial-uphadonebigadvantage:Itforcedustobeintentional.Ifwewere

goingtoallthehassleofgettingonline,we’dbetterhaveagoodideaofwhatweweregoing todowhenwegot there.Whenwe finallydialed in,we’dhave tostayontasktoavoidwastingmoney.

Today’s always-on, superfast Internet is awonderful thing, but it’s also theworld’s biggest Infinity Pool. It can be hard to stay in Lasermodewhen youknowtheendlesspossibilitiesoftheInternetarejustmillisecondsaway.But the Internet doesn’t have to be on all the time. That’s just the default.

Whenit’stimetogetintoLasermode,tryturningtheInternetoff.Thesimplestmethodsareswitchingoff theWi-Fionyour laptopandputtingyourphone inairplane mode. But those methods are also simple to undo. It’s much more

effectivetolockyourselfout.TherearemanysoftwaretoolsfortemporarilyblockingtheInternet.Youcan

findbrowserextensionsandotherappstolimityourtimeonspecificsitesortodisable everything for a predetermined length of time. New versions of thesetoolscomeoutallthetime;youcanfindourfavoritesonmaketimebook.com.OryoucancutoffyourWi-Fiatthesource.JustplugyourInternetrouterinto

asimplevacationtimer(thekindyouusetotrickwould-bethievesbyturningonthe lightswhenyou’reoutof town)andset it toclickoffat6a.m.,9p.m.,orwhatevertimeyouwanttogetintoLasermodetoworkonyourHighlight.Or you could buy a used DeLorean, build a flux capacitor, acquire some

plutonium,andtravelbacktotheyear1994toenjoypuredial-up.Buttrustus,thevacationtimeriswayeasier.

Jake

Backonthispage,IdescribedhowImaketimeformyHighlightlateatnight.Thatwaswhen IdidmostofmywritingonSprintandmyadventurenovel.AndInevercouldhavedoneitwithoutmyvacationtimer.

EverytimeIsatdowntowriteintheevenings,I’dgetdistractedbytheInternet.Forme,theprimaryculpritsaresportsnewsandemail.Should I start writing…or should I quickly check for Seahawksnews?ShouldIrevisethatparagraph?Ugh,that’shard…instead,I’llopen my inbox…hmm, new notification from LinkedIn…I’ll archivethat…Click!

Clickbyclick,I lostthewillandthetimetowrite.Aftertwohourspassedby inablur, I’dgo tobed,dejectedbecause I’dstayeduplatefornothing.IfinallyrealizedthatifIwasgoingtogetthingsdoneatnight,Ihadtoeithergetbetterself-control(nothappening)orshutofftheInternet.Withthatinmind,Iboughta$10vacationtimer,set

ittoturnoffat9:30p.m.,andpluggedmyInternetrouterintoit.

Holy smokes. At 9:30 p.m., the kids were asleep and thehouseholdchoresweredone.Thetimerclicked.And…justlikethat,there was no inbox and no Seahawks. No Netflix, no Twitter, noMacRumors.My laptop turned intoadesert island,andmyGod, itwasbeautiful.

29.CanceltheInternetAreadernamedChryssasentusanextremetacticforgettingintoLasermode:Shedoesn’thavehomeInternetserviceatall.That’sright—noInternet.Yeah.Wow.And Chryssa’s results speak for themselves. In the year since she firstsharedthetacticwithus,sheusedherundistractedtimetowritefiction,designanewkindofpillbottle,andinventalineoftoys.She’sfocusedandprolific.CancelingyourInternetisnotquiteasextremeasitsounds,becauseyoucan

still get online by using your phone as a hotspot. But that’s slow-ish andexpensive-ishandabighassle.AsChryssaputs it,“That requiresmeto tinkerwithsettingsontwodevices,andthatsmalldeterrentisenoughtoleaveitoff99percentofthetime.”Intrigued but not quite ready to cancel your service altogether? To try this

tacticwithout complete commitment, ask abrave friend to changeyourWi-Fipasswordandkeepitsecretfromyoufortwenty-fourhours.

30.WatchOutforTimeCratersWhenJakewasakid,hisfamilytookaroadtriptoaplacecalledMeteorCrater,Arizona.MeteorCrater isnot justacoolname; it’sa realmeteorcrater in themiddleofthedesert.Tensofthousandsofyearsago,a150-foot-widechunkofrocksmashedintotheearth’ssurface,blastingacrateraboutamileindiameter.Ayoung Jake stoodon the blistered rock and imagined the awesome force ofimpact.Thecrateristhirtytimesthesizeofthemeteor!It’scrazytothinkabout

suchasmallobjectmakingsuchabighole.Or maybe it’s not so crazy. After all, the same thing happens in our daily

lives.Smalldistractionscreatemuchlargerholesinourday.Wecalltheseholes“timecraters,”andtheyworklikethis:

Jakepostsatweet.(90seconds)Over thenext twohours, Jake returns toTwitter four times to seehowhistweetisdoing.Eachtime,heskimsthenewsfeed.Twicehereadsanarticlesomebodyshared.(26minutes)Jake’stweetgetsafewretweets,whichfeelsgood,sohebeginsmentallycomposinghisnext tweet. (Twominuteshere, threeminutes there, andsoon)Jakepostsanothertweet,andthecyclebeginsalloveragain.

A tiny tweet can easily smash a thirty-minute crater in your day, and that’swithout switching costs. Each time Jake leaves Twitter and returns to hisHighlight,hehastoreloadallthecontextintohisbrainbeforehe’sbackinLasermode.9Sothattimecratermightactuallybeforty-fiveminutes,anhour,orevenmore.But it’snot justInfinityPools thatcreate timecraters.There’salsorecovery

time.A“quick”fifteen-minuteburritolunchmightcostanextrathreehoursoffoodcoma.AlatenightwatchingTVmightcostyouanhourofsleepinginandawholedayoflowenergy.Andthere’santicipation.Whenyoudon’tstartyourHighlight because you’ve got ameeting coming up in thirtyminutes, that’s atimecrater,too.Whereare the timecraters inyour life?That’sup toyou to figureout.You

can’tavoidthemall,butyoucandefinitelydodgesomeofthem,andeverytimeyoudo,you’llmaketime.

31.TradeFakeWinsforRealWinsSharingtweets,Facebookupdates,andInstagramphotoscancreatetimecraters,butthey’redangerousforanotherreason:They’refakewins.ContributingtotheconversationontheInternetfeelslikeanaccomplishment,

andourbrainstellus,“We’vedonesomework!”But99timesoutof100,thesecontributionsareinsignificant.Andtheycomeatacost—theytakeuptimeandenergy you could be using on your Highlight. Fake wins get in the way offocusingonwhatyoureallywanttodo.Like time craters, fake wins come in all shapes and sizes. Updating a

spreadsheet is a fakewin if it helps you procrastinate on the harder butmoremeaningfulprojectyouchoseasyourHighlight.Cleaningthekitchenisafakewinifitburnsuptimeyouintendedtospendwithyourkids.Andemailinboxesare a never-ending source of fake wins. Checking mail always feels like anaccomplishmentevenwhenthere’snothingnew.“Good,”saysyourbrain.“I’montopofthings!”When it’s time forLasermode, remindyourself:YourHighlight is the real

win.

32.TurnDistractionsintoToolsInfinityPools likeFacebook,Twitter,email,and thenewsaredistractions,butthatdoesn’tmeanthey’rewithoutvalue.Weallstartedusingthemforareason.Sure, at some point, a habit took hold and checking those apps became ourdefault. But underneath the automatic routine, there’s some real utility andpurpose forevery InfinityPoolapp.The trick is touse thempurposefully,notmindlessly.Whenyoufocusonanapp’spurpose,youcanchangeyourrelationshiptoit.

Insteadofreactingtoatrigger,prompt,orinterruption,youcanproactivelyuseyourfavoriteapps—evendistractingInfinityPools—astools.Here’show:

1. Start by identifying why you use a particular app. Is it purely forentertainment?Isittokeepintouchwithfriendsandfamily?Isittostayupdated on certain kinds of important news? And if so, is it actuallyaddingvaluetoyourlife?

2. Next,thinkabouthowmuchtime—perday,perweek,permonth—youwanttospendonthatactivity.Andconsiderwhetherthisappisthebestwaytoaccomplishit.Forexample,youmightuseFacebooktokeepintouchwithfamily,butisitreallythebestwaytodothat?Wouldyoubebetteroffcallingthem?

3. Finally, considerwhen and howyou’d like to use that app to achieveyourgoal.Youmight realize thatyoucan read thenewsonce aweek(#25)or saveemail for theendof theday (#34).Youmightdecide togive up Facebook except for sharing baby pictures.Once you decide,manyoftheMakeTimetacticscanhelpyouputyourplanintoactionbyrestrictingyouraccessatothertimes.

JZ

IusedtospendwaytoomuchtimebrowsingTwitteruntilIdecidedtothinkofitasatool.IdecidedIwantedtouseTwittertospreadthewordaboutmyworkandrespondtoquestionsfromreaders.Buttodothat,Irealized,Ididn’tneedmuchtime,andIdidn’tneedtoseethemain feedatall.Now, IuseTwitteronlyonmy laptop—notmyphone—and I limit myself to thirty minutes each day. To use thattimewell, Igodirectly toTwitter’snotificationsscreen (by typing intheURL),skipping thedistracting feed.Then,whenI’mdone, I logout(#18)untiltomorrow’sdailyTwittertime.

Jake

I have lessself-control thanJZ, so I useabrowserplug-in to limitmyselftojustfourminutesperday,combined,onTwitterandnewswebsites.This restrictionhas trainedme tomove fast.Acoupleoftimesaweek,Iturnoffmybrowserplug-inandtakethetimetoreplyto the most important messages…and, okay, maybe read a fewtweets. (As always, for our software recommendations, see

maketimebook.com.)

33.BecomeaFair-WeatherFanHowmuchtimedoesittaketobeasportsfan?Well,howmuchhaveyougot?Thesedaysyoucanwatcheverygameyourfavoriteteamplaysinthepreseason,regular season,andplayoffsaswell aseverygameeveryother teamplays,allfromthecomfortofyourlivingroom.Thereisayear-roundlimitlesssupplyofnews, rumors, trades, draft picks, blogs, and projections. It doesn’t stop. Youprobablycouldspendtwenty-fourhoursadaystayinguptodateandstillnotbeuptodate.Sports fandomdoesn’t just take time; it takesemotional energy.Whenyour

teamloses,itsucks—itmightbumyououtandloweryourenergyforhoursorevendays.10Evenwhenyourteamwins,theeuphoriacreatesatimecrater(#30)asyougetsuckedintowatchinghighlightsandreadingfollow-upanalysis.Sportshaveapowerfulgriponus.Theysatisfyaninnatetribalurge.Wegrow

up watching local teams with our parents, families, and friends. We discusssportswithcolleaguesandstrangers.Eachgameandseasonhasanunpredictablestory line, but (unlike real life) they all finish with clear-cut win-or-loseoutcomesthatwefinddeeplygratifying.We’renotaskingyoutogiveitallup.Wesimplysuggestthatyoustepoverto

the dark side by becoming a fair-weather fan. Watch games only on specialoccasions, likewhenyour teamis in theplayoffs.Stopreadingthenewswhenthey’re losing.Youcanstill loveyour teamyetspendyour timeonsomethingelse.

JZ

My grandma Katy grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where herdad’s high-school football coach was a man named Earl “Curly”

Lambeau. NFL fans will recognize his name: The Green BayPackersplay inastadiumcalledLambeauField,andCurlyhimselfwasoneof the foundersof the team.Longbefore football’smade-for-TVera,mygrandmawasaPackerscheerleader—on loanfromthesquadatGreenBayEastHighSchool,whereshewasastudent.

So you could say that Packers fandom is in my DNA, and thatmakesitespeciallyhardtobeafair-weatherfan.SoItakeaslightlydifferentapproach: I focusonthepartsofbeingaPackersfanthatare really, really fun. For me, that means watching games withfriends (preferably while eating bratwurst and drinking beer) andonceeverycoupleofyearsattendingafreezing-coldhomegameatLambeauField.

IcouldspendmoretimefollowingthePackers.Icouldreadteamnews, analyze the key players, and keep tabs on themduring theoffseason.And Imightenjoy footballseasona littlebitmore,but itwould takea lotmore time. Instead, I focuson thehighlights—theparts thatbringme real joy—anduse the restofmy time forotherthingsthatmatter.

LASERTACTICS

SlowYourInbox

34.DealwithEmailattheEndoftheDay

35.ScheduleEmailTime

36.EmptyYourInboxOnceaWeek

37.PretendMessagesAreLetters

38.BeSlowtoRespond

39.ResetExpectations

40.SetUpSend-OnlyEmail

41.VacationOfftheGrid

42.LockYourselfOut

Weusedtothinkanemptyemail inboxwasthehallmarkofhighproductivity.Foryears,inspiredbyexpertslikeDavidAllenandMerlinMann,wemadeitadailygoal toprocesseverysinglemessagewereceived.Jakewentsofaras tocreateanemailmanagementclassatGoogleandtrainhundredsofcoworkersonthevirtuesofanemptyinbox.The empty inbox technique is based on good logic: If you clear out your

messages,youwon’tbedistractedbythemwhileyouwork.Outofinbox,outofmind.Andthetechniqueworkswell ifyougetonlyafewemailsperday.Butlikemostofficeworkers,wegotawholelotmorethanafewmessagesperday.Eventually,ouremailtookonalifeofitsown.Weweresupposedtobeclearingitoutofthewaysothatwecoulddoourwork,butinstead,onmostdays,emailwas thework.11 Itwasaviciouscycle:Thefasterwereplied, themorereplieswe got back and the more we strengthened the expectation of immediateresponses.Aswestarted tomaketimefordailyHighlights,werealizedwehadtostop

thisfreneticemailprocessing.Sofor thelastseveralyears,we’vebeenputtingthebrakesonourinboxes.It’snoteasy.ButifyouwanttogetintoLasermodeandfinishyourHighlight,werecommendthatyoujoinusinthefightandslowdownyourowninbox.The rewardsgobeyondLasermode. Ifyoucheckemail lessoften, research

suggeststhatyou’llbelessstressedandjustasontopofthings.A2014studybytheUniversityofBritishColumbiafoundthatwhenpeoplecheckedtheiremailjust three times a day (instead of as often as they wanted), they reportedremarkably lowerstress.As researchersElizabethDunnandKostadinKushlevputit,“Cuttingbackonemailmightreducestressasmuchaspicturingyourselfswimminginthewarmwatersofatropicalislandseveraltimesaday.”Maybemore surprising, checking less often made the participants better at email.Duringtheweekwhentheycheckedthreetimesaday,peopleansweredroughlythesamenumberofmessages,buttheydidso20percentfaster.Checkingemaillessoftenmeasurablymadetime!All that said, resettingemailhabits is anotherof those things that areeasier

saidthandone.Luckily,astworecoveringemailaddicts,wecansuggestseveraltacticstochangeyourrelationshipwithyourinbox.

34.DealwithEmailattheEndoftheDayInsteadofcheckingyouremailfirstthinginthemorningandthengettingsuckedinandreactingtootherpeople’spriorities,dealwithemailattheendoftheday.Thatway,youcanuseyourprimehoursforyourHighlightandotherimportantwork.You’llprobablyhavealittlelessenergyattheendoftheday,butthatisactually a good thing when it comes to email: You’ll be less tempted toovercommitbysayingyestoeveryincomingrequestandlesslikelytobangoutamultipagemanifestowhenasimplereplywoulddo.

35.ScheduleEmailTimeTohelpestablishanewend-of-dayemailroutine,tryputtingitonyourcalendar.Yes,wewantyoutoliterallyadd“emailtime”toyourcalendar.Whenyouknowyou’vegot timesetasidelater, it’seasier toavoidwastingtimeonemailnow.And if you schedule your email time before a firm commitment such as ameetingorleavingtheoffice,you’llgetanadditionalboost:Whenemailtimeisdone,it’sdone.Doasmuchasyoucanintheallottedtime,thenmoveon.

36.EmptyYourInboxOnceaWeekWe like the clarity of an empty inbox, but we don’t like the daily timecommitment.JZmakesanemptyemailinboxaweeklygoal:Aslongashegetstoeverythingbytheendoftheweek,he’sgood.Giveitatry.Youcanstillskimyourinboxformessagesthatreallyrequireafasterresponse,butrespondonlytothose. For other urgent issues, you can ask your friends and family to contactyouvia textorphone.Andfornonurgentones,yourcolleagues (andeveryoneelse) can learn to sit tight and wait for a reply. (See tactic #39 for tips onresettingcommunicationexpectations.)

37.PretendMessagesAreLetters

A lot of email stress comes from thinking you need to constantly check andimmediatelyrespondtoeverynewmessage.Butyou’rebetterofftreatingemaillikeold-fashionedpaperletters—youknow,thekindwithenvelopesandstamps.Snailmail gets delivered only once a day.Most letters sit on your desk for awhile before you do anything about them. And for 99 percent ofcommunications,thatworksjustfine.Tryslowingdownandseeingyouremailas what it really is: just a fancy, dressed-up, high-tech version of regular oldmail.

38.BeSlowtoRespondAboveall, takingcontrolofyourinboxrequiresamentalshiftfrom“asfastaspossible” to “as slow as you can get away with.” Respond slowly to emails,chats, texts, andothermessages.Lethours, days, and sometimesweeksgobybeforeyougetbacktopeople.Thismaysoundlikeatotaljerkmove.It’snot.Inreallife,yourespondwhenpeopletalktoyou.Ifacolleaguesays,“How’d

themeetinggo?”youdon’tstarestraightaheadandpretendyoudidn’thear.Ofcoursenot—thatwouldbesuperrude.Inreal-lifeconversations,answeringrightaway is thedefault.And it’s agood default. It’s respectful andhelpful.But ifyou take the “answer right away” default into the digital world, you get introuble.Online,anyone can contact you, not just the highly relevant people in your

physicalvicinity.Theyhavequestionsabout theirpriorities—notyours—whenit’sconvenientforthem—notyou.Everytimeyoucheckyouremailoranothermessage service, you’re basically saying, “Does any random person needmytimerightnow?”Andifyourespondrightaway,you’resendinganothersignalboth to them and to yourself: “I’ll stopwhat I’m doing to put other people’sprioritiesaheadofminenomatterwhotheyareorwhattheywant.”Spelledout,thissoundsinsane.Butinstant-responseinsanityisourculture’s

defaultbehavior.It’sthecornerstoneoftheBusyBandwagon.Youcanchangethisabsurddefault.Youcancheckyourinboxrarelyandlet

messagespileuptillyougetaroundtoansweringtheminabatch(#4).YoucanrespondslowlytomakemoretimeforLasermode,andifyou’reworriedaboutcomingofflikeajerk,remindyourselfthatbeingfocusedandpresentwillmakeyoumorevaluableasacolleagueandfriend,notless.

TheBusy Bandwagon’s immediate-reply culture is powerful, and you needfaith toovercome it and changeyourmindset.Believe inyourHighlight: It isworth prioritizing over random disruption. Believe in Laser mode: You willaccomplishmorewithasingularfocusthanbyricochetingthroughyourinbox.And believe in other people: If their thing is really and truly urgent andimportant,theywilltrackyoudowninpersonoronthephone.

39.ResetExpectationsOfcourse,whenyoulimityouremailtimeorincreaseyourresponsetime,youmayneedtomanagetheexpectationsofyourcolleaguesandothers.Youcouldsaysomethinglikethis:

“I’mslowtorespondbecauseIneedtoprioritizesomeimportantprojects,butifyourmessageisurgent,sendmeatext.”

This message can be conveyed in person, via email, or even as anautoresponseorsignature.12Thewordingiscarefullydesigned.Thejustification“I need to prioritize some important projects” is eminently reasonable andsufficientlyvague.Theoffertorespondtotextmessagesprovidesanin-case-of-emergencyplan,butbecausethethresholdfortextingorcallingishigherthanitiswithchatandemail,you’llprobablybeinterruptedmuchlessoften.13

You may not even need an explicit message; your behavior can speak foritself.Forexample,atGoogleVentures,everyoneknewthatthetwoofusdidn’trespondtoemailquickly.Iftheyneededsomethingfaster,they’dtextusorfindus in the office.Butwenever issued amemo about our policy.Wewere justslow,andpeople figured itout.Thatgaveusmore time forourdesign sprintsandmoretimetowrite.Inotherwords,moretimeforLasermodeandmoretimeforourHighlights.Some work—such as sales and customer support—really does require fast

responses.Butinmostjobs,anyreputationaldamageyoumightsufferbybeingslow (probably less thanyou think)willbemore thancompensated forby theincreaseintimeforyourmostmeaningfulwork.

40.SetUpSend-OnlyEmailAlthoughnot receiving email on your phone iswonderful, sometimes it’s stillusefultohavetheabilitytosendemail.Goodnews:Youcanhaveyourcakeandeatit,too.

JZ

In 2014, when I decided to try a distraction-free iPhone, I wassurprisedathowmuchImissedtheability tosendemail. IguessIhadn’t realized justhowoften Iwould sendmyself aquicknoteorreminderor useemail to share filesor photoswithother people. Iasked on Twitterwhether a “send-only email” iPhone app existed.Peoplemadefunofme.

SoIaskedmyfriendTaylorHughes(asoftwareengineer)aboutit,andhehelpedmefigureoutthissimpletechnique:

1. Createanemailaccounttobeusedforoutgoingemailonly.You can set it up anywhere, but using one of the popularwebmailservicesmakesiteasytoaddtoyourphone.

2. Set up email forwarding so that any replies to the newaccountwill instantlygotoyournormalaccount, leavingthenewaccount’sinboxperpetuallyempty.

3. Add thenewaccount toyourphone insteadofyour regularaccount.

Taylor’ssolutionworkedbeautifully.Afewmonthslater,myfriendRizwanSattar(anothersoftwareengineer)gotintriguedbytheideaofsend-onlyemailandbuiltan iPhoneappcalledCompose.Then,

when I switched toAndroid, I foundseveral send-onlyemail apps,evenafewthatdon’trequirecreatinganewaccountatall.Youcanfindourlatestapprecommendationsonmaketimebook.com.

41.VacationOfftheGridHaveyoueverreceivedan“outofoffice”emailresponselikethis?

“I’monvacationthisweek,offthegridwithoutaccesstoemail,butI’llreplytoyourmessagewhenIreturn.”

Thesentenceconjurestheimageofsomeremoteadventure:adesolatedesertlandscape, a frozen forest in the Yukon, or perhaps some spelunking. But itdoesn’tactuallysay thepersonisinanisolatedlocationwithnocell towers.Itjustsayssheorheisn’taccessingtheInternetforaweek.Youcansaytheexactsamethingwhenyougoonvacation,nomatterwhere

you’regoing.Youcanchoose togooff thegrid. It canbehard,becausemostworkplaces have an implicit (and crazy) expectation that you’ll check emailduringyourtimeoff.Butevenifit’shard,itisusuallypossible.Andit’sworththeeffort.Lasermodematterswhenyou’reonvacation.More,

maybe,becausevacationtimeissolimitedandprecious.It’stheperfecttimetodeleteyourworkemailapp(#24)andleaveyourlaptopbehind(#22).Youcan—andshould—gooffthegridanywhereandtakearealvacation.

42.LockYourselfOutFor some (cough, cough,Jake) email is simply irresistible.Youmight look atthese strategies and want to implement them but find you don’t have thewillpower.Butthere’sstillhope:Youcanlockyourselfoutofyourinbox.

Jake

Even after all these years and even though I knowbetter, I’m stillhopelesslyinlovewithemail.Istillcheckitwheneverpossibletoseeif there’ssomethingnewandexciting inmyinbox. Iamhelplesstoresist.

Yes,Ihavezerowillpower.ButI’malsosuperstrictaboutlimitingmyemailuse.MysecretisanappcalledFreedom.WithFreedom,Icanscheduletimesto lockmyselfoutofemail. It’showIapply theDesignYourDaytactic(#13);ithelpsmemakeaplanforhowIwantto spendmy time, then forces me to stick to that plan instead ofimprovising.

To create the perfect email schedule, I asked myself a fewquestions:

Q.Inthemorning,what’stheabsolutelatestIcangetawaywithcheckingemail?

A.At10:30a.m.SinceIworkwithpeopleinEurope, if Icheckanylaterthan10:30a.m.,Imightmissawholedaybeforegettingbacktothem.

Q.HowlongdoIneedformyfirstemailcheck?

A. Thirty minutes. Any more than that and I’ll get seriouslydistracted,butanylessandImightnothavetimetorespondtoanurgentandimportantemail.

Q.What’s theabsolute latest Icandomysecondemailcheckeachday?

A.At3p.m.ThisgivesmetimetogetbacktopeopleintheUnitedStates.Moreimportant, itgivesmeplentyoftimetofocusonother

thingsintheearlyafternoon.

After doing this exercise, I set up Freedom to lock me out ofeverythingontheInternetuntil10:30a.m.ThenIhavethirtyminutesto check email beforeFreedom locksmeout again—this time justfrom email—from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m. By that point, I’ve usuallycompleted my Highlight, and it still leaves me enough time torespondtoemailsbeforetheendoftheday.

Thegreat thing is that Idon’thave tomake theharddecision tofollowthisscheduleeveryday. I justchangedmydefaultonceandlettheappexertwillpoweronmybehalf.

If you struggle with email love/addiction the way I do, create ascheduleand then lock yourself out. In fact, you cando the samething for any Infinity Pool. (See maketimebook.com for our latestlock-outsoftwarerecommendations.)

LASERTACTICS

MakeTVa“SometimesTreat”

43.Don’tWatchtheNews

44.PutYourTVintheCorner

45.DitchYourTVforaProjector

46.GoàlaCarteInsteadofAll-You-Can-Eat

47.IfYouLoveSomething,SetItFree

ThemostcorrosivepieceoftechnologythatI’veeverseeniscalledtelevision—butthen,again,television,atitsbest,is

magnificent.—STEVEJOBS

TV, we love you. You give us the experience of traveling through time andspace to experience other people’s lives. And when our brains are totallyexhausted,youhelpusrelaxandrecharge.ButthisstepinMakeTimeisabouttaking control of our attention. Remember that statistic back on this page?Americanswatch 4.3 hours of television every day—4.3 hours per day! Thatnumber is astonishing.Sorry,TV,butwe’vegotta say it:You take toomuchdamntime.Aswesee it, all thatTV time isagoldmine:a largepileofperfectlygood

hours just lying there, ready to be reclaimed. As usual, all you have to do ischangeyourdefault.Youdon’thavetothrowawayyourtelevision.Butinsteadofwatchingevery

day,makeitaspecialoccasion.Or,toborrowfromaphraseJakeandhiswifeusewiththeirkidstoexplainwhytheydon’teaticecreameveryday,makeitasometimestreat.Thischangeisn’teasy.Everydaytelevisionisapowerfuldefault,andifyour

viewinghabitsarestuckonautomaticpilot,you’renotalone.Mostlivingroomsare organized around a television. Our evenings often are planned aroundtelevision time. And at work, TV discussion is the default small talk.We allgrewupwithtelevision,sowedon’talwaysnoticehowmuchspaceittakesupinourlives.But if you buck these cultural norms, you can unlock a lot of hours.Heck,

even cutting down to one hour or less per daymightmake a huge difference.And it’s not just time—you can also unlock creative energy to use for yourHighlight.As Jake foundwithhis fiction-writingprojects, if you’re constantlyexposedtootherpeople’sideas,itcanbetoughtothinkupyourown.HerearesomeexperimentsyoucantryfortakingcontrolofTV.

43.Don’tWatchtheNewsIfyoumakeonlyonechangetoyourviewinghabits,cutthenews.TVnewsisincredibly inefficient; it’s an endless loop of talking heads, repetitive stories,advertisements, and empty sound bites. Rather than summarizing the mostimportanteventsoftheday,mostTVnewsoffersupanxiety-provokingstorieshandpickedtokeepyouagitatedandtunedin.Instead,makeahabitofreadingthenewsonceperdayorevenonceperweek(see#25).

44.PutYourTVintheCornerLiving rooms often are arranged around the television to make watching thedefaultactivity.Likethis:

Instead, rearrange the furniture so that looking at the television is a bitawkwardandinconvenient.Thisway,thedefaultactivitybecomesconversation.Likethis:

ThisideacomesfromJake’sfriendsCindyandSteve,whoaretheparentsofthree boys. “We still can and dowatch shows together,”Cindy says, “but thenew arrangementmakes itmuch easier to talk. And that black rectangle isn’tsucking all the light out of the room.”Cindy’sgot agoodpoint:A turned-offscreenjustbegstobeturnedon.Ifyoutuckitoutofsight,you’llprobablyfinditmucheasiertoresist.

45.DitchYourTVforaProjectorNexttimeyou’reinthemarketforatelevision,considerbuyingaprojectorandafold-up projection screen instead. It’s a cheaper way to get a big cinemalikedisplay.It’salsoapainintheasstosetupeverytimeyouwanttowatch.Thishassleis,ofcourse,agoodthing,becauseitswitchesthedefault tooff.You’llwanttobringouttheprojectoronlyforspecialoccasions.Andwhenyoudo,theviewingexperiencewillbegiant andawesome! It’s thebestofbothworlds: agreatviewingexperiencesometimesandmorefreetimetherestofthetime.

46.GoàlaCarteInsteadofAll-You-Can-EatThe troublewith streaming subscriptions is that there’s always something on.It’slikehavinganall-you-can-eatbuffetofdistractioninyourlivingroomatalltimes.Trycancelingcable,Netflix,HBO,Hulu,andthelike,andinsteadrentorbuymoviesandepisodesoneatatime.14Theideaistochangeyourdefaultfrom“let’sseewhat’son”to“doIreallywanttowatchsomething?”Itsoundsdrastic,butitcanbeatemporaryexperiment.Ifyouwanttogoback,theymakeitveryeasytosignupagain.

47.IfYouLoveSomething,SetItFreeYoudon’thavetogiveuptelevision,butifyoufindithardtoreduceyourhours,youmightwanttogetextremeandtrygoingcoldturkeyforamonth.UnplugtheTV,putitinthecloset,ortakeittoastoragelockertenmilesawayandhidethe

key.Dowhateveryouhavetodo—justgowithoutforamonth.Whenthemonthisup,thinkabouteverythingyoudidwiththatextratimeanddecidehowmuchofityouwanttogivebacktoyourTV.

Jake

IchangedmyTVhabitsaccidentally,whenmyfamilyandImovedtoSwitzerland in 2008.Wedecided to leave our old set behind, andendedupspendingeighteenmonthswithout television.Weweren’tcompletely cut off fromcivilization:A coupleof timesaweekwe’dpay 99 cents to download an episode of The Colbert Report andhuddlearoundthecomputer.Butmostofthetimetherewassimplynothingtowatch.

IgrewupwithTVandcouldn’trememberatimewhenitwasn’tapartofmydailylife.SoIwassurprisedtofindthatIdidn’tmissitatall.Therewasalwayssomethingtodo:eatdinnerasafamily,playwithLEGObrickswithourson,go forawalk,or read. Ifwe reallywantedtowatchamovie,wecoulddigoutaDVDandplayitonthecomputer.Wedidthat fromtimetotime,but thosebecamespecialoccasionsratherthananeverydaything.

Whenwecameback to theUnitedStates, it tookawhilebeforewerealizedwenolongerhadaTV!Andoncewedidremember,wewerehesitanttobringitbackintoourlives.We’dgrownaccustomedtohavingtheextratimeforotheractivities.WeknewthatifwegotaTVagain,we’dbeswitchingthedefaultbackto“on.”

I’ve had television inmy life as a “sometimes treat” for nearly adecadenow,and it’sbeenprettygreat. Istill lovewatchingmoviesandtheoccasionalseries,butIfeelmoreincontrolofwhenIdoit.

AndI’vebeenabletospendthatgoldmineofextratimeonwritingandhangingoutwithmysons.Just like icecream,TV issomuchmoresatisfyingwhenIhaveitoccasionallyinsteadofahugeservingeveryday.

LASERTACTICS

FindFlow

48.ShuttheDoor

49.InventaDeadline

50.ExplodeYourHighlight

51.PlayaLaserSoundTrack

52.SetaVisibleTimer

53.AvoidtheLureofFancyTools

54.StartonPaper

48.ShuttheDoor

Thecloseddoorisyourwayoftellingtheworldandyourselfthatyoumeanbusiness.—STEPHENKING,ONWRITING

Steve’s right. IfyourHighlight requires focusedwork,doyourselfa favorandshutthedoor.Ifyoudon’thavearoomwithadoor,lookforoneyoucancampout in fora fewhours.And ifyoucan’t findone,putonheadphones—even ifyoudon’tactuallyputonanymusic.Headphones and closed doors signal to everyone else that you shouldn’t be

interrupted, and they send a signal to you, too. You’re telling yourself,“EverythingIneedtopayattentiontoisrighthere.”You’retellingyourselfit’stimeforLasermode.

49.InventaDeadlineNothing’s better for focus than a deadline. When someone else is waitingexpectantlyforresults,it’saloteasiertogetintoLasermode.Thetroubleisthatdeadlinesareusuallyforthingswedread(likedoingtaxes),

not for thingswewant to do (like practicing the ukulele). But this is an easyproblemtosolve.Youcaninventadeadline.Invented deadlines are the secret ingredient in our design sprints. The team

schedulescustomerinterviewsonFridayofeverysprintweeksothatstartingonMonday,everyoneknowstheclockisticking.Theyhavetosolvetheirchallengeand build a prototype before Thursday night; after all, those strangers areshowinguponFriday!Thedeadlineistotallymadeup,butithelpsteamsstayinLasermodeforfivestraightdays.You, too, can create a deadline thatwill helpyoumake time for something

youwanttodo.Registerfora5Krun.Inviteyourfriendsoverforahomemadepastadinnerbeforeyou’velearnedhowtomakeit.Signuptoexhibitatanartshowbeforeyou’vepainted thepictures.Oryoucan simply tell a friendwhat

yourHighlightistodayandaskthemtoholdyouaccountableforgettingitdone.

JZ

Irantrackandcross-countryinhighschool,butduringfouryearsofcollege,Ididn’tmanagetogetoutforevenonejogaroundcampus.(Iwasbusyforsure,butIthinkithadmoretodowiththepizza-and-beerlifestyleIwaslivingbackthen.)SobythetimeIgraduatedandmovedtoChicago,Iwaslookingforawaytogetbackintodistancerunning.Ijustcouldn’tseemtomakethetime.

Thatfirstsummer,myfriendMattShobeaskedifIwantedtoruntheBastilleDay5K inChicago.My first reactionwas “Noway, I’mnot ready,” but then I realized that Bastille Day was more than amonth away. I had enough time to train, and Iwas looking for anexcusetogetrunning.Hellyeah,I’ddoit!ThatcommitmentwasallthemotivationIneeded.

Withan inventeddeadline, Iputmyselfonasimple trainingplanandgot towork. It turnedout thatmaking time to trainwasn’t thathard,theracewasfun,andIevenmanagedtofinishinundertwentyminutes.I’vebeenabigfanofinventeddeadlineseversince.

50.ExplodeYourHighlightWhenyou’renot surewhere to start, trybreakingyourHighlight intoa listofsmall,easy-to-dobits.Forexample,ifyourHighlightis“Planvacation,”youcanexplodeitintobitslikethese:

Checkcalendarforvacationdates.Skimguidebookandmakelistofpossibledestinations.Discussdestinationswithfamilyandchoosefavorite.Researchairfareonline.

Note that each item includes a verb. Each one is specific.And each one issmalland relativelyeasy.We learned this technique fromproductivityshamanDavidAllen,whohasthistosayaboutbreakingprojectsintophysicalactions:

Shiftingyour focus to something that yourmindperceivesasadoable,completabletaskwillcreatearealincreaseinpositiveenergy,direction,andmotivation.

In the vocabulary of Make Time, tiny doable to-dos help you buildmomentumandlockintoLasermode.SoifyourHighlightfeelsoverwhelming,addalittledynamite.

51.PlayaLaserSoundTrackIfyou’restrugglingtogetintoLasermode,tryacue.Acueisanytriggerthatcausesyoutoactconsciouslyorunconsciously.It’s

the first step in the “habit loop” Charles Duhigg describes in The Power ofHabit:First,acuepromptsyourbraintostarttheloop.Thecuetriggersyoutoperform a routine behavior without thinking, on autopilot. Finally, you get areward: some result thatmakesyourbrain feelgoodandencourages it to runthesameroutineagainthenexttimeyouencounterthecue.Manycuesexist inourenvironmentandtriggernot-so-greatbehaviors,such

as thesmellofFrenchfries that luresus intodoublecheeseburgerdebauchery.Butyoucancreateyourowncuetohelpkickoffagoodhabit,likeLasermode.We suggest usingmusic as your cue forLasermode.Try playing the same

songoralbumeverytimeyoustartyourHighlight,orchooseaspecificsongoralbumforeach typeofHighlight.Forexample,whenJake startsa super shortworkout (#64), he playsMichael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and “Beat It.”Everytime he works on his adventure novel, he plays the albumHurry Up, We’reDreamingbyM83.15Andwheneverhesitsdowntoplaytrainswithhisyounger

son,heputsonCurrentsbyTameImpala.Afterafewsongs,he’sinthezone.Themusicremindshisbrainwhichroutinetorun.Hedoesn’tplay the songsatother times—they’re reserved for these special

activities.Soaftera fewrepetitions, themusicbecomespartof thehabit loop,cuinghisbraintogetintoadistinctversionofLasermode.Tofindyourownsoundtrack,thinkofasongyoureallylikebutdon’tlisten

to all that often. Once you choose your sound track, make a commitment toyourselfthatyou’ll listentoitonlywhenyouwanttoenterLasermode.MakesureyourLasersoundtrackissomethingyoulovetohear;thatway,listeningtoitbecomesbothacueandareward.Forthoseabouttorock,wesaluteyou.

52.SetaVisibleTimerTimeisinvisible.Butitdoesn’thavetobe.We’d like to introduceyou to theTimeTimer.Andweshould sayup front

thatwedon’tgetacutofTimeTimersales,becausethiswillsoundlikeablatantsalespitch.

Quite simply,we love theTimeTimer (andwe love saying“TimeTimer”).We use Time Timers in every one of our design sprints. Jake has five TimeTimersathome.TheTimeTimerisamazing.TheTimeTimerisaspecialclockdesignedforchildren.Yousetaninterval

from one to sixty minutes, and a red disk slowly disappears as time elapses.When it gets to zero, the timer beeps. It’s very simple. It’s pure genius—itmakestimevisible.

IfyouusetheTimeTimerwhenyou’regettingintoLasermode,you’llfeelaninstant, visceral sense of urgency in a totally goodway.By showing you thattimeiselapsing,theTimeTimerwillgetyoutofocusonthetaskathand.

Jake

I often set aTimeTimerwhen I’mplayingwithmy younger son. Iknow this sounds horrible—judgeme if youmust—but it makes itcleartohimhowmuchtimewehaveandremindsmethatthistimeispreciousandfleetingandIshouldgoallinandenjoythemoment.

53.AvoidtheLureofFancyToolsWhat’s thebest to-do-list app?Themost exquisitenotepadandpen for takingnotesandsketching?Thefinestsmartwatch?Everyonehastheirfavorites.TheInternetishometomanyatreatiseaboutthe

BestThisor theCoolNewWaytoDoThat.16But thisobsessionwith tools ismisguided.Unless you’re a carpenter, amechanic, or a surgeon, choosing theperfecttoolisusuallyadistraction,yetanotherwaytostaybusyinsteadofdoingtheworkyouwanttobedoing.It’s easier to set up fancy writing software on your laptop than to actually

write the screenplay you’ve been dreaming of. It’s easier to buy JapanesenotepadsandItalianpens than toactuallystartsketching.AndunlikecheckingFacebook—which everyone knows isn’t productive—researching andmessingwithfancytoolsfeelslikework.Butitusuallyisn’t.Plus, it’seasiertogetintoLasermodewhenyouadoptsimpletoolsthatare

readilyavailable.Thatway,whensomethingbreaks,oryourbatterydies,oryouforgetyourgadgetathome,youwon’tmissabeat.

JZ

I’ve been burned by fancy tools. Back in 2006, I discovered theperfectproductivitysoftware:asimplebutpowerfulappcalledMorithatallowedforinfinitelycustomizablenotetakingandfiling.

Iwas elated, and spent countless hours configuringMori onmylaptop and loading all my projects into it. And I was right: Itwasperfect.Moribecameanextensionofmybrain.

Butafterafewmonths,thingsstartedbreakingdown.Iupgradedmy computer’s operating system, only to find that Mori wasn’tcompatible with the new version. I’d want to look at my notes athome but realize I had left my laptop at work. And then thedevelopershutdownMorialtogether.Iwasdistraught.

That’stheotherproblemwithfancytools:they’refragile.AnythingfromatechnicalglitchtomyownforgetfulnesscouldkeepmefromgettingintoLasermodeandspendingtimeonmyHighlight.

AfterMorivanished,Istartedusingsimple,readilyavailabletoolstomanagemywork:textfilesonmycomputer,notesonmyphone,basicPost-its,freehotelpens,thatsortofthing.Morethantenyearslater,myeveryday toolsworkaswellasever.Andwhenever Igettemptedbyanewfancytool,IjustrememberMori.

54.StartonPaperInourdesignsprints,wefoundthatwedidbetterworkwhenweturnedoffourlaptopsandusedpensandpaperinstead.Andthesameistrueforyourpersonalprojects.Paper improvesfocus,becauseyoucan’twaste timepickingtheperfectfont

or searching the Web instead of working on your Highlight. Paper is lessintimidating,too—whilemostsoftwareisdesignedtoguideyouthroughaseriesofstepsthatwillleadtoafinishedproduct,paperallowsyoutofindyourownwaytoacohesiveidea.Andpaperopensuppossibilities,becausewhereasWordis designed for lines of text andPowerPoint is designed for graphs and bulletpoints,onpaper,youcandoanythingatall.Nexttimeyou’restrugglingtogetintoLasermode,putawayyourcomputer

ortabletandpickupapen.

LASERTACTICS

StayintheZone

55.Makea“RandomQuestion”List

56.NoticeOneBreath

57.BeBored

58.BeStuck

59.TakeaDayOff

60.GoAllIn

GettingintoLasermodeisonlyhalfthebattle—youhavetostayinthezoneandmaintainattentiononyourHighlight.Focusishardwork,andit’sinevitablethatyou’llbetemptedbydistraction.Hereareourfavoritetechniquesforlettinggoofthattemptationandfocusingonwhatreallymatters.

55.Makea“RandomQuestion”ListIt’snaturaltofeeltwitchyforyourphoneorbrowser.You’llwonderifyouhaveanynewemail.17You’ll feel a burningdesire to knowWhowas that actor inthatmovie?18

Insteadof reacting toevery twitch,writeyourquestionsonapieceofpaper(HowmuchdowoolsockscostonAmazon?AnyFacebookupdates?).ThenyoucanstayinLasermode,secureintheknowledgethatthosepressingtopicshavebeencapturedforfutureresearch.

56.NoticeOneBreathPayattentiontothephysicalsensationsofasinglebreath:

1. Breatheinthroughyournose.Noticetheairfillingupyourchest.2. Breatheoutthroughyourmouth.Noticeyourbodysoftening.

Youcanrepeat this ifyou like,butonebreathreallycanbeenoughtoresetyourattention.Payingattention toyourbody shutsup thenoise inyourbrain.And even a pause that lasts only one breath can bring your attention back towhereyouwantit—onyourHighlight.

57.BeBoredWhen you’re deprived of distraction, you may feel bored—but boredom isactually a good thing. Boredom gives your mind a chance to wander, and

wanderingoftenleadsyoutointerestingplaces.Inseparatestudies,researchersat Penn State and the University of Central Lancashire found that bored testsubjects were better at creative problem solving than were their nonboredpeers.19Sonexttimeyouarefeelingunderstimulatedforafewminutes,justsitthere.You’rebored?Luckyyou!

58.BeStuckBeing stuck is a tiny bit different from being bored.When you’re bored, youdon’thaveanything todo,butwhenyou’restuck,youknowexactlywhatyouwant todo—yourbrain just isn’tsurehowtoproceed.Maybeyoudon’tknowwhattowritenext,orwheretobeginonanewproject.TheeasyroadoutofStucksvilleistodosomethingelse.Checkyourphone.

Dashoffanemail.TurnontheTV.Thesethingsareeasy,buttheycutintothetime you’ve made for your Highlight. Instead, just be stuck. Don’t give up.Stareattheblankscreen,orswitchtopaper,orwalkaround,butkeepyourfocusontheprojectathand.Evenwhenyourconsciousmindfeelsfrustrated,somequietpartofyourbrainisprocessingandmakingprogress.Eventually,youwillgetunstuck,andthenyou’llbegladyoudidn’tgiveup.

59.TakeaDayOffIf you’ve tried these techniques and you still don’t have Laser mode in you,don’tbeatyourselfup.Youmightneedarestday.Energy—especiallycreativeenergy—canfluctuate,andsometimesyouneedtimetoreplenishit.Mostofuscan’t take the day off work whenever we want, but you can give yourselfpermissiontotakeiteasy.Trytakingrealbreaksthroughouttheday(#80)andswitchingtoajoyfulHighlightthat’llhelpyourecharge.

60.GoAllInWebelieveinrest,butthereisanalternative.Here’satacticfromanhonest-to-

goodnessmodern-daymonk:

Youknowtheantidotetoexhaustionisnotnecessarilyrest….Theantidotetoexhaustioniswholeheartedness.

—BROTHERDAVIDSTEINDL-RAST

Okay, let’s talk about this wholeheartedness idea. Wholeheartedness iscomplete commitment, holding nothing back. It’s letting go of caution andallowing yourself to care about yourwork, a relationship, a project, anything.Throwingyourselfintothemomentwithenthusiasmandsincerity.Webelievewholeheartednessisfundamentaltoeverythingthisbookisabout:

presence,attention,andmakingtimeforwhatmatters.AndBrotherDavid’scaseforwholeheartednessisanew(forus,atleast)wayofapproachingLasermode.Ofcourse,bothphysicalrestandmentalrestareextremelyimportant.Butif

you’re feeling worn out and unable to focus, Brother David says you don’talwaysneedtotakeabreak.Sometimes,ifyougoallinandembracethecurrenttaskwithwildabandon,youmayfinditbecomeseasiertofocus.Youmayfindtheenergyisalreadythere.Thissoundslikearadicalidea,butwe’veseenithappen.We’veseenteamsin

adesignsprintgetthechancetoworkinawholeheartedway—finallyfocusingonaprojecttheyreallycareabout—andbecomefilledwithenergy.Andwe’vefeltitourselves.

Jake

ThisiswhatIexperiencedthateveningwhenIdeletedeverythingonmyphone.Before,Ihadbeensplittingmyattentionbetweenplayingwith my kids and looking at my phone. I was holding back andconserving energy. But when I went all in and threw myselfwholeheartedly intoassembling thewooden train trackandmakingchoo-choonoises,thetirednesswentaway.

JZ

IfeelthiseverytimeIgosailingoffshore.Itcanbetrulyexhausting—remainingalert,movingaroundaconstantlyshiftingboat,sleepingin two-or three-hour shifts—but it’s an experience that rewardswholeheartedness. Nomatter how I’m feeling, when I head out tosea, I embrace the challenge wholeheartedly. Any feelings ofexhaustion,stress,oruneasejustfallaway.

Wholeheartednessisnoteasy.It’sespeciallydifficultwhenyou’rereactingtoInfinityPoolsortheBusyBandwagon.Andifyou’reusedto“playingitcool,”itmaytakesomepracticebeforeyoucanletyourguarddownandletyourselfbeenthusiasticagain.Butperhapsthebiggestobstacleiswhenyourheartisn’treallyinthecurrent

task—forexample,whenyou’reworkingatajobthat’snotrightforyou.Infact,that’sthecontextforBrotherDavid’squote:Hewasadvisingafriendwhowasburnedoutatworktoleaveandfocusonhispassion.Wearen’tadvisingyoutoquityourjob,butweareremindingyouthat it’s important tobeproactiveandseekoutmomentswhenyoucanbepassionateaboutyourefforts.Ifyouchooseexcitingwaystospendyourtime,beingwholeheartedisn’tsohard.

1Weeventuallygotbacktoit.2NotetotherestoftheworldbeforeyoumakefunofusAmericans:Accordingtoa2015reportbytheBritishtelecommunicationsregulatorOfcom,Britswatch3.6hoursofTVperday,Koreans3.2,Swedes2.5,andBrazilians3.7.Acrossfifteencountries,theaveragewas3hoursand41minutesperday.SotheUSAisnumberone…butyou’renotfarbehind.

3Funfact:Thismeansthateveryday,humanswatchover1.5billionhoursofYouTube.Ifyouplayedthosevideosbacktoback,itwouldtakemorethan173,000years,whichisroughlyhowlongHomosapienshasexisted.Or,toputitanotherway,that’saheckofalotof“GangnamStyle.”

4Actually,a2017studybyafirmcalledFlurryfoundthatpeoplewerespendingoverfivehoursperdayontheirphones.Becausestudiesvary,wewentwithamoreconservativenumberfromHackerNoon,whichanalyzedresearchfromNielsen,comScore,andthePewResearchCenter,amongothers,toarriveat“morethanfourhours.”

5Foradifferent,morecriticallookatthedarksideoftechnology,weagainrecommendAdamAlter’s

IrresistibleandTristanHarris’shumanetech.comwebsite—checkoutourfurtherreadingonthispage.6Incaseitdidn’tcomethrough,we’rebeingsarcastic.7Beforethechronometer,shipshadnowayofkeepingtrackoftime—and,asaresult,theireast–westposition—onlongvoyages.ThathistoricAtlanticcrossingaboardtheDeptfordwasahugesuccess:Theship’snavigatorpredictedlandfalltowithinonemile.

8Thistacticassumesthatyou’renottravelingwithchildren.Ifyou’vegotkidswithyou,goodluck—youmayneedallthedistractionsyoucanget.

9Inoneofourfavoritestudiesever,GloriaMarkoftheUniversityofCalifornia,Irvinefoundthatittakespeopletwenty-threeminutesandfifteensecondstogetbackontaskafteraninterruption.

10ForthreemonthsaftertheSeattleSuperSonicslosttotheDenverNuggetsinthe1994NBAplayoffs,Jakehaddifficultyformingcompletesentenceswithoutburstingintotears.

11A2012studybytheMcKinseyGlobalInstituteshowedthatofficeworkersspendonly39percentoftheirtimeonrealwork.Theother61percentisspentcommunicatingandcoordinating.Inotherwords,it’sworkaboutwork,andemailaccountsfornearlyhalfofthattime.BusyBandwagon,baby!

12PropstoTimFerriss,whosebrass-knucklesapproachtoworkplaceinteractionsinThe4-HourWorkweekintroducedustotheseideas.

13Thewordbecauseispowerfulonitsown.Ina1978study,Harvardresearchersexperimentedwithcuttinginlineforthephotocopymachine(remember,itwas1978).Whentheysaid,“MayIusetheXeroxmachine?”peopleletthemcutin60percentofthetime.Butwhentheysaid,“MayIusetheXeroxmachinebecauseIhavetomakecopies?”theywereletin93percentofthetime.That’scrazy!Everyonehadtomakecopies;that’sallyoucandowithacopier.Becauseisamagicword.

14YoucanhaveNetflixàlacarte,too.It’snotanadvertisedoption,butyoucanjustwaitforashowyoureallywanttosee(e.g.,StrangerThings)andthensubscribeforamonthandimmediatelycancelafteryou’vewatchedit.Whenyourpaidmonthisover,theservicewillturnoffautomatically—andyouwillhavechangedthedefaultfrompermanenttotemporary.

15Whenwritingnonfiction,heplaysMasterofPuppetsbyMetallica,buthe’stooembarrassedtoadmitit.16Infact,discussionofgadgets,apps,tools,andgearfollowsonlycatvideosinInternetpopularity.Source:ourproprietaryStudyofLinksWe’veClicked.

17Yes,youdo.18ItwasPierceBrosnan.19Incaseyou’rewonderinghowtheresearchersboredtheirtestsubjects(wewere),PennStateusedboringvideosandtheUniversityofCentralLancashiremadepeoplecopynumbersoutofaphonebook.Researchersarejerks.

Ilikeuniversityprofessors,butyouknow…theylookupontheirbodyasaformoftransportfortheirheads,don’tthey?It’sawayofgetting

theirheadtomeetings.—SIRKENROBINSON

Sofarinthisbook,we’vetalkedaboutwaystomaketimebychoosingwheretofocus your effort, adjusting your calendar and devices, and blocking outdistractionstoboostattention.Butthere’sanother,evenmorebasicwaytomaketime.Ifyoucanincreaseyourenergyeveryday,you’llturnmomentsthatmightotherwise be lost to mental and physical fatigue into usable time for yourHighlights.

YouAreMoreThanaBrainImagineyou’vegotabatteryinsideyou.Allyourenergyisstoredinthebattery,andjustlikethebatteryinyourphoneorlaptop,itcanbechargedallthewayupto100percentorcandrainallthewaydowntozero.When your battery is empty, you’re totally exhausted—you feel wrung out

andmaybeevendepressed.Thisiswhenyou’remostlikelytogetdistractedbyInfinityPoolssuchasFacebookandemail.Thenyoufeelworsebecauseyou’retiredandyou’reannoyedatyourselfforwastingtime.That’s0percent.Itsucks.

Now imaginehow it feelswhenyourbattery is full.You’vegot a spring inyourstep.Youfeelwellrested,yourmindissharp,andyourbodyfeelsalertandalive.You’rereadytotakeonanyproject—notonlyreadybutexcited.Canyouvisualizethefeeling?Prettynice,right?That’s100percent.

ChoosingaHighlightandgettingintoLasermodearethecoreofMakeTime.But the secret sauce isEnergize.Our thesis is simple: Ifyouhaveenergy, it’seasiertomaintainyourfocusandprioritiesandavoidreactingtodistractionsanddemands.With a full battery, youhave thepower tobepresent, think clearly,andspendyourtimeonwhatmatters,notdefaulttowhat’srightinfrontofyou.To get the energy you need to maintain a focused, high-performing brain,

you’vegottotakecareofyourbody.Ofcourse,everyoneknowsourbrainsandbodiesareconnected.Butthesedays,it’seasytofeelthatthebrainistheonlypartthatmatters.Whenwesitinaconferenceroom,driveacar,useacomputer,ordinkaroundonaphone,we’relivinginourbrains.Oh,sure,ourfingerstapbuttonsandourbottomskeepusonthechair.Butforthemostpart,thebodyismerely a Segway scooter for the brain: an efficient but awkward form oftransportation.This perception of the brain and body as completely separate entities is

establishedearlyinlifeandreinforcedoften.Whenthetwoofusweregrowingup (Jake in ruralWashington State, JZ in ruralWisconsin), we exercised ourbrainsinmath,English,andsocialstudiesandexercisedourbodiesingymclassandonsports teams.Twoseparateworlds.Thebrainoverhere, thebodyoverthere.In college, our brains hadmore to do and exercisewas no longer a course

requirement.Whenwegotfull-timeofficejobs,ourbrainswerebusierstill,ourcalendars were fuller, and taking care of our bodies became even lessconvenient.Andsowedidwhatmostpeopledo:Wetriedeverytoolortrickatourdisposal tobecomemoreefficientwithourbrains—andweputourbodieson the sideline.Two separateworlds.Thebrain over here, thebodyway overthere.Thedefaultsoftoday’sworldassumethatthebrainistheonedrivingthebus,

butthat’snotreallyhowitworks.Whenyoudon’ttakecareofyourbody,yourbrain can’t do its job. If you’ve ever felt sluggish and uninspired after a biglunchorinvigoratedandclearheadedafterexercising,youknowwhatwemean.Ifyouwantenergyforyourbrain,youneedtotakecareofyourbody.Buthow?There are approximately akajillion scientific studies, books,blog

posts, and talk-show guests out there ready to tell you how to increase your

energy.Frankly, itcanbeprettyconfusing.Shouldyougetmoresleepor trainyourselftosleepless?Isaerobicexercisebest?Orstrengthtraining?Andwhenthescientificconsensus inevitablychanges—likewhen it shifted fromwarningagainsteatingfattorecommendingit—whatshouldyoudo?We’vespentyearstryingtomakesenseofallthisadvice,specificallylooking

for thebestways tobuildenergy tofuelourbrains inourquest tomakemoretime.Eventually,we realized that99percentofwhatyouneed toknowaboutincreasing your energy is right there in human history. All you need to do istravelbackintimetocheckitout.

YouAwakentotheRoarofaSaber-ToothedTigerDisoriented,yourubyoureyesandstretch.You’relyinginthegrassattheedgeofadenseforest,thepalelightofdawnfilteringthroughthetrees.Besideyouisanote:

Yourstomachgrumbles,andyourheadfeelsfuzzy.Youcouldreallygoforacappuccinoandacroissant,butItalyandFrancewon’tbeinventedformillennia.Somewhereinthedistance,anotherroarechoesoffthehills.Today,youdecide,isgoingtosuck.Butthen…itdoesn’tsuck.First, you meet a local hunter-gatherer named Urk. Urk looks like your

stereotypicalcaveman.Hewearsatunicmadefromamountainlionpeltandhasabeardthatwouldputanyhipstertoshame.

Urk is startledwhen he sees you.He postures andwaves his stone ax.Butoncehegetsagoodlookatyourabsurdclothesandhaircut,herealizesyouposenoseriousthreat.Urklaughs,yousmile,andtheiceisbroken.

Urk’s manners are coarse and his mountain lion pelt could stand a goodlaundering,buthe turnsout tobeaprettycooldude.He introducesyou tohistribe of hunter-gatherers, and they bring you along on a berry-pickingexpedition. The trek covers miles of territory, and by the time the sun sets,you’re exhausted.You share a dinner of venisonwith the crew, and then yousnuggleunderanicethickmammothhide,stareupatthestars,anddriftofftoyourbestnight’ssleepinyears.Overthenextfewweeks,thehunter-gatherersteachyousomebasics:howto

makeastoneaxofyourown,howtoidentifypoisonousplants,andhowtowaveyourhandstochasedeertowardthespearthrowers.

Every day, youwalk formiles. Every day, you also have plenty of time tokickback,shareamealwiththeothers,orspendsometimealonesharpeningaspear or just daydreaming.Your body grows strongerwhile yourmind growsmorerelaxed.Oneevening,asyouandthetribemakecampinanicebigcave,you’re struck by inspiration. “Hey, everybody,” you say. “Thiswallwould beawesomeforsomecavepaintings!Who’sin?”Ofcourse,nobodyanswers,becausetheydon’tspeakEnglish.Butyoudon’t

care. You always told yourself you’d learn to paint someday, and tomorrowyou’regonnamaketimetostart.

Welcomebacktothetwenty-firstcentury.Anddon’tworry,thisisn’tapitchtogopaleo,adoptanall-cashewdiet,orjogbarefootwithnothingbutanelkhideshielding you from the elements.We introduced you toUrk for an importantreason:Webelieve there’s a lot tobe learned—aboutbothourbodiesandourbrains—from prehistoric humans. At a time when the modern world seemscrazy, it’s helpful to remember that Homo sapiens evolved to be hunter-gatherers,notscreentappersandpencilpushers.Prehistorichumansateavarietyoffoodsandoftenwaitedallday(orlonger)

for a proper meal. Constant movement was the norm.Walking, running, andcarryingwereinterspersedwithbriefboutsofmoreintenseeffort.Yettherewasplenty of time for leisure and family: Anthropologists estimate that ancienthumans“worked”onlythirtyhoursaweek.Theylivedandworkedintight-knitcommunitiesinwhichface-to-facecommunicationwastheonlyoption.Andofcourse theygotplentyofsleep,going tobedwhenitwasdarkandrisingwiththesun.We’re the descendants of those ancient humans, but our species hasn’t

evolvednearlyasfastastheworldaroundushas.Thatmeanswe’restillwiredfor a lifestyle of constantmovement, varied but relatively sparse diets, amplequiet,plentyofface-to-facetime,andrestfulsleepthat’salignedwiththerhythmoftheday.Our modern world, nice as it is, defaults to an entirely different lifestyle.

Physicalactivitydefaultstositting.Humaninteractiondefaultstoscreens.Foodcomes wrapped in plastic, and sleep often is squeezed into our days as anafterthought.Howtheheckdidwegethere?

TheModernLifestyleIsanAccidentHomo sapiens appeared in Africa around 200,000 years ago. For the next188,000years,everybodyhadthesamejobtitle—hunter-gatherer—andourdayslookedlikeUrk’sdays.Then,around12,000yearsago,humansbeganfarming,andmostofusstoppedournomadicwaystosettledowninvillagesandtowns.(Thenameagriculturalrevolutionmakesitsoundlikeasuddenstrokeofgenius,buttheswitchwasprobablyaccidentalandoccurredgraduallyoverthecourseofseveralgenerations.)Comparedwiththelifeofahunter-gatherer,farmworkandvillagelifesucked.Leisuretimeplummeted.Violenceanddiseaseskyrocketed.Unfortunately,therewasnogoingback.1

Wekeptmovingforward.Overthecenturies,weswitchedfromwoodtofossilfuel. We mastered steam and electricity. Then, during the last couple ofcenturies, things went bonkers. We created factories. We developed thetelevisionandthenbecameobsessedwithit,changingoursleepschedulestofitin daily TV time. We invented the home computer, the Internet, and thesmartphone.Each time,wewrappedour lives around thenew invention.Eachtime,therewasnogoingback.

Today’sworldisnotautopiaplannedoutbygeniuses.It’sbeenshapedveryaccidentally by the technologies that have stuck over the last few centuries,decades, and years. We’re built for one world, but we live in another.

Underneathoursmartwatches,fancyhaircuts,andfactory-madedesignerjeans,we’reUrk.Sohowcanwefuelourcavemanbrainsandbodieswiththeenergyweneed

to do modern work? In the sea of confusing, overwhelming, and sometimescontradictoryadvicefromscientists,healthgurus,andself-helpauthors(ahem),Urkisyourbeacon.BylivinglikeUrk,yougobacktobasics—alittlebitcloserto the lifestyle humans evolved for, butwithout losing everything that’s greataboutourmodernworld.Don’tgetuswrong:Prehistorictimesweren’tallfunandgames.Urkhadzero

access toantibioticsorchocolate,andhebrushedhis teethwitha stick.But ifyouadoptafewsmallUrk-likeactivities,youcangetthebestofthetwenty-firstcenturyandthebestfromyourold-fashionedHomosapiensself.

ActLikeaCavemantoBuildEnergyThewhole idea of going back to basics represents a big opportunity:Becauselife today is so out of sync with our hunter-gatherer bodies, there’s a hugemarginforimprovement.Thehighest-yieldmethods—thatis,theonesinwhichthesmallestshiftproducesthelargestbenefit—followtheseprinciples:

1.KeepItMovingUrk was constantly walking, carrying, lifting, and working. Our bodies andbrains perform bestwhenwe’re inmotion. To charge your battery, you don’thave to train for a marathon or attend predawn boot camp. Just a twenty-tothirty-minute session can make the brain work better, reduce stress, improveyourmood,andmakeiteasiertosleepwell,providingmoreenergyforthenextday—a pretty sweet positive feedback loop. We’ll suggest lots of tactics foraddingmoremovementintoyourday.

2.EatRealFoodUrk ate what he could find and catch: vegetables, fruits, nuts, and animals.Nowadays, we’re surrounded by invented andmanufactured foods.Wewon’taskyou tooverhaulyourdietcompletely,butwewillsuggestsome tactics forshiftingyourdefaultsawayfromfakefoodandtowardeatinglikeUrk.

3.OptimizeCaffeineAllright,weknow:Coffeeshopswerefewandfarbetweeninprehistorictimes.Butwhilewe’reonthesubjectofyourbrainandbody,it’scrucialtotalkaboutcaffeine,becauseit’ssuchaneasyplacetomakeimprovementstoyourenergylevel.

4.GoOfftheGridInUrk’sworld,almostnothingeverhappened.Exceptfortheoccasionalrun-inwithamastodon,therewasnobreakingnews.Quietwasthenorm,andhumansevolvedtonotonlytoleratesilencebutuseitforproductivethoughtorfocusedwork.Today’sconstantnoiseanddistractionsareadisasterforyourenergyandyourattention span.We’ll showyoueasyways to findmomentsofquiet, liketakingabreakwithoutscreensandleavingyourheadphonesathome.

5.MakeItPersonalUrk was a social animal, interacting with friends face-to-face. Today, ourinteractionsaremostlyscreentoscreen,butyoucankickitoldschoolbyfindingthepeoplewhochargeyourbatteryandgettingtogetherinperson.It’saneasypaleolithicmoodboost.

6.SleepinaCaveAccording to a 2016 study by the University of Michigan, Americans spendaround eight hours in bed every night, as do folks in Britain, France, andCanada.Butdespitewhatseemslikeadecentamountoftimeinbed,mostofusstilldon’tgetenoughsleep.Whattheheck?Sleepqualityismoreimportantthanquantity,andourworldisfullofbarriers—fromscreenstoschedulestocaffeine—togettinggoodsleep.Urk’seveningsfollowedapredictablerhythm,hesleptin thedark, andhenever lay awake frettingover email.We’ll talk abouthowyoucanfollowhisleadtorestbetter,feelbetter,andthinkbetter.

Look,wegetit.Advicelikethis—Getmoreexercise!Eathealthier!Livelikeacaveman!—iseasytogivebuthardtofollow.That’swhy,insteadofstoppingathigh-levelphilosophies,we’reabouttogetveryspecificabouthowtoputtheseideasintopracticeonebite-sizestepatatime.Nowlet’spluginandchargethat

battery.

ENERGIZETACTICS

KeepItMoving

61.ExerciseEveryDay(butDon’tBeaHero)

62.PoundthePavement

63.InconvenienceYourself

64.SqueezeinaSuperShortWorkout

61.ExerciseEveryDay(butDon’tBeaHero)

Whatyoudoeverydaymattersmorethanwhatyoudoonceinawhile.

—GRETCHENRUBIN

Movingyourbody is thebestway tochargeyourbattery.Butyoudon’tneedlengthycomplicatedworkouts.Ourphilosophyissimple:

Exerciseforabouttwentyminutes…Research shows that the most important cognitive, health, andmoodbenefitsofexercisecanbeattainedinjusttwentyminutes.

…everyday…Theenergyandmoodboostsfromexercise lastaboutaday,so tofeel good every day, get some exercise every day. As an addedbonus,dailyhabitsareeasiertokeepthansometimeshabits.2

…(andgiveyourselfpartialcredit).Don’tstressaboutperfection. Ifyoumanage toexerciseonlyfouroutof sevendays thisweek,hey, four isbetter than three! Ifyoudon’t feel up for a twentyish-minuteworkout today, get out thereforten.Sometimesaten-minutewalkorrunorswimwillturnintotwentyorlongerbecauseitfeelssogreat—youwon’twanttostoponce you startmoving.Other times, it’ll just be tenminutes, andthat’s cool, too. It’s better than zero, and you still get an energyboost.3

Plus,thesimpleactofputtingonyourworkoutgearandgettingout

therewillstrengthenthehabit,makingiteasiertomotivateyourselfforlongerworkoutsinthefuture.

This“justenough”approachrequiresamindsetshift,becausemostofushavepreconceived notions aboutwhat exercise actually is.Often, these notions aretied up in our egos.Whetherwe identify as basketball players, rock climbers,yogis,runners,cyclists,swimmers,orwhatever,manyofushaveabiastowardactivitieswe consider “real exercise.”Anything less doesn’t count even if theideal“realexercise”doesn’tfitourlivesverywell.Moderncultureencouragestheseunrealisticexpectationsaboutexercise.Shoe

companiesexhortyoutodomore,faster,andbetter.Magazineheadlinesscreamabout newmethods to sculpt your abs and blast your core. People brag aboutrunning marathons by putting “26.2” stickers on their cars, and not to beoutdone, ultramarathoners have “50” and “100” stickers to show thosewimpyregularmarathonerswho’sboss.Howareusnormalpeoplesupposedtofeel?Doesexercisecountonlyifwe’re

training for a quadruple triathlon or pulling an eighteen-wheeler by a chainclampedbetweenourteeth?Theanswerisno.Wishthoseultramarathonersthebest,thenignorethem.Gosmallandgoeveryday—orasclosetoeverydayaspossible.Making the shift to daily doable exercise might mean giving up bragging

rights.Itmightmeanlettinggooftheidealactivityinfavoroftheworkoutyoucanactuallydoconsistently.Makingthismentalshiftistough.Wecan’tdoitforyou,butwecangiveyoupermission:It’sokaytonotbeperfect.Thereismoretoyouthanhowyousweat.

Jake

Iusedtothinkofmyselfasa“seriousbasketballplayer.”Inmymind,itwasn’trealexerciseunlessIplayedthreehoursofhoopsfourdaysa week. But with kids and a job, that amount of exercise simplywasn’t sustainable. I went through bursts of full-tilt basketball inwhich I’dplay forseveralhoursseveraldays ina row—exhausting

myself, often injuringmyself, and falling behind onwork—followedbyweeks ormonths of not doingany exercise and feeling terriblyguilty.Itwasallornothing.

I remember themoment I changedmyexercisemindset. I’d justcome into theofficeaftera three-hourbasketball session. I limpedonatwistedankleandcollapsedatmydesk,mentallyandphysicallydepleted.Ihadnoenergyleftforwork;itseemedlikemycomputermouseweighedahundredpounds.

Then a vision flashed across mymind’s eye of how I’d felt theprevious morning when I’d taken a ten-minute jog around theneighborhood,pushingmytoddlersoninastrollersothathecouldgetsome freshair. Itwas thekindof lightexercisemyathleteegoconsideredinadequate;suchashortrundidn’t“count.”YetthedayIjogged, I’d arrived at work invigorated, focused for several hours,andfinishedanimportantdesignproject.

“MyGod,” I thought, “I need to changemyapproach.”Certainly,basketball was fun and a good workout. But I was going wayoverboardeverytimeIplayed,andthatwasarecipeforexhaustionandinjury.

Rightthenandthere,Idecidedtolowermyworkoutbarandgivemyselfcreditforanyamountofexercise,nomatterhowsmall.WhenIcouldn’t (orshouldn’t)playbasketball—whichwasmostdays—I’drun,andwhenIcouldn’trun,heck,I’dtakeawalk.

My anecdotal experience matches the science. I feel better ondays when I exercise a little: less stressed, more energetic, andgenerally happier. And unlike the heroic efforts, this right-sizeeveryday exercise routine is sustainable. Running or walkingbecamea realhabit—eventually, it kindofwentonautopilot. I stillplaybasketballonce inawhile,but it’sno longer theonlyexercise

thatcounts.Andbygivingmyselfpermissiontodojustalittleeveryday,I’malothappier.

62.PoundthePavementWewere born towalk. In the history of human evolution, the ability towalkuprightactuallycamebeforeourbig,thinkingbrains.Butinthemodernworld,wedefaulttomotorizedtransportation.Mostofuscangetwhereverweneedtogobycar,bus,ortrain,andbymakingitsoeasynottowalk,thisdefaultrobsusofagreatopportunitytoenergize.To put it in technical terms, walking is really, really darned good for you.

Reports fromHarvard and theMayoClinic (amongothers) show thatwalkinghelpsyouloseweight,avoidheartdisease,reducetheriskofcancer,lowerbloodpressure, strengthen bones, and improve your mood through the release ofpainkillingendorphins.Walkingispracticallyawonderdrug.Andwalkinghelpsmaketimeyoucanusetothink,daydream,ormeditate.JZ

oftenuseswalktimetoplanandthinkabouthisHighlight.Sometimeshestartsdrafting a new chapter, blog post, or story in his head. But there’s no reasonwalkinghastobeZentime.Youcanlistentopodcastsoraudiobookswhileyouwalk.Youcaneventalkonthephone.(Dependingonwhereyouwalk,itmightbetoonoisyforseriousconversations,butcallingMomtosayhiwillworkjustfine.)A daily walk doesn’t have to be “one more thing to do.” Try substituting

walkingforyourusualmodeoftransportation.Ifthedistanceistoofar,maybeyoucanwalkpartoftheway.Jumpoffthebusortrainonestopearlyandmakethe rest of the journey on foot. Next time you drive somewhere with a bigparkinglot,skipthesearchfortheperfectspotandparkfaraway.Ifyouchangethe default from “ride when possible” to “walk when possible,” you’ll seeopportunitieseverywhere.Altogether,walkingmaybetheworld’ssimplestandmostconvenientformof

exercise,butdespitebeingeasy,itpacksapowerfulchargeforyourbattery.Toparaphrase Nancy Sinatra, your feet were made for walking—and that’s justwhattheyshoulddo.

JZ

In 2013 my office moved from the suburbs to the city, about twomiles fromhome. I decided to startwalking towork, becausewhynot? The weather is pretty nice in San Francisco, the bus wascrowded, and there was no way I was going to pay for parkingdowntown.

Aswalkingbecamemy routine, I noticedsomethingsurprising: IfeltlikeIhadmoretimewhenIwalkedtowork.Technically,walkingtooklongerthanridingordriving,butitdidn’tfeelthatway,becausewalkingcreatedtimeIcoulduseforthinkingormentallyworkingonmyHighlight.

63.InconvenienceYourselfOkay, we know walking all over the place—as we advised you to do in theprevious tactic—is pretty inconvenient. But that’s on purpose. We thinkchoosinginconvenienceisagreatwaytofindopportunitiesforexerciseoutsidethegym.Youjusthavetobewillingtoresetyourdefaultfrom“convenient”to“energizing,”likethis:

1.CookDinnerCarryinggroceries,movingaroundthekitchen,lifting,chopping,stirring—itallrequiresmovingyourbody.Forsome,cookingismeditative;it’sagreatwaytomaketimeforthinkingorreflecting.Forothers,it’sgenuinelyenjoyableandanexcuse to spend face timewith friends and family (#81).Plus, the foodyou’llmake at home is probably healthier than restaurant food and therefore moreenergizing.

2.TaketheStairsElevators are super convenient, but they’re kind of awkward, right? Whichdirectiondoyou look?Shouldyousayhi to theguyfromaccounting4orkeepyoureyesglued toyourphone?Spareyourself thesestress-inducingdecisions,keepitmoving,andtakethestairs.

3.UseaSuitcaseWithoutWheelsDitchtherollingsuitcaseandcarryyourstuffinstead.Thinkofitasaminiaturestrengthworkout,butattheairportinsteadofthegym.Yougettheidea.Thereareopportunitiestobeinconveniencedeverywhere!

Jake

Waitasecond.Thewheeledsuitcaseisthebestinventionsincefire.I’mnotgivingmineup!

Of course, we should mention that we ourselves are hypocrites. We loveconveniences, fromdelivery apps to escalators to, um, cars.Wedon’t suggestcompletelyrejectingtheconveniencesofmodernlife,justthatyousaynofromtimetotimeandmakethoseconveniencesaconsciousdecisionrather thanthedefaultwayoflife.

JZ

Remember,nobodyhastouseeverytactic.Notevenus.

64.SqueezeinaSuperShortWorkoutSometimes things that seem toogood to be true turnout to bebothgoodandtrue. That’swhywe’re fans of high-intensity interval training, an approach toexercisethatemphasizesqualityoverquantity.Inhigh-intensityintervaltraining—or,aswecallit,a“supershortworkout”—youcompleteaseriesofbriefbutintensemoves.You can choosebodyweight exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, and squats. You can sprint. You can lift weights. And you can finish aproperworkoutinaslittleasfiveortenminutes.Thebest part is that super shortworkouts are truly energizing.And it’s not

just a time-saving substitute for “real” exercise. In fact, there’s evidence thathigh-intensity exercise is better overall than the longer medium-intensityworkoutsweallthinkarenecessary.Summarizingseveralnewscientificstudies,theNewYorkTimessays:“Sevenminutesorsoofrelativelypunishingtrainingmay produce greater gains than an hour ormore of gentler exercise.”Greatergains, in less time, fornomoney,withnoequipment: It reallydoes sound toogoodtobetrue.Thistoo-good-to-be-trueworkoutmakessenseinthecontextofUrk’sworld.

Youcaneasilyimaginehimlifting,pushing,climbing,andpullingashereturnsfromasuccessfulhuntingtriporscalesapeaktogetabetterview.Asupershortworkoutshouldn’tbetheonlyexerciseyouget—butitisafast,convenientwaytochargeyourbattery.Ifyouwanttogiveitatry,hereareacoupleofoptions:

The7MinuteWorkoutBasedona2013articleintheAmericanCollegeofSportsMedicine’sHealth&FitnessJournalandpopularizedbytheNewYorkTimes,the7MinuteWorkoutcombines twelvesimple, fast,scientificallyprovenexercises intoaroutine thatlastsonly,yep, sevenminutes (thirty-secondburstswith ten secondsof rest inbetween).Youdon’tevenhavetothinkwhileyoudoit—thereareappstoguideyouthroughthemoves;seemaketimebook.comforrecommendations.

JZ’s3×3WorkoutOryoucouldbelikeJZandgoevensimpler.Threetimesaweek,completethefollowingthreesteps:

1. Asmanypush-upsaspossibleinoneset,thenrestoneminute2. Asmanysquatsaspossibleinoneset,thenrestoneminute3. Asmanylifts(pull-ups,curls,whatever)aspossibleinoneset,thenrest

oneminute

JZ

IfIdon’thavetimetogototheparktousethepull-upbar,Iliterallyjust lift thingsaroundthehouse.Likeachair,orabagofbooks,orthis end table we have that’s cut out of a tree stump. It’s notsophisticated,but itkeepsmyworkoutsshortandsimple.Plus, theact of lifting stuff (instead of weights or the handle of a gymmachine) is closer tohowourancestorsused theirmuscles in therealworld:forlifting,carrying,andpushing.

To keep from getting bored—or if the exercises are too hard at first—experimentwithvariations.Forexample,doinclinepush-upsifregularonesaretoohard.Orworkyourwayuptoone-leggedsquatsifthestandardversiongetstooeasy.Justsearchonlinefor“push-upvariations,”“squatvariations,”or“pull-upvariations”togetideas.

ENERGIZETACTICS

EatRealFood

65.EatLikeaHunter-Gatherer

66.CentralParkYourPlate

67.StayHungry

68.SnackLikeaToddler

69.GoontheDarkChocolatePlan

65.EatLikeaHunter-GathererThistacticisanunabashedhomagetoandrip-offofourheroMichaelPollan,afoodenthusiast andauthor. Inhisbestsellingbook InDefenseofFood,Pollanaddressed the “supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question ofwhatwehumansshouldeatinordertobemaximallyhealthy”:

Eatfood.Nottoomuch.Mostlyplants.

Well, we read Pollan’s books and tried his advice, and darned if it didn’twork. Eating real food—in other words, nonprocessed ingredients Urk wouldrecognize, suchasplants,nuts, fish,andmeat—madeahugedifference inourenergy levels. After all, the human body evolved to eat real food, so it’s notsurprisingthatyourengineperformsbetterwhenyougiveittheexpectedfuel.

JZ

In theearlydaysofMakeTime, Iwantedtomaketimeforcookingdinner at home. I considered it a double win: an energy-givinginconvenience (#63) and a way tomake real food a staple ofmyeveryday diet. I found that cooking with simple whole-foodingredients—likeroastedmeatwithasalad—wasmucheasierthanfollowingalongrecipepointbypoint.Forme,itwasthebestwaytomakearoutineofeatinglikeahunter-gatherer.

Jake

To resetmydefault toeatingmore likeahunter-gatherer, I had to

acknowledgethatIneedquick,easysnacksaroundatalltimesandthenplanaheadtobesurethosesnacksarenotonlytastybutalsoreal food. I buy almonds,walnuts, fruit, and peanut butter in bulk.Then,when Igethungry later, I’m readywithhigh-qualitysnacks Ilove:ahandfulofnutsandraisinsorpeanutbutteronabananaorslicedapple.(See#68formoresnacktalk.)

66.CentralParkYourPlateOnesimpletechniquetokeepmealslightandenergizingistoputsaladonyourplatefirst,thenaddeverythingelsearoundit.It’sjustlikeCentralParkinNewYork City: You’re reserving a big piece of territory for greens before youdevelop around the perimeter. More salad means less heavy food and, mostlikely,greaterenergyaftereating.

TacticBattle:Fastingvs.SnackingForJZ,fastingsharpensfocusandimprovesenergy.ForJake,theideaofgoingfromlunchtodinnerwithoutasnackprovokesanxiety.

67.StayHungry

JZ

The modern default is to eat constantly: three meals a day plussnackstokeepyoufromgettingtoohungry.Butremember,Urkwasahunter-gatherer.Hedidn’teatunlesshecollected,caught,orkilledhis food. Can you imagine going out to gather berries or hunt forbuffaloeverymorning,noon,andevening,plusanytimeinbetweenwhenyourbloodsugarstartedtofeellow?

Thepointisthatjustbecausewecaneatallthetime,thatdoesn’t

meanweshould.Eventhoughwe’reluckyenoughtoliveinaworldofabundantfood,ourbodiesarestillthesameasUrk’s,evolvedtosurviveandthriveinaworldwherefoodwasscarce.

Intermittentfastinghasbecomeabitofafad,buttherearelotsofreasonstotryitbeyondtheendorsementsofBeyoncéandBenedictCumberbatch.Foodtastesbetterwhenyou’rehungry,andtherearesome great health benefits from fasting: cardiovascular fitness,longevity, muscle development, and maybe even reduced cancerrisk.

But when it comes to energizing and making time, one benefittops themall:Fasting (toapoint)makesyourmindclearandyourbrainsharp,whichisgreatforstayingfocusedonyourpriorities.

I’ve been practicing intermittent fasting—which is just a fancynamefor“noteatingsometimes”—foracoupleofyears.Atfirst,thehungerwasdistracting.Butafterafewattempts,Igotusedtohowitfelttobehungry,andIfounditallowedmetotapintoanewreserveof mental energy.5 It’s especially useful as part of my morningroutine, in which I wake up and work for four or five hours(distraction-freeandoftenfood-freeaswell)onmyHighlight.

Don’tworry,I’mnotsuggestinggoingdayswithouteating;simplytryskippingamealorevenasnack.Ofcourse,noonewantstobetheguywhoshowsuptoabusinesslunchorabirthdaydinnerandordersa seltzerwith lime.Butmy friendKevin introducedme toafasting method that fits nicely into normal life. He’ll eat an earlydinner, thenskipbreakfastandhaveabig lunchashisnextmeal.That works out to roughly a sixteen-hour fast, and you can do itoccasionallywithoutanyonethinkingyou’retoostrange.

68.SnackLikeaToddler

Jake

Toddlers get cranky when they’re hungry.6 As a parent, I’ve seenthismanytimes.Oh,lord,somanytimes.

But it’s not the toddlers’ fault. It’s tough for a three-year-old tomake it all the way from lunch till dinner without a pick-me-up. Infact,it’stoughforalotofgrown-ups.Truthbetold,Imyselfoftengethungry and cranky without realizing it. So—unlike JZ, who avoidssnacking—Ithinkregularsnacksareagoodthing.Infact,I’mabitofasnackfanatic.IalwayscarryacoupleofKindgranolabarsinmybackpack incaseofasnackmergency. Ievenmodifiedourdesignsprintscheduletomaketimeforsnackbreaks.

When it comes to snacking, I think two things are important:choosing high-quality snacks and snacking when your body andbrainneedit,notjustforsomethingtodo.

Tokeepyourbatterycharged,pretendyou’rea toddleror,moreaccurately, the parent of a toddler. Look out for crankiness andfrustration and be prepared with a nutritious remedy. When youleavehomeinthemorning,packalittletrailmixoranapple.Ifyoufind yourself hungry and snackless, seek out real food (e.g.,bananasornuts)insteadofjunkfood(candyorchips).Youwouldn’tgive your three-year-old a pack of Twizzlers to tide him over untillunch,andyoushouldtreatyourselfwiththesamecare.Grown-upsarepeople,too.

69.GoontheDarkChocolatePlanSugar causes sugar highs, and sugar highs cause sugar crashes. Most peopleknowthatavoidingsugarytreatsisagreatwaytokeepyourenergyup,butlet’sfaceit,itcanbeprettyhardtostopeatingdesserts.Sodon’tstop.Instead,switchyourdefault.Allowyourselftohavedessertas

longasit’sdarkchocolate.Darkchocolatehaswaylesssugarthanmostothertreats,soyou’llgetlessof

acrash.Manystudies7suggestthatdarkchocolateevenhashealthbenefits.Andbecause it’s rich anddelicious, youwon’t have to eat asmuch to satisfy yourcraving. In short, dark chocolate is freaking awesome and you should have itmoreoften.8

Jake

Ihaveaserioussweet tooth,but I’vebeenon theDarkChocolatePlansince2002.ItallstartedonaroadtripfromSeattletoPortlandwithmywife,Holly.Westoppedatagasstation,whereIpurchasedand subsequently consumed a large Coke, a pack of Bottle Capscandy, and a Jolly Rancher lollipop. Riding the sugar high, Iproceeded to perform a five-minute pantomime of the video gameSuperMarioBros.,completewithsoundeffects.

Then came the cataclysmic sugar crash. I spent the rest of thedrive slumped in the passenger seat complaining about mypoundingheadachewhileHollylaughed.

TheJollyRancherIncident(asitwouldcometobeknown)finallymade the connection in my head: Eat lots of sugar, feel lousyafterward. This was around the time all those studies about thehealthbenefitsofdarkchocolatewere in thenews,soIdecidedtotry it in place ofmy normal dessert regimen. At first, I had to get

used to the bitter taste. But once my palate adapted, regulardessertsseemedmuchtoosweet.

Istilleaticecreamoracookieatleasttwiceaweek,butthoseareintentional treats.Bydefault, Ieatdarkchocolate,myenergy levelstays stable, and my wife doesn’t make fun of me…at least notabouttheJollyRancherIncident.

ENERGIZETACTICS

OptimizeCaffeine

70.WakeUpBeforeYouCaffeinate

71.CaffeinateBeforeYouCrash

72.TakeaCaffeineNap

73.MaintainAltitudewithGreenTea

74.TurboYourHighlight

75.LearnYourLastCall

76.DisconnectSugar

It’seasytogetstuckinadefaultcaffeinehabit—likepouringyourselfacoffeeeachtimeyoutakeastretchbreakatwork.Caffeineisa(mildly)addictivedrug,soevensmallunintentionalbehaviorslikedrinkingacupjusttohaveareasontogetupfromyourdeskcanquicklybecomechemicallyreinforcedhabits.Hey,nojudgment here. We’re caffeine users ourselves, as are most humans.9 Butcaffeineispowerfulstuff,andbecauseithasadirecteffectonyourenergylevel,youshoulddrinkitwithintentionratherthanonautopilot.WestartedthinkingmoreaboutcaffeineaftermeetingRyanBrown.Ryanis

serious about coffee. So serious that he’s traveled the world in search of theperfect beans, started his own coffee delivery company, worked for high-endcoffeetitansStumptownandBlueBottle,andevenwrittenabookaboutcoffee.Ryanisalsoseriousabout thewayhedrinkscoffee.Foryears,he’sscoured

everyarticleandeverynewacademicstudyoncaffeine, trying tooptimizehisenergylevelbyfiguringoutthebesttimetodrinkeachcup.Asyoucanimagine,whenheofferedtosharewhathe’ddiscovered,wewereallears.Ryan says that for him,maximizing energy startedwithunderstanding abit

about how caffeine works. To the brain, caffeine molecules look a lot like amoleculecalledadenosine,whosejobistotellthebraintoslowdownandfeelsleepyorgroggy.Adenosineishelpfulintheeveningasyougetreadyforbed.Butwhen adenosinemakes us sleepy in themorningor afternoon,weusuallyreachforcaffeine.Whencaffeineshowsup,thebrainsays,“Heygood-lookin’!”andthecaffeine

bindstothereceptorswheretheadenosineissupposedtogo.Theadenosineislefttojustfloataround,andasaresult,thebraindoesn’tgetthesleepysignal.What’s interesting in this (at least to us) is that caffeine doesn’t technically

give you an energy boost; instead, it blocks you from having an energy dipcausedbyadenosine-inducedsleepiness.Butoncethecaffeinewearsoff,allthatadenosineisstillhangingaround,readytopounce.Ifyoudon’trecaffeinate,youcrash.Andovertime,yourbodyadjuststomoreandmorecaffeinebyproducingmoreandmoreadenosinetocompensate.Thisiswhy,ifyounormallydrinklotsofcaffeine,youprobablyfeelextragroggyandheadachywhenyoudon’thaveit.Knowingallthis,Ryandevisedaperfectsystemthatallowedhimtoenjoyas

much coffee as possible, maintain steady energy, and not fry his nerves ordisrupt his sleep. In the end, his personalized formula, backed by science and

provenbyexperience,wascrazysimple:

Wakeupwithoutcaffeine(inotherwords,getoutofbed,eatbreakfast,andstartthedaywithoutanycoffee).Havethefirstcupbetween9:30and10:30a.m.Havethelastcupbetween1:30and2:30p.m.

That’sit.Mostdays,Ryandrinksonlytwoorthreecupsofcoffee.Thisisaguywhowroteabookaboutcoffee—helovesthestuff.Buthealsoknowsthatifhedrinksmoreordrinksitearlierorlater,heactuallyhaslessenergy,soinstead,helimitshisintakeandsavorseverysip.IfRyanalreadydidallthehardwork,wecanjustfollowthesameschedule,

right? Not so fast. He cautioned us that there is no one-size-fits-all formula.Every person processes and reacts to caffeine in a slightly different way,dependingonmetabolism,bodysize,tolerance,andevenDNA.Ofcourse,wedecidedtoexperimentforourselves.WhatworkedforJZdidn’t

alwaysworkforJake,andviceversa.Wehadtocustomizeourownformulas,butitwasworththetrouble—webothendedupwithsteadierenergythroughouttheday.Werecommendexperimentingwiththefollowingtacticsand,aswithallthe

tacticsinthisbook,takingnotes(thispageandthispage)totrackyourresults.Expect a lag time of three to ten days with some grogginess as your bodyadjusts.

70.WakeUpBeforeYouCaffeinateIn themorning, your body naturally produces lots of cortisol, a hormone thathelps you wake up.When cortisol is high, caffeine doesn’t domuch for you(except for temporarily relievingyour caffeine addiction symptoms).Formostfolks,cortisolishighestbetween8a.m.and9a.m.,soforidealmorningenergy,experimentwithhavingthatfirstcupofcoffeeat9:30a.m.

Jake

ImadethisswitchaftertalkingtoRyan.Before,Ialwayswokeupina caffeine-withdrawal fog. It took me a few days to get over mymorninggrogginess,butonceIdid,Ilovedwakingupalert.Andnow

IfeellikeIgetabiggerboostfrommy9:30a.m.coffee.

71.CaffeinateBeforeYouCrashThetrickythingaboutcaffeineisthatifyouwaittodrinkituntilyougettired,it’stoolate:Theadenosinehasalreadyhookedupwithyourbrain,andit’shardtoshakethelethargy.We’llrepeatthatbecauseit’sacrucialdetail:Ifyouwaituntilyougettired,it’stoolate.Instead,thinkaboutwhenyourenergyregularlydips—for most of us, it’s after lunch—and have coffee (or your caffeinatedbeverageofchoice)thirtyminutesbeforehand.Or,asanalternative…

72.TakeaCaffeineNapOne slightly complicated but high-yield way to take advantage of caffeinemechanics is towait till you get tired, drink some caffeine, then immediatelytakea fifteen-minutenap.Thecaffeine takes awhile tobeabsorbed intoyourbloodstreamandreachthebrain.Duringyourlightsleep,thebrainclearsouttheadenosine.Whenyouwakeup,thereceptorsareclearandthecaffeinehasjustshown up.You’re fresh, recharged, and ready to go. Studies have shown thatcaffeinenapsimprovecognitiveandmemoryperformancemorethancoffeeoranapalonedoes.10

JZ

IusedcaffeinenapsforanafternoonboostwhilewritingSprint.Forme,agoodfifteen-minutecaffeinenapgivesmeabouttwohoursoffocusedenergy.

73.MaintainAltitudewithGreenTeaTokeep a steady energy level throughout the day, try replacinghighdoses ofcaffeine (suchasagiantcupofbrewedcoffee)withmore frequent lowdoses.Greenteaisagreatoption.Theeasiestandcheapestwaytorunthisexperimentistobuyaboxofgreenteabagsandtrysubstitutingtwoorthreecupsofteaforevery cup of coffee you’d normally have. This keeps your energy levelmoreconsistentandsteadythroughouttheday,avoidingtheenergypeaksandvalleysyougetfromsomethingsupercaffeinatedlikecoffee.

JZ

YoualsocantrytheItaliansolution:theclassicespresso.Ifyoulikeespresso—whichIdo—andhaveaccesstoit—whichIoccasionallydo—it’sanothergreatlow-doseoption.Asingleespressoisroughlycomparabletohalfacupofcoffeeortwocupsofgreentea.

74.TurboYourHighlightLifeisalotlikethevideogameMarioKart:You’vegottouseyourturboboostsstrategically.Try to timeyour caffeine intake so that you’rewired rightwhenyou start your Highlight. Both of us apply this technique in the same simpleway:Wemakeacupofcoffeejustbeforewesitdowntowrite.

75.LearnYourLastCallJake’sfriendCamilleFlemingisadoctoroffamilymedicinewhotrainsresidentphysiciansatSwedishHospitalinSeattle.Oneofthemostcommoncomplaintsshehears frompatientsofallages isdifficultysleeping.Thefirstquestionshe

asks them—and the question she trains her students to ask—is “How muchcaffeine do you consume, and when?” Most people don’t know the answer.Otherssaysomethinglike“Oh,that’snotwhat’skeepingmeup;Ihavemylastcupofcoffeeat4p.m.”What most people (including us before Camille explained it to Jake) don’t

realize is that the half-life of caffeine is five to six hours. So if the averagepersonhasacoffeeat4p.m.,halfthecaffeineisoutofthebloodstreamby9or10 p.m., but the other half is still around. The upshot is that at least somecaffeineisblockingatleastsomeadenosinereceptorsformanyhoursafteryouhavecaffeineandverypossiblyinterferingwithyoursleepandinturnthenextday’senergy.You’ve got to experiment to figure out your own unique “Last Call for

Caffeine,”but ifyouhavetroublesleeping,your lastcallmightbeearlier thanyouthink.Experimentwithcuttingyourselfoffearlierandearlierandnoteifandwhenitbecomeseasiertofallasleep.

76.DisconnectSugarIt’snosecretthatmanycaffeinateddrinksarealsoverysugary:softdrinkssuchas Coke and Pepsi and sweetened drinks like Snapple teas and Starbucksmochas, not tomention turbocharged energy drinks such asRedBull,MachoBuzz,andPsychoJuice.11Butalthoughsugarprovidesanimmediaterush,youdon’tneedustotellyouthatitisn’tgoodforsustainedenergy.We’rerealists,andwewon’ttellyoutocutsugaroutofyourdietentirely(we

surehaven’t).Butwedosuggestyouconsiderseparatingthecaffeinefromthesweets.

Jake

Forme,caffeineused tomeanaCokeor, if Iwas feeling fancy,amocha. Switching wasn’t easy, so I transitioned gradually, usingunsweetened iced teaand icedcoffeewithcreamasmygateways

backfromthelandofsyrup.Now,ifIreallywantasugarytreatwithmycaffeine,I justhaveitseparately.Acoffeeandacookieisalotmoreenjoyablethanacoffeewithacookiedissolvedin it,whichisbasicallywhatsodais.

ENERGIZETACTICS

GoOfftheGrid

77.GetWoodsy

78.TrickYourselfintoMeditating

79.LeaveYourHeadphonesatHome

80.TakeRealBreaks

77.GetWoodsy

Thewoodssurearenice.—JAKE’SDAD

Since 1982, the Japanese government has been encouraging a practice calledshinrin-yoku, which can be translated as “forest bathing” or, more simply,“takingintheforestatmosphere.”Studiesonshinrin-yokushowthatevenbriefexposure to a forest lowers stress, heart rate, and bloodpressure.And it’s notjust in Japan; a 2008 University of Michigan study compared the cognitiveperformanceofpeoplewhohadjusttakenawalkinthecitywiththatofpeoplewhohadjusttakenawalkinapark.Thenaturewalkersdid20percentbetter.Soa littleexposure tonaturecanmakeyoumeasurablycalmerandsharper.

How does this work? The best explanation we could find comes from CalNewportinDeepWork:

Whenwalking through nature, you’re freed fromhaving to direct yourattention, as there are few challenges to navigate (like crowded streetcrossings),andexperienceenoughinterestingstimulitokeepyourmindsufficiently occupied to avoid the need to actively aim your attention.Thisstateallowsyourdirectedattentionresourcestimetoreplenish.

Inotherwords,theforestrechargesthebatteryinyourbrain.MaybeitstrikesachordwithourUrkancestry.Whatever theexplanation, it’swortha try,andyou don’t have to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Heck, you don’t even need aforest;thebenefitsseemtostartwithanynaturalsurroundings.Justexperimentwith spending a fewminutes in a park and takenote ofwhat it does for yourmentalenergy.Ifyoucan’tgettothepark,stepoutsideforabreathoffreshair.Even if you just crack a window, we predict you’ll feel better. Our hunter-gathererbodiesfeelmorealiveoutdoors.

Jake

My dad loved the woods, but he worked as a lawyer, and hisweekdaysusuallywerespentinofficesandhiscar.Sowheneverhehadabreakbetweenmeetings,he’dheadtoanearbyparkandwalkthe trails.EverySaturdayandeverySunday,he tookawalk in thewoods. Theweather didn’tmatter. Unless thewindwas so strongthat he thought a treemight fall on him, he alwaysmade time fornature.

Asakid,IthoughtDad’sforestobsessionwasalittlewacky.Butasagrown-up,Igetit.WhenIstartedmycareerandmybrainwasinundatedby theendlessnoiseandbusynessof theworkworld, Irealized something magical happened when I took a walk in thepark. It was like my brain settled down andmy thoughts becameclearer—not just during the walk but for many hours afterward.Nowadays,arunthroughthewoodsofGoldenGateParkisoneofmydailyhabits.When Igetoff thecitystreetsandhit the trail,myhead seems to loosen up andmy stress evaporates. I guessDadwasright—thewoodssurearenice.

78.TrickYourselfintoMeditatingThebenefits ofmeditation arewell documented. It reduces stress. It increaseshappiness. It recharges your brain and boosts focus. But there are problems.Meditation isdifficult,andyoumight feela little sillydoing it.Weget it.Westill feel embarrassed when we talk about meditation. In fact, we areembarrassedrightnowaswetypethesewords.Butmeditationisnothingtobeashamedof.Meditationisjustabreatherfor

yourbrain.Forhumanbeings,thinkingisthedefaultposition.Mostofthetimethisisa

good thing.Butconstant thinkingmeansyourbrainnevergets rest.Whenyoumeditate,insteadofpassivelygoingalongwiththethoughts,youstayquietand

noticethethoughts,andthatslowsthemdownandgivesyourbrainabreak.So okay, meditation is rest for your brain. But here’s the crazy thing:

Meditation is also exercise for your brain. Staying quiet and noticing yourthoughts is refreshing, but ironically, it’s also hard work. The act of slowingdownandnoticingyourthoughtsisexertionthatleavesyouinvigorated,justasexercisedoes.Infact,theeffectsofmeditationlookalotliketheeffectsofexercise.Studies

show that meditation increases working memory and the ability to maintainfocus.12Meditation evenmakespartsof thebrain thicker and stronger, just asexercisebuildsmuscle.13

Butmeditationis,aswesaid,hardwork.Anditcanbehardtostaymotivatedwhen the results, unlike with exercise, aren’t outwardly visible: Your cortexmightbulkup,butyoucan’tmeditateyourwaytosix-packabs.Wealsorecognizethatfindingthetimetostopeverythingyou’redoingtosit

andnoticeyour thoughts isquitedifficultwhenyou’vegotamillion things todo.But theenergy, focus, andmental calmyougetoutof it canactuallyhelpyoumaketimetogetthosethingsdone.Sohere’sourmeditationadvice:

1. We’renot evengonna try to tellyouhow you shouldmeditate.We’renot experts—but your smartphone is. To get started, use a guidedmeditation app. (See Jake’s story on this page and find our apprecommendationsonmaketimebook.com.)

2. Aim low. Even a three-minute session can increase your energy. Tenminutesisawesome.

3. Youdon’thavetositinthelotusposition.Tryguidedmeditationwhileridingthebus,lyingdown,walking,running,oreveneating.

4. Ifthewordmeditationfeelsuncomfortabletoyou,justcallitsomethingelse.Try“quiettime,”“resting,”“pausing,”“takingabreak,”or“doingaHeadspace”(orwhateverappyouuse).

5. Somepeoplesaymeditationcountsonlyifyoudoitunassistedforlongperiods.Thosepeopleare jerks. If itworks foryouandyou’rehappy,youcankeepdoingshortsessionsofguidedmeditationforever.

Jake

For years, I heardgreat thingsaboutmeditation,but I couldn’t getintoit.ThenmywifepersuadedmetotrytheHeadspaceapponmyiPhone.“You’lllikeit,”shesaid.“Andyisveryplainspoken.”

AndyisAndyPuddicombe,cofounderofHeadspaceandthevoicein yourheadphones.HisBritishaccent took somegettingused to,butHollywasright.Ilikeditalot.

IstartedtrackinghowIfeltaftereachsessiontoseeifHeadspaceimprovedmyfocus.Itdid.

Then I got way into a feature of the app that tracks howmanydays in a row you’vemeditated. Eventually, by squeezing in shortsessionswhileridingthebus,Igotmystreakupto400days!

As I used Headspace, it became easier to concentrate for longperiods. My thoughts had more clarity. And, though I know thissoundsodd,Ifeltmorewillingtobemyself.(WhichIthinkisagoodthing.)

Usingtechnology tocombat thestressanddistractionofmodernlife—muchofwhichstems,ofcourse, fromtechnology—mayseemcounterintuitive, but the meditation app totally worked for me. Ifyou’recurious,giveitatry.

79.LeaveYourHeadphonesatHomeHeadphonesareawesome.They’reeasytotakeforgranted,butthepowertheygiveustolistentoanything,anywhere,incompleteprivacyisnothingshortofamazing.YoucantakeMalcolmGladwellonajog,crankupJoanJettwhileyouwork,or listen to aDungeons&Dragonspodcastwhileyou sit ona crowdedairplane. Nobody has to know what you’re listening to. It’s your own littleuniverse,instereo.So,ofcourse,alotofmodernlifeisspentwearingheadphonestofillspacein

thedaythatotherwisemightbequiet.Butifyouputonheadphoneseverytimeyouwork,walk,exercise,orcommute,yourbrainnevergetsanyquiet.Evenanalbumyou’velistenedtoamilliontimesstillcreatesabitofmentalwork.Yourmusic,podcast,oraudiobookpreventsboredom,butboredomcreatesspaceforthinkingandfocus(#57).

Takeabreakandleaveyourheadphonesathome.Justlistentothesoundsoftraffic,ortheclackofyourkeyboard,oryourfootstepsonthepavement.Resisttheitchtofilltheblankspace.We’renot sayingyoushouldgiveuponheadphonesaltogether.Thatwould

beprettyhypocritical,becauseweusethemourselvesalmosteveryday.Butanoccasionalheadphonevacation foradayor justanhour isaneasyway toputsomequietinyourdayandgiveyourbrainamomenttorecharge.

80.TakeRealBreaksIt’sawfullytemptingtocheckTwitter,Facebook,oranotherInfinityPoolappasabreak fromwork.But thesekindsofbreaksdon’t renewor relaxyourbrain.Foronething,whenyouseea troublingnewsstoryoranenvy-inducingphotofrom a friend, you feel more stressed, not less. And if you work at a desk,InfinityPoolbreakskeepyougluedtoyourchairandawayfromenergy-givingactivitieslikemovingaroundandtalkingtootherpeople.Instead,trytotakebreakswithoutscreens:Gazeoutthewindow(it’sgoodfor

youreyes),goforawalk(it’sgoodforyourmindandbody),grabasnack(it’sgoodforyourenergyifyou’rehungry),ortalktosomeone(it’susuallygoodforyourmoodunlessyoutalktoajerk).IfyourdefaultbreakistocheckanInfinityPool,you’llhavetochangeyour

habits—and changing habits, aswe’ve noted, is hard.We’ve found that these“speedbump”tacticsyou’vealreadyreadaboutcanhelp:Keepadistraction-freephone(#17),logoutofaddictivewebsites(#18),andputyourtoysawaywhenyou’redone(#26).Butonceyoustarttakingbreaksintherealworld,wethinkyou’lllovethem.Withmoreenergy,it’seasiertogetbackintoLasermodeandsustainfocusonyourHighlight.

JZ

EvenwhenIusetheMakeTimetactics,IstillhearthesirensongofInfinityPools.Afteragoodhourorevenfifteenminutesofproductive

time,I’lloftenthinktomyself:“Man,thatwasasolidchunkofwork.IshouldrewardmyselfbycheckingTwitter!”

But it’s amazing how the smallest speed bump can thwart thatimpulseandremindmetotakearealbreak.Forexample,whenItryto visit twitter.com on my computer and see a log-in screen, Iremember: “Ah,yes, I should takea realbreak.”Thishasbecomemynewroutineandmynewdefault.

Jake

I love taking real-world breaks, but sometimes they’re not enough.When I’ve been working super hard and I get that “brain drain”feeling likemyhead is a squeezed-out sponge, I know it’s time totake a megabreak: I’ll stop everything and watch a whole movie.Whyamovie?UnlikeaaTVseries,amovieisrelativelyshortandfinite.Unlike socialmedia or email or the news, itwon’tmakemeanxious. It’spureescapismandachance formybrain tostopandrelaxwithout the riskof falling intoa timecraterofenergy-drainingdistraction.

ENERGIZETACTICS

MakeItPersonal

81.SpendTimewithYourTribe

82.EatWithoutScreens

81.SpendTimewithYourTribeAll of us, even the most introverted, have a hardwired need for humanconnection.Thisshouldn’tcomeasabigsurprise;afterall,Urklivedamongatribeof100to200people.Humansevolvedtothriveintight-knitcommunities.Buttodayface-to-facetimecanbehardtocomeby.Ifyouliveinacity,you

probably sawmorehumansyesterday thanUrk saw inhis entire life,buthowmany of them did you talk to? And how many of those conversations weremeaningful? It’s a cruel ironyofmodern life thatwe’re surroundedbypeopleyetmore isolated than ever. This is a big deal, especially if you consider thefindings from Harvard’s 75-year Study of Adult Development: People withstrongrelationshipsaremorelikelytolivelong,healthy,fulfillinglives.We’renotclaimingthattalkingtostrangersinthegrocerystorecheckoutlinewillhelpyou live to be 100—but spending timewith people face-to-face can be a bigenergybooster.Even in the twenty-first century,youhavea tribe. Ifyouwork inanoffice,

you have colleagues. In your family, you might have siblings, parents, kids,and/orasignificantother.Andyou(wehope)havefriends.Sure, thosepeoplemightannoyyouorfrustrateyousometimes,butmoreoftenthannot,spendingtimewiththemisenergizing.Whenwesay“spendingtime,”wemeanhavingrealconversationswithyour

voice,notjustcommentingonposts,clickingheartsandthumbs-ups,orsendingemails, texts,photos,emojis,andanimatedGIFs.Screen-basedcommunicationis efficient, but that’s part of the problem: It’s so easy that it often displaceshigher-valuereal-lifeconversations.Noteverypersonliftsourspirits,ofcourse,butweallknowafewpeoplewho

giveusenergymosttimeswetalktothem.Here’sasimpleexperimenttotry:

1. Thinkofoneofthoseenergy-givingpeople.2. Gooutofyourwaytohavearealconversationwithherorhim.Youcan

talkinpersonoronthephone,butyourvoicemustbeinvolved.3. Afterward,noteyourenergylevel.

Thisconversationmightbeamealwithyour familyoraphonecall toyourbrother.Itcanbewithanoldfriendorsomeoneyoujustmet.Thetimeandplace

don’treallymatteraslongasyouuseyourvoice.Evenifit’sonlyonceaweek,reachout tofriendswhomyouadmire,whoinspireyou,whomakeyoulaugh,who letyoubeyourself.Spending timewith interesting,high-energypeople isoneofthebest—andmostenjoyable—waystorechargeyourbattery.

Jake

Ikeepalistof“energygivers”inmyphone’snotesapp:peoplewhoputabounceinmystepeverytimeIseethem.Yes,this isbizarre(andmaybealittlecreepy),butithelpsmerememberthattakingtheextratimetohavecoffeeorlunchwithoneofthesefriendsactuallygivesmemoretimeinthedaybecauseI’msoenergizedafterward.

82.EatWithoutScreensWhenyoueatwithout screens,youhit threeofour fiveEnergizeprinciplesatonce. You’re less likely to mindlessly shovel unhealthy food in your mouth,you’remorelikelytohaveanenergizingface-to-faceconversationwithanotherhuman,andyou’recreatingspaceinyourdaytogiveyourbrainarestfromitsconstantbusyness.Andallthiswhiledoingsomethingyouhavetodoanyway!

Jake

When I was growing up, my family ate dinner while watchingtelevision.So Iwassurprisedwhen Imetmy then-girlfriend/future-wife’s family, who ate dinner at a dining table. It seemed soantiquated. Would she expect me to do the same? But in those

days,Hollyand I didn’t haveaTVanyway, sowhenwemoved intogether,weadoptedherfamily’sstyleofscreen-freedinnerspurelybydefault.

Butthehabitstuckevenafterwedidgetatelevision.Bythetimewehadkids,I’dpracticallyforgottenhowIusedtoeatattheTV.Andnow,everyevening,ourfamilyoffoursitsdowntoeattogether.NoTV, no phones, no iPads. Sure, this habit has cost me somefamiliaritywithpopculture, but Iwouldn’t trade theextrahours it’sgivenmewithmywifeandsonsforanything.

ENERGIZETACTICS

SleepinaCave

83.MakeYourBedroomaBedRoom

84.FaketheSunset

85.SneakaNap

86.Don’tJet-LagYourself

87.PutOnYourOwnOxygenMaskFirst

83.MakeYourBedroomaBedRoomFor Urk, bedtime would have marked the end of an hours-long process toremovemental stimuli gradually and shift into sleep.Whenyou lookat socialmedia, email, or the news before bed, you sabotage this process. Instead ofwindingdown,you’rerevvingyourbrainup.Anannoyingemailordistressingnewsstorycanmakeyourmindraceandkeepyouawakeforhours.Ifyouwanttoimproveyoursleep,keepthephoneoutofyourbedroom—at

alltimes.Anddon’tstopthere.Removeallelectronicdevicestotransformyourbedroom into a true sanctuary for sleep. No TVs, no iPads. NoKindles withbacklights.Inotherwords:Makeyourbedroomabedroom.Televisionpresents itsownchallenges.ATVinyourbedroomoffersavery

tempting path of least resistance. You don’t have to do anything to beentertained—itdoesall thework!Television isparticularlydangerousbecauseofthetimeinvolved.Youlosesleepwhileyou’rewatching,andyoukeeplosingsleep after you shut it off andwait for your stimulatedbrain to transition intosleepmode.Readinginbedisawonderfulalternative,butpaperbooksormagazinesare

best. A Kindle is okay, too, because it’s not loaded with apps and otherdistractions;justmakesuretoturnoffthebrightwhitebacklight.Itcanbetoughtokeepdevicesoutofthebedroom,butit’seasiertochange

yourenvironmentthantorelyonwillpowertochangeyourbehavior.Doitonceand make it permanent: Physically remove the TV. Unplug your smartphonechargerandgetitsstandorbaseoutofyourbedroom.There’sprobablyonedeviceyou’llneed tokeep inyourbedroom:analarm

clock.Chooseasimplemodelwithascreen that’snot toobright (orwithoutascreen if you don’t mind the ticking). If possible, put your alarm clock on adresserorshelfacrosstheroom.Thiswillkeepthelightawayfromyoureyes,andit’llhelpyouwakeup:Whenthealarmsounds,you’llhavenochoicebuttogetoutofbed,stretchyourlegs,andswitchitoff.Wethinkthat’sabetterwaytostartyourdaythansnugglingwithyoursmartphone.

84.FaketheSunset

Whenwe see bright light, our brains think, “It’smorning.Time towake up!”Thisisanancientandautomaticsystem.ForUrk,thesystemworkedgreat:Hefellasleepwhenitgotdarkandwokewhenthesunrose.Thenaturalcycleofthedayhelpedregulatehissleepandenergy.

But formodernhumans, thisposesaproblem.Betweenourscreensandourlightbulbs, we’re simulating daylight right up until we climb into bed. It’s asthoughwe’re tellingourbrains, “It’sday, it’sday, it’sday, it’sday—WHOA,IT’SNIGHT,GOTOBED.”Nowonderwehavetroublesleeping.

We’re not the first to point out this problem. For years, people have been

saying you should avoid looking at your phone or laptop in bed. That’s goodadvice,butit’snotenough.WhenJZwastryingtobecomeamorningperson,hediscoveredthatheneededabiggerstrategy.Heneededtofakethesunset.Here’showtodoit:

1. Startingwhenyoueatdinnerorafewhoursbeforeyouridealbedtime,turn down the lights in your home. Switch off bright overhead lights.Instead,usedimtableorsidelamps.Forbonuspoints, lightcandlesatthedinnertable.

2. Turn on your phone, computer, orTV’s “nightmode.”These featuresshiftscreencolorsfrombluetoredandorange.Insteadoflookingatabrightsky,it’slikesittingaroundacampfire.

3. Whenyougotobed,kickalldevicesoutoftheroom(see#83).4. Ifsunlightorstreetlightisstillsneakingintoyourbedroom,tryasimple

sleepmaskoveryoureyes.Yes,youwillfeelandlookalittlesilly,buttheywork.

Ifyouoftenfeellethargicorlow-energyinthemorning,tryfakingthesunrise,too.Inrecentyears,automatic“dawnsimulator”lightshavebecomesmallerandcheaper thanks to improved LED technology and a healthy market of peoplewhohatewintermornings.Theideaissimple:Beforethealarmsounds,abrightlightgradually turnson, simulatingaperfectly timedsunriseand trickingyourbrain intowakingup. If you combine thatwith turningdown the lights in theevening,it’sthenextbestthingtolivinginacave.

85.SneakaNap

Napping makes you smarter. Seriously. Lots of studies14 show that nappingimprovesalertnessandcognitiveperformanceintheafternoon.Asusual,we’vetestedthescienceourselves.

Jake

Ilovenaps,andnotjustbecausemynameisKnapp.

JZ

Thatisaterriblejoke.

You don’t even have to fall asleep. Just lying down and resting for ten totwentyminutescanbeagreatwaytorecharge.Butthetruthisthatit’sreallyhardtotakeanapifyouworkinanoffice.Even

atofficeswithfancynappods(we’veworkedinthem),mostpeopledon’tfeelliketheyhavetimetonap,andlet’sfaceit,podornopod,itcanstillfeelveryawkward to sleep at work. If you can’t sleep on the job, consider napping athome.Evenifyouonlynapontheweekend,you’llbenefit.

86.Don’tJet-LagYourselfSometimes, despite our best efforts,we fall behind on sleep.We have a busyweek,anill-timedflight,orsomestressorworrythatkeepsusupatnight,andwefindourselveswiththatalltoofamiliarfeelingofbeingovertired.We were talking about sleep challenges with our friend Kristen Brillantes,

who’s one of themost ambitious and productive peoplewe know. (Youmayremember Kristen and her Sour Patch Kid method for saying no from tactic#12.) In addition toherday jobas adesignproducer atGoogle, she’s a food-truck owner and a life coach for all kinds of entrepreneurs and youngprofessionals.“It’stemptingtotrycatchingupbysleepinglate,”Kristensaid.“Theproblem

is,itdoesn’twork.”Shetoldusthatsleepinglateonweekendsisbasicallylikegivingyourselfjet

lag: It confuses your internal clock andmakes it even harder to bounce backfromtheoriginaldeficit.Sojustasyouwouldwhentravelingtoadifferenttime

zone,sherecommendsresistingthetemptationtooversleepandtryingtostickascloselyaspossibletoyourregularschedule.“Sleepdebt”isareal thing,andit’sbadnewsforyourhealth,wellness,and

abilitytofocus.ButoneSaturdayofsleepinguntilnoon—gloriousasthat is—won’tdomuchtopayoffyourdebt.Instead,youneedtochipawayatit,usingthe tactics in thischapter tohelpyoucatchupby sleepingwell inday-by-dayinstallments.So tokeepyourbattery charged, keep that alarm set to the sametimeeverydaywhetherit’saweekday,weekend,orholiday.

Wehaveonemorenoteaboutbuildingenergy.Ifyou’reinatimeoflifewhenyourprimaryresponsibilityistakingcareofsomeoneelse—whetherit’sayoungchild, a spouse, a friend, or a parent—many of these tacticsmight seem a bitself-indulgent, if not totally impractical. If so, we’d like to suggest a specialtactic,onedesignedtogiveyoupermissiontotakecareofyourself.

87.PutOnYourOwnOxygenMaskFirstWhenJake’swifewaspregnantwiththeirfirstchild,theytookaclassfornewparents.The teacher offered a great piece of advice: Put on your ownoxygenmaskfirst.On airplanes, they tell you to put on your ownmask before assisting other

passengers.Therationaleisthatifthecabinpressuredrops(let’snotthinkaboutthattoomuch),everybodywillneedoxygen.Butifyoupassoutwhiletryingtohelpsomeone…well,thatisn’tveryhelpful,isit?Itmaybeheroic,butit’snotwise.Anewbornbabyiskindoflikealossofcabinpressure,andifyoudon’ttake

careofyourself(atleastalittle),youcan’tbeagreatcaretaker.Thatmeansyouneedtomaximizeyourenergybyeatingaswellasyoucanandmakingthemostofwhateversleepyoucanget.You’vegottofindawaytotakelittlebreaksandmaintainyoursanity.Inotherwords,youshouldputonyourownoxygenmaskfirst.Even if you’re caring for someone other than a newborn, this advice is

important to keep in mind. The everyday needs of another person, especiallysomeoneyoulove,canconsumeatremendousamountofemotionalandphysical

energy.Again,weknow the idea of trying someof these tactics—going for awalk,takingquiettimealone,orgettinginaworkout—mightseemselfish.Butremember,thetacticsinthissectionareallmeanttogiveyoutheenergytomaketime for the things that matter. If you’re caring for a loved one, what couldmattermore?

1CheckoutYuvalNoahHarari’sSapiensforafascinatingaccountoftheaccidentalnatureoftheagriculturalrevolutionanditsunintended(butirreversible)consequences.

2Yes,weknowyouneedrestdays.Butifyouaimforeveryday,chancesaregoodthatyou’llaccidentallygetsomerestdaysbecauseofscheduling,weather,orotherinterruptions.Andevenonarestday,youprobablycantakeawalk.

3Theresearchonlightexerciseandthebrainisprettyamazing.Forexample,a2016studyatRadboudUniversityintheNetherlandsfoundthatexerciseboostedshort-termmemory,evenwhentheinformationbeingrecalledwaslearnedhoursbeforetheparticipantsexercised.A2017UniversityofConnecticutstudyfoundthatlightphysicalactivity(suchastakingawalk)boostedpsychologicalwell-being,whereasvigorousactivityhadnopositiveornegativeeffect.Thereareaseeminglyendlesssupplyofthesekindsofstudies.Forathorough(andthoroughlyenjoyable)lookatthescienceofwhatregularsmall-doseexercisedoesforyourbrain,readJohnMedina’sBrainRules.

4Nooffensetoaccountants.Weloveaccountants!5Jakecomparedmetoahousecatthatbecomesmoreenergeticandhunteryjustbeforemealtime.I’mnotsurehowIshouldfeelaboutthecomparison,althoughmypetcatshaveassuredmeit’sagoodthing.

6Ifanytoddlersarereadingthis,nooffense,butyouknowit’strue.7Financedbychocolatecompanies,butwhatever.8Justremember—darkchocolatehascaffeineinit,soincludeitinyourcaffeinecalculus(see#75).9AccordingtotheU.S.FoodandDrugAdministration,aroundtheworld,90percentofadultsconsumecaffeineinoneformoranother.IntheUnitedStates,80percentofadultsdrinkiteveryday,andthatincludesbothJakeandJZ.

10A1997studyatLoughboroughUniversitytestedparticipantswithadrivingsimulator.Peoplewhotookacaffeinenapoutperformedpeoplewhoonlynappedandpeoplewhoonlyhadcaffeine.A2003studyatHiroshimaUniversityinJapantriedtohelpjust-plain-napperscatchupwithcaffeinenappersbyexposingthemtobrightlights,butthecaffeinenappersstilloutperformedthemonmemorytests.

11We’reprettysureatleastoneofthoseisarealthing.12Forexample,a2013studyattheUniversityofCalifornia,SantaBarbarafoundthatstudentswhomeditatedaslittleastenminutesadayfortwoweeksimprovedtheiraverageGRE(GraduateRecordExaminations,asuperhardtest)verbalscoresfrom460to520.That’saprettyawesomebrainboostforaprettyminimaleffort.

13In2006,researchersatHarvard,Yale,andMITcollaborated,usingMRIscanstocomparethebrainsofexperiencedmeditatorswiththoseofnonmeditators,andfoundthatthemeditatorshadthickercortexesinareasassociatedwithattentionandsensoryperception.

14Therereallyarealot,butbyfarthemostinfluentialwasa1994studybyNASAconductedonlong-haulcommercialpilots.Theresearchersfoundthatpilotswhotookanapimprovedtheirperformanceby34percent.Thestudywasparticularlyinfluentialbecause(a)weallwantourpilotstoperformwelland(b)wecanallagreethatNASAistotallybadass.

Scienceandeverydaylifecannotandshouldnotbeseparated.—ROSALINDFRANKLIN

Welcometo thefourthandfinalstepofMakeTime.In“Reflect,”you’llusealittle science to tailor the system to you: your habits, your lifestyle, yourpreferences,andevenyouruniquebody.

Fine-TuneYourDayswiththeScientificMethodDon’t worry, science is simple. Sure, some of it—particle accelerators,astrophysics,photontorpedoes—canbealittletricky.Butthescientificmethoditselfisstraightforward:

1. OBSERVEwhat’sgoingon.2. GUESSwhythingsarehappeningthewaytheyare.3. EXPERIMENTtotestyourhypothesis.4. MEASUREtheresultsanddecidewhetheryouwereright.

That’sprettymuchit.Thescientificknow-howbehindeverythingfromWD-40totheHubblespacetelescopeallcamefromfollowingthosefoursteps.MakeTimeuses thescientificmethod, too.Everythingin thisbookisbased

on our observations about the modern world and our guesses about why badthings happen to our time and attention.Youmight boilMakeTime down tothreehypotheses:

TheHighlighthypothesis

If you set a single intention at the start of each day, we predictyou’llbemoresatisfied,joyful,andeffective.

TheLaserhypothesis

IfyoucreatebarriersaroundtheBusyBandwagonandtheInfinityPools,wepredictyou’llfocusyourattentionlikealaserbeam.

TheEnergizehypothesis

Ifyoulivealittlemorelikeaprehistorichuman,wepredictyou’llenhanceyourmentalandphysicalenergy.

The tactics in this book are eighty-seven experiments for testing thesehypotheses.We’vetriedthemonourselves.Butonlyyoucantestthemonyou.Andforthat,youneedthescientificmethod.Youneedtomeasurethedata—notin a double-blind study of unwitting university students or in some sterilelaboratory—butinyourowneverydaylife.Youareasamplesizeofone,andyourresultsaretheonlyresultsthatreally

matter.Thiskindofeverydayscienceiswhat“Reflect”isallabout.

TakeNotestoTrackYourResults(andKeepYouHonest)Collectingthedataissupereasy.Everydayyou’llreflectonwhetheryoumadetimeforyourHighlightandhowwellyouwereabletofocusonit.You’llnotehowmuchenergyyouhad.You’ll reviewthe tacticsyouused, jotdownsomeobservationsonwhatworkedandwhatdidn’t,andmakeaplanforwhichtacticsyou’lltrytomorrow.Thissteptakesonlyafewmoments;youjustanswerthesesimplequestions:

Here’sanexampleofwhatyoursmightlooklikeonatypicalday.

ThispageisdesignedtohelpyoukeeptrackofhowyouuseMakeTime,ofcourse.But it’salsodesignedtohelpyoulearnaboutyou.Afterafewdaysoftaking notes, you’ll find yourself more aware of your energy and attentionthroughoutthedayandmoreincontrolofwhereyoudirectit.As you experiment with the system, it’s important to remember that some

tacticswillwork right away but somewill require patience and perseverance.Sometimesittakestrial-and-errortomakeatacticfitinyourlife(ShouldIrunorrideastationarybike?Beforework,atlunch,orintheevening?).Ifyoufailat first, don’t behardonyourself.Give it time anduse thenotes to track and

tweakyourapproach.Rememberthatperfectionisnotthegoal.Thisisn’taboutbuildinguptodoingallthetacticsallthetimeorevendoingsomeofthetacticsallthetime.You’llhaveoffdaysandoffweeks,andthat’sfine.Youcanrestartyourexperimentsatanytime,andyoucandoasmuchoraslittleasfitsinyourlife.Themainpurposeofthesenotesistomeasuretheresultsofyourexperiments,

but you’ll notice thatwe included a question about gratitude.Gratitude ritualshave been showing up in different cultures for thousands of years: They’recentraltoBuddhismandStoicism;they’reintheBible;they’repartofJapanesetea ceremonies; and, of course, they’re the foundation (and namesake) of ourThanksgivingholiday.But regardless of its illustrious history,we’re includinggratitude for a very simple reason: We want to bias the results of yourexperiments.Changingdefaults isn’t alwayseasy, so it’shelpful to lookbackon theday

throughagratefullens.Quiteoftenyou’llfindthateveniflotsofthingsdidn’tgoyourway,yourhardworkofmakingtimestillpaidoffwithamomentyou’regrateful for.When that happens, the feeling of gratitude becomes a powerfulincentivetodothestepsagaintomorrow.You’llfindanemptynotespageattheendofthebook(thispage).Photocopy

it or go tomaketimebook.com for a printablePDFand a variety of paper anddigitalformats.Ofcourse,youcanjustanswerthesequestionsonplainpaperorinaregularnotebook.We also recommend setting recurring reminders on your phone to help

reinforceyournewMakeTimehabits.This is as simple as saying “HeySiri,1everymorningat9a.m.,remindmetochooseaHighlight”and“Everyeveningat9p.m.,remindmetotakenotesonmyday.”Reflectingonyourdaymaybecomeapermanenthabit,butevenifyoujustdo

itforthefirstcoupleofweeks,that’sfine.TheMakeTimenotesshouldn’tfeellike(yetanother)obligationinyourlife; it’s justawaytolearnaboutyourselfandfine-tunethesystemtoworkbestforyou.

SmallShiftsCreateBigResultsAtthebeginningof thisbook,wemadesomecrazyassertions.Wesaid itwaspossible to slowdown the rush ofmodern life, feel less busy, and enjoyyourdaysmore.Nowthatwe’vegonethroughallfoursteps,it’stimetotakeanother

lookatthoseclaims.Canyoureallymaketimeeveryday?We admitwe don’t have amagic reset button for your life. If you have to

answerfivehundredemailstoday,youprobablycan’tgetawaywithansweringzerotomorrow.Ifyourschedulewaspackedthisweek,it’llprobablybepackednextweek,too.Wecan’teraseyourcalendarorfreezeyourinbox.But such radical changes aren’t necessary. There’s an invisible premise

behindMakeTime:You’realreadyclose.Smallshiftscanputyouincontrol.Ifyou reducea fewdistractions, increaseyourphysicalandmentalenergy just abit, and focus your attention on one bright spot, a blah day can becomeextraordinary.Itdoesn’trequireanemptycalendar—justsixtytoninetyminutesof attention on something special. The goal is tomake time forwhatmatters,findmorebalance,andenjoytodayalittlemore.

Jake

Back in 2008, I started taking daily notes to help me record myenergy level and try to figure out how to improve it. Here’s anexcerpt:

Nov.17

Energylevel:8

Tacticstriedtoday:

Exercisedthismorningfor30minutes.

Howdiditgo?

Seemedto feelextragoodafterward. Ishould try thatmore in thefuture.Ifocusedforthreestraighthoursinthemorningbutthenfelttired after lunch. There was a really good dessert, though, and I

had two (chocolate cake). Maybe I should not have dessert afterlunch.

These notes are packed with insights: Exercise in the morninggave me a boost,2 dessert at lunch made me feel lousy in theafternoon,andthreehoursmightbemyouterlimitforfocusedwork.

Sure, the insights (“Exercise is good, sugar is bad”) aren’tgroundbreaking. But even if they should have been obvious,recordingthemformyselfwaspowerful.It’sonethingtoreadabouta research study in the news and quite another to experience theresultsfirsthand.

Thedailynoteshelpedme findpitfalls toavoidaswellasbrightspots to reproduce. I started findingways tomovemybody in themorning,andafteracoupleofmonths,mymorningexerciseroutinebegantostick.Iadjustedmyscheduletoeat lunchearlier,beforeIwas ravenous, which helped me switch my default to lighter andmoreenergizinglunches.

MyearlynoteswereallaboutEnergize,butlaterIsawhowusefulit could be to trackmyHighlight and Laser tactics as well. Theseone-personexperimentshelpedmefigureoutmytacticsandadjustmypersonalversionofthesystem.Andthedailyreflectionchangedmy behavior for the better: I’m always more diligent whensomebody’swatching,evenwhenthatsomebodyisme.

1Or“Okay,Google”or“Hello,HAL”orwhatever.2Thiswasnotlongaftermy“don’tbeahero”realizationaboutexercise(see#61).

Donotaskyourselfwhattheworldneeds.Askyourselfwhatmakesyoucomealive,andthengodothat.Becausewhattheworldneedsis

peoplewhohavecomealive.—HOWARDTHURMAN

WeeachspentyearsinSiliconValley,whereoneofthefavoritebusinesstermsispivot.Instartup-speak,apivotiswhenacompanystartsoutdoingonethingbut realizes that a related (or sometimes unrelated) idea ismore promising. Iftheyhaveenoughconfidence(andfunding),they’llpivottothenewdirection.Someof these startuppivots havebeen fantastically successful.A shopping

tool called Tote pivoted and became Pinterest. A podcasting company calledOdeo pivoted and became Twitter. An app called Burbn for checking in torestaurantsandbarspivotedandbecameInstagram,andacompanymakinganoperatingsystemforcameraspivotedandbecameAndroid.OnceyoubecomeconfidentwiththetoolsandtacticsofMakeTime,youmay

findyourselfreadytomakeapivotofyourown.Asyoubecomemoreawareofyour priorities through choosingHighlights and increasing your focus throughLasermode,youmayfindnewstrengthsandinterestsemerging—andalsobuildthe confidence to follow them and see where they lead. That’s exactly whathappenedtous.

Jake

Istartedmy timeexperiments tobecomemoreproductiveatwork,buttheresultwassomethingmuchgreater.Thetacticsinthisbook

helpedme findmorebalanceatworkandathome.Bymakingmydaysatinybitdifferent,Ifeltvastlymoreincontrol.AsIlearnedhowto make time for my own priorities, cool projects emerged, likedevelopingthedesignsprintmethod,doingartshowswithmykids,and, of course, writing. Starting and finishing my first book wastough,butMakeTimehelpedmedoit.

Eventually, a funny thing happened. The more I made time forwriting,themoreIwantedtowrite.Finally,Idecidedtotrydoingitasa full-time job. This major shift in my priorities didn’t happenovernight.Itwaslikeasnowballrollingdownhill,growingwitheveryrevolution.Ittooksevenyearsfromstartingtomaketimeforwritingintheeveningsbackin2010tobecomingafull-timewriterin2017.Butwhenthetimecame,thedecisiontoleaveGoogle—whichoncewouldhaveseemed insane tome—waseasy.What Iwantedwasclear,andI’dbuilttheconfidencetoknowIcouldgiveitashot.

JZ

LikeJake,Ibeganusingthetacticsinthisbooktobemoreefficientat work, but as time went by, I realized I didn’t want to use myincreasedenergyandfocustoclimbthecorporateladder.Instead,anewpriorityemerged:sailing.ThemoretimeIinvestedinsailing,themore satisfaction I got back.But unlikework, the satisfaction fromsailingwasn’ttiedtoexternalrewards;itwasanintrinsicmotivationthat came from learning hands-on skills, seeing the world from a

differentperspective,andfindingjoyintheprocess.

Ibeganlookingforwaystomakemoretimeforsailing.Andwiththe tactics in thisbook, that’sexactlywhat Idid.Mywife,Michelle,and I began to explore the possibility of a life under sail: livingaboard, traveling when we wanted, and making an even largercommitment toouroutside-the-officepassion. In2017,wewent forit.Wequitourjobs,gaveupourapartment,movedontooursailboat,and began sailing the Pacific Coast from California south intoMexicoandCentralAmerica.

As Iembracedsailing,otherprioritiesslippedaway.Bysteppingaway from corporate life to sail and travel full-time, I gave upmyfancyjobtitle,cooloffice,salary,andannualbonus.Butforme,afteryearsfollowingthesystemyou’vejustreadabout,makingthetrade-offwasaneasychoice.IknewwhatIwantedtomaketimefor,soIdid.

Formuchofourowncareers,wewere toodistracted, scrambled, busy, andexhausted tomake time for the thingswecaredmost about.First,MakeTimehelped us find control. Over time, it helped us start those classic “someday”projectswehadbeenputtingoffforyearsandcouldhavecontinuedputtingoffindefinitely.Whenyoucreateapracticeofsettingyourownmostimportantpriority,daily

lifechanges.Perhapsyou’llfindyourinnercompassperfectlyalignedwithyourcurrentwork,inwhichcaseyou’llnowbethatmuchmorecapableofidentifyingand acting on the most important opportunities. Make Time could provide along-term sustained boost to your career. Your hobbies and side projects,strengthenedwithMakeTime,couldbeaperfectcomplement.Butitisalsopossiblethatthosesideprojectsmightgraduallytakeonalifeof

theirown.Anewandunexpectedpathmayemerge.Andyoumayfindyourselfreadytofollowthatpathandseewhereitgoes.Just tobeclear,wearen’tadvisingyou toquityour jobandsailaround the

world (unless that’s what you’re into, inwhich case you should email JZ for

advice).Andweshouldemphasizethatwedon’tclaimtohaveitallfiguredout—not hardly! We’re constantly rebalancing our priorities, and it’s extremelyunlikelythatwhateitherofusisdoingtodayiswhathe’llbedoingtwo,five,ortenyearsfromnow.Bythetimeyoureadthis,wemayhavechangedcourseyetagain,andthat’sfine.Aslongaswe’remakingtimeforwhatmatterstous,thesystemisworking.Regardlessofwhetheryourgoalistofindmorebalanceinlife,growinyour

currentcareer,orevenpivottoanewone,wepredictthatMakeTimewillcreatemore time and attention for the things you’re passionate about. As HowardThurman said, the world needs people who have come alive. Don’t wait for“someday”tomaketimeforwhatmakesyoucomealive.Starttoday.

“QUICKSTART”GUIDETOMAKETIME

Therearealotoftacticsinthisbook.Ifyou’renotsurewheretobegin,trythisrecipe:Highlight:ScheduleYourHighlight(#8)A simpleway to be proactive, give form to your day, and break the reactioncycle.

Laser:BlockDistractionKryptonite(#24)FreeyourselffromoneInfinityPool,andseehowyourattentionchanges.

Energize:PoundthePavement(#62)Afewminutesofwalkingeachdayprovidesaboostforthebodyandquietforthemind.

ReflecteveryeveningforthreedaysDon’t worry about committing to a lifetime of evening journaling (we’re notthereyet,either).Justtrythethreetacticsaboveand,forthreedaysstraight,takenotesintheevening.Seewhatyoulearnandtakeitfromthere.

Also,checkoutmaketimebook.comfortipsandappstohelpyoustart.

SAMPLEAGENDAS

Wethought itmightbehelpful toseewhatMakeTime looks like ineverydaylife,soherearesometypicaldaysfromourcalendars.It’spossibletofitalotoftacticsintooneday,andthat’snotevencountingtacticslikeDesignYourDay,LogOut,WearaWristwatch,andTryaDistraction-FreePhonethatdon’tshowuponthecalendar.Buteventhoughit’spossibletofitalotin,itisn’tnecessary.Theseareextremecases—remember,we’reTimeDorks.

Jake

When my schedule was packed with meetings, I’d use severaltactics to build and maintain my energy throughout the day. Bypreservingenergy,Iwasabletomaketimeintheeveningforwritingmyadventurenovel.

JZ

This is what a normal weekday looked like for me when I wasworking at Google. Every day, I would wake up early andimmediatelyspendtimeonmyHighlightbeforedoinganythingelse—exceptdrinkingcoffee,ofcourse.Mywalktoworkwouldstarttheday with an energy boost. Then, later in the day, as my creativeenergy waned, I shiftedmy focus to administrative work (such asemail) and rebuilding my energy (by exercising, cooking, andspendingtimewithmywife,Michelle).

FURTHERREADINGFORTIMEDORKS

TheHappinessProjectbyGretchenRubinThisbookwillmakeyouhappier.Youwouldbecrazynottoreadit.

BrainRulesbyJohnMedinaA fun and fast overview of brain science, easy to understand and easy toremember. (For a much harder read with a lot more detail, check out TheDistractedMind:AncientBrainsinaHigh-TechWorldbyAdamGazzaleyandLarryRosen.)DeepWorkbyCalNewportPackedwithopinionatedandoftenunusualstrategiesfordoingfocusedwork.

The4-HourWorkweekbyTimFerrissTimisasuperhumanandwe’renot,butwestilllearnedalotfromthisbook.

GettingThingsDonebyDavidAllenAseriouslyintenseorganizationsystem.We’vefallenoffthewagonmoretimesthan we can count, but even if we’re not GTDers anymore, David Allen’sphilosophyisstillwithus.

How toHaveaGoodDay byCarolineWebbDeeper analysis of thelatest behavioral scienceand smart recommendations for how to applythatsciencetoyourdailylife.

ThePowerofMomentsbyChipandDanHeathTheHeathbrothersexplainwhymomentshaveanoutsizeinfluenceonourlives,then showhowyoucanengineergreatmoments inyours.Read thisbookandtackleyourHighlightswithrenewedvigor.

HeadspaceappstarringAndyPuddicombe

Andydoesmorethanguideyouthroughmeditation—heteachesagreatmindsetforthemodernworld.

ThePowerofHabitbyCharlesDuhiggUsethisasaguideforconvertingMakeTimetacticsintolong-termhabits.

MindsetbyCarolDweckHabitsareverypowerful,butsometimesyouneedamindsetshifttochangeyourbehavior.

InDefenseofFoodbyMichaelPollanThere’snobetterguidetobuildingenergybyeatinglikeahunter-gatherer.

SapiensbyYuvalNoahHarariManyof theMakeTimetacticsarebasedon the ideaof learningfromancienthumans.Sapiensisadetailed,remarkablehistoryof,well…humans.

For a more thorough critique of the industry of distraction, check outIrresistible by Adam Alter, the Center for Humane Technology website byTristanHarris(humanetech.com),and,foralookathowhabit-formingproductsaredesigned,HookedbyNirEyal.Hereareafewpersonalsuggestionsfromeachofus:

JZ

Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe DominguezThis classic book applies the same principles as Make Time—rethinking defaults, being intentional, avoiding distraction—to thetopicofpersonalfinance.It’ssurprisinglyinspirational.

AGuidetotheGoodLifebyWilliamB. IrvineAveryaccessible

introductiontoStoicphilosophy.LikeMakeTime,Stoicismisadailysystemwithtacticsforlivinglife—butit’smorethan2,000yearsold.

AsLongasIt’sFunbyHerbMcCormickThisisadifferentkindofsuggestion: a biography about a couplewho chose to create theirowndefaults, building twoboats by hand, sailing twicearound theworld,andwritingelevenbooks.Pureinspiration.

JakeTheLivingbyAnnieDillardThisnovel(setnearwhereIgrewup,innorthwesternWashingtonState)gavemeanappreciationforlifeandmomentsthathasstuckwithmefordecades.

OnWritingbyStephenKing

Naturally,thisisamust-readforanaspiringfictionwriterlikemyself.Butyoudon’thavetobeawriterorahorrorfan(I’mnot)tolovethisbook.It’spackedwithlessonsondoinganyworkwithdiligenceandpassion.Andit’shilarious.

Finally,webothagreeyoushouldread…

SprintbyJakeKnapp,JohnZeratsky,andBradenKowitzIfyouliketheideasinMakeTime,tryadesignsprintatwork.

SHAREYOURTACTICS,FINDRESOURCES,ANDGETINTOUCH

To find the latest apps tohelpwithMakeTime, readnew tactics fromusandother readers, and share your own techniques, please check outmaketimebook.comandsignupforournewsletter.

THANK-YOUNOTES

Awesomepeoplewhohelpeduswritethisbook:Ourexcellentagent,SylvieGreenberg,whotookusfromapileofblogposts

all theway to a finished book.And a huge thanks to our team at Fletcher&Company—ErinMcFadden, Grainne Fox, Veronica Goldstein, Sarah Fuentes,MelissaChinchillo,andofcourseChristyFletcher.Ourbrillianteditor,TaliaKrohn,whohelpedusfocusonwhatmatteredand

create the most useful book possible. And high fives to the entire team atCurrency—Tina Constable, Campbell Wharton, Erin Little, Nicole McArdle,MeganSchumann,CraigAdams,andAndreaLau.Our UK editor, Andrea Henry, who delivered smart and perfectly timed

feedback.Our early readers Josh Yellin, Imola Unger, Mia Mabanta, Scott Jenson,

Jonathan Courtney, Stefan Claussen, Ryan Brown, Daren Nicholson, PiperLoyd, Kristen Brillantes, Marin Licina, Bruna Silva, Stéph Cruchon, JosephNewell, John Fitch,Manu Cornet, Boaz Gavish,Mel Destefano, TimHoefer,Camille Fleming, Michael Leggett, Henrik Bay, Heidi Miller, MartinLoensmann, Daniel Andefors, Anna Andefors, Tish Knapp, Xander Pollock,Maleesa Pollock, BeckyWarren, RogerWarren, Francis Cortez,Matt Storey,Sean Roach, Tin Kadoic, Cindy Fenton, Jack Russillo, Dave Cirilli, DeeScarano,Mitchell Geere, Rebecca Garza-Bortman, Amy Bonsall, Josh Porter,RobHamblen,MichaelSmart,RanjanJagganathan,andDouglasFerguson,whogaveushonestreactionsandinsightfulsuggestions.Thisbookismuchbetterforyourefforts.Our 1,700+ test readers, who helped us clarify and de-boring-ify the

beginningofMakeTime, andwhoare sonumerous theyget theirownsectionwithreallytinytypeonthispage.

JZ

First thanks go to my wife, Michelle. You’re the best. Thanks forsupporting thisproject,evenwhen Iwrote the firstoutlineduringavacation together in St. John. Even when working on the bookoverlappedwithoursailingplans.Andespeciallywhenyoureadthemanuscript several times, givingmesmart feedback fromamuch-neededperspective.Thankyouverymuch.

Thankyou,Jake.AsIwritethis,it’sbeensixyearssinceourfirstdesign sprint together.Workingwith you has changed how I thinkabout work itself. Our collaboration isn’t something I could haveplannedoranticipated.Mostofall,it’sjustbeenreallyfun!Let’sdoitagain.

Thankstomyfriendswhohavebeenrolemodelsatwork.ToMikeZitt,whowasanearlyexampleofhowtoredesignworktosupportlife. To Matt Shobe, who showed me the power of wholeheartedcreativework (and for being a fantasticmentor in copywriting). ToGraham Jenkin, who demonstrated how even managers with fullcalendarscanmaketimeforwhatmatters.AndtoKristenBrillantesand Daniel Burka, who showed how amazing things can happenwhenyoubringyourwholeselftowork.

Thankyou,TaylorHughes,RizwanSattar,BrendenMulligan,NickBurka,andDanielBurkaformorethantenyearsofturningmyMakeTimeideasintoapps.I’llalwaysbegratefulforDone-zo,Compose,andOneBigThing.

Thanks to the writers (and other influences) who have changedhow I think about time, energy, and life. Especially Cal Newport,Gretchen Rubin, James Altucher, Jason Fried, JD Roth, LauraVanderkam, Lin Pardey,Mark Sisson, Nassim Taleb, Pat Schulte,

Paula Pant, Pete Adeney, Steven Pressfield, Vicki Robin, andWarrenBuffett.

Jake

Mybiggestthanksgotomylovelywife,Holly.Iwouldn’tandcouldn’thavewrittenthisbookwithoutyoursteadyencouragementandhard-nosedfeedback(Isay“hard-nosed”inthemostcomplimentarywaypossible).Youmakemeveryhappy,andIappreciateit.

Luke,thankyouforintroducingmetotimemanagementbybeingborn. And thanks for being a steady friend throughout this longproject,andforlendingmeyourdesigneye.

Flynn,thankyouforbeingfunandencouragingmetotakebreaksfrom writing. Also, thanks for working alongside me on theillustrations.

Mom, thanks for typingupmyelementaryschool stories,puttingupwithmy snark in twelfth-gradeEnglish, andhelpingmeget the

wordsrightinMakeTime.Andmostimportant,thankyouforwritingbooksandshowingmesuchathingwaspossible.IfI’mawriter,it’sbecauseofyou.

Formany,manyyears,theGandhiquoteatthebeginningofthisbookwastapedtothedashboardofmydad’spickuptruck.Mydadlived that quote. Throughout his life, day after day, he madeunconventionalchoicestoslowdownandputqualityoftimeaheadofmoneyorprestige.Hewon’tgettoseethisbook,butIhadhiminmindevery time Isatdown towrite.Dad, Isuremissyou—thanksforteachingmetopayattention.

Manyfriendshaveinspiredmewiththeirapproachtolifeandtime.Instead of trying to mention everyone, I’ll just focus on two whoespeciallyshapedmythinking.ScottJensonandKristenBrillantes,yourock.

I feel lucky to have the opportunity to publish a book, and I’mgrateful to the many people who helped open that door to me,amongthemSylvieGreenberg,ChristyFletcher,BenLoehnen,TimBrown,NirEyal,EricRies,BillMaris,BradenKowitz, andCharlesDuhigg.

This book is also a fan letter to thewriterswho changed how Ithink about my days, especially Daniel Pinkwater, David Allen,GretchenRubin, JuneBurn, Jason Fried, BarbaraKingsolver, TimUrban,AnnieDillard,TimFerriss,StephenKing,AustinKleon,ScottBerkun,DanAriely,MarieKondo,TomandDavidKelley,andChipandDanHeath.Ontheoffchanceanyofyouwritersarereadingtheacknowledgments of a self-help book right now: Consider this acouponforacupofcoffeeonme,anytime.

Andofcourse,asuperdeluxethank-youtomygreatfriendJohnZeratsky.Thanksforyourenthusiasm,patience,intelligence,insight,

diligence, and constructive disagreements. Your worldview hasinspiredmesincewemet,anditwasapleasureworkingwithyou—evenwhenyouupandsailedtoMexico.

ILLUSTRATIONCREDITS

IllustrationsbyJakeKnapp

PhoneandlaptopwallpaperphotosbyLukeKnapp

SomecoloringbyFlynnKnapp

MAKETIMETESTREADERS

Thankyoutothe1,700readerswhosigneduptoreviewanearlyversionofthisbookandgaveusexcellent input.Wehopewedidn’tmissanyoneormisspellanynames,butifwedid,justknowweappreciateyouallthesame:Aaron Bright,MD • Aaron J. Palmer • AaronMatys • Aaron Rosenberg •

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•DylanWeiss•DyninKhem•E.Forsack•Ed•EdMatesevac•EdMcCauley•EddieHarran•EdmundKomar•EdmundO’Shaughnessy•EduardoDelTorno•EduardoHCalvillo-Gamez•EduardoPeña•EdwardJones•EhrikAldana•Eirik Torheim Gilje • Elena Timofeeva • Eli Shillock • Eliot Gattegno •Elizabeth Jarrold • Elizabeth Sankey • Elizabeth Ziegler • Ella Obreja • EllieBooth •ElmarKruitwagen •ElodieRival •ElsaWormeck •ElzaanPienaar •Emil Sotirov • Emily Campbell • Emily O’Byrne • Emily Swope Brower •EmmaLinh•EmmaRosenberg•EmmanuelG•EricGarcia•EricHerrera•EricJ.Garcia•EricSinclair•EricaBjornsson•EricaKey•ErikArvedson•Erin•Erin Moore • Erin Pinkley • Eron Villarreal • Ethan Cleary • Eunice Sari •EusebioReyero•EvanPortwood•EzequielAguilar•F.MarekModzelewski•Fabian Fischer • Fabian Steiner • Fabrice Liut • Farhad Pocha • FedericoMalagoli•FelipeBarbosa•FelipeCastro•FelipeJiménezCano•FelipePontes•FemiLonge•Femmebot•Feridoon“Doon”Malekzadeh•FernandoAgüero•FernandoArguelles •FlemmingWestberg •FlorianFiechter •FlorianLissot •Florin Sirghea • Francis Cortez • Francis Peixoto • FrancisWade • FranciscoBaptista•FranciscoGonzález•FrancoisBrill•FrançoisLucMoraud•Frank•FrankDecavele • FrankDevitt • Frank Jablonski • Frank Pineda • FrankR. •FredLeveau•FredrikJohansson•FredrikNordell•FriRasyidi•GaborKiss•Gabor Labancz • Gabriel Garcia • Gabriela Aguirrezabal • Galit Lurya • GarMorley•GarethH.McShane•GarethKay•GarinBulger•GarrettSheridan•GaryKahn•GaspardChameroy•GastonSerpenti•GauravBhargva•GauravBhargva • Gauresh R. Khanolkar • Gautam Lakum • Gavin Esajas • GavinMontague•GeertClaes•GeethaPai•GemmaCurl•GennadiyNissenbaum•Geoff Cardillo • Geoffrey Gentry • Geoffrey Lew • George Jigalin • GeraldCarvalho•GhalibHussaiyn•GianfrancoPalumbo•GideonBullock•GideonHornung•GilShklarski•GilesPeyton-Nicoll•Gillian•GillianJulius•GiorgioPauletto•GiorgosGavriil•GiovaniFerreira•GiovanniCaruso•GiovanniDalSasso•GittaSalomon•GlenCrosier•GlennExton•GlennaBaron•GordonSoutar •GostandinosChristofi •GraemeWheatley •GrahamNorth •GrandinDonovan•Greg•GregBennett•GregDudish•GregPalmer•GreggBernstein•GreggMayer•GregoryMilani•GregoryThompson•GuidovanGlabbeek•Gustavo del Valle • Gustavo Gawryszewski • Gustavo Machado • GustavoReyes • Guy Dickinson • Guy VanWijmeersch • HalinaMugame • HameedHaqparwar •HanaKim •Hang-Tien Lin •HariNarasimhan •Hassan Syed •HayaAlzaid•HeathSadlier•HeatherGuith•HeatherPettrey•HéctorCalleja•HectorCardenas •HeddRoberts •HeidiMiller •HeidiShipp•Helen •Helen

King•HeleneDesliens •HendrikWill •HendrySumilo •HennadiyKornev •HenrikBay •HenrikMitsch •HenriqueL.Ribeiro •HenrySoo •HeraKan •herrK •HesamPanahi •HollyMayMahoney •Hongyuan Jiang •HoriaSas •HowardBarrett•HughKnowles•HungLe•HunterWalk•HwangSeulchan•HyeyoungKim(KhailyKim)•IacoBerra•IbraheemKhalifa•IevgenIshchuk•IlhanScheer•ImolaUnger•Imran•ImranUr-Rehman•InêsSantosSilva•IngunnAursnes•IraWeiss•IreneMeister•IrsanWidarto•IrvBartlett•IsaacGirard•IsmailAliManik•IstvánKuti•IstvanNagy-Racz•IvanMolto•IvanZaichuk•IvanaLukesRybanska•IvarLyngve•IvovanHurne•J.Tristram•JaakkoPalokangas•JackRussillo•JacksonB.•JacobColling•JacobHage•Jacob McDonald • Jaime Moncada • Jake Colling • Jake Kendall • JameelSadruddin Somji • James Carleton • James Lewis • James Lutley • JamesMcDonough•JamesMcGary•JamesOConnor•JamesSaunders•JamesTao•James Willeford • Jamie Ambler • Jamie Treyvaud • Jamison Shelton • JanAndersson • JanAntoninKolar • JanKorsanke • Jan Rosa • Jan Seversson •JaredVolpe•JarrydHennequin•JasonCarolan•JasonCooke•JasonCrane•JasonDanyluk • JasonGrant • JasonHorne • JasonM.Banks • JasonRalls •JasonRodriguez•JasonRoe•JasonThorarinsson•JasparRoos•JasperHuang• Jasper Lyons • Jay Eskenazi • Jay OHare • Jay Thrash • Jayne Nguyen •JeanetteCajide•JedBrown•JedSaid•JeevanJayaprakash•JeffBlanchard•JeffCorkran•JeffMcGrath•JeffMelton•JeffreyLin•JeffreyMack•JeffreyVeen•JenaDonlin•JeniferPadilla•JennaDixon•JenniferAbella•JenniferArzt•JenniferConant•JenniferSchuchmann•JennifferWhittingham•JennyFürstenbach•JennyMassey•JeppeLambæk•JeredOdegard•JeremyCaplan•Jeroen Goddijn • Jeroen Razoux Schultz • Jeroen van Beek • Jerry BorundaJunior•JessTelford•JesseBrack•JesseForest•JessicaL.Williams•JessicaTurner • Jet van Genuchten • Jiani Li • Jill Harmon • Jim Evers • JimMcDonough•JimPeluso•JimiLeeFriis•JimmyColeman•JingZhang•JJMacLean•JJSoracco•JLink•JoacimAlm•JoanneMagbitang•JoeAlicata•Joe Barbuto • Joe Moran • Joel Davis • JoeleneWeeks • Joh Tienks • JohnBehrens•JohnC.Malley•JohnCassidy•JohnCleere•JohnCockrell•JohnDanielMcGinnis • JohnFerrigan • JohnFitch • JohnGusiff • JohnHodgins •JohnKembel•JohnL.Warren•JohnLoftus•JohnMcGinnis•JohnPhippen•JohnShoffner•JohnTristram•JohnWilliamsTaylor•JohnZimmerman•JonGold • JonHoover • Jon Izquierdo • Jon-AllanPearson • Jonathan • JonathanCaldwell•JonathanCourtney•JonathanDeFaveri•JonathanDiehl•JonathanDrake• JonathanLo•JonathanMcCoubrey• JonathanMinchin• JonathanR.

Drake • JonathanRogers • JonathanSimcoe • Joost vanSchie • JordanCarr •Jordan Robinson • Jorge Sanchez • Jorunn D. Newth • Jose Platero • JosephNewell • JoshKasten • JoshKubicki • JoshPorter • JoshTurk • JoshYellin •Joshua Anderton • Joshua Boggs • Joshua Dance • Joshua Galan • JoshuaMarshall • JoshuaMorris • JoshuaNafman • Josie • Josue B.Garnica • JuanLombana•JuanManuelPastenMartinez•JuanMilleiro•JuanOrozco•JuanPao • JuergenKoehler • JuleighPisciotti • Julia • JuliaButter • JuliaCaruso •Julian Austin • Juliana Morozowski • Julianna Probst • Julie Harris • JulienLegat • Juliet Kaplan • Juliette Hauville • Julio Gomez • Jun Hongo • JustinCalingasan•JustinCopeland•JustinDavis•JustinMathew•JustinSchafer•JustinSwedberg • JustinTalmadge • JustineWinCanete •K.S.S.Raj •KaitGaiss•KalGangavarapu•Karen•KarenLovejoy•KarenMcDonald•KarenScruggs•KarinKiesl•KarisDorrigan•KarlAdriansson•KarstenMikaelsen•KarstenNebe •Karsten Ploesser •Kash •KashBaghaei •Kat Palmer •KateFlynn•KatharinaSimon•KathyDavies•KathySiruiLiu•KatiTawast•KatieB.London•KatieDehler•KatieGlass•KatieMoss•KatiePriest•Katrine•KayodeDada • KC •K.C.Oh • Keerthi Surapaneni • KeithGrinsted • KeithHopper •KeledyKenkel •KellieWhite •KellyLarbes •KeloKubu •KelvinO’Shea • Ken Louise • Ken Randall • Kenji Natsumoto • Kennedy Kahiri •KennithLeung•KennyChen•KevinBachus•KevinBlemel•KevinFidelin•KevinFlores•KevinHenry•KevinLücke•KevinM.Jackson•KhaledWagdy•Khemya•KhorZijian•KimAageDitlefsen•KimHurtado•KimitoshiSaji•KiranKumarNagaraj •Kirsten •KirstenDisse •Kit •Knut-JørgenRishaug •Koraldo Kajanaku • Kota Okazaki • Kristen Brillantes • Kristen Rutherford •KristianManrique •KristinaCunninghamBigler •KristinaLins •Kristoffer •KristofferStenseth•KristofferTjalve•KrzysztofPrzybylski•KubaButkowski• Kunal Punjabi • Kursat Ozenc • Kyle McEnery • Kyle Nash • Landon C.Akiyama •LarsOlofBerg •LarysaVisengeriyeva •LauraKSpencer,Ed.D •LauraThompson•LaurenM.Fischer•LavrentiTsudakov•leRolland•Leah•LeandroGama •LeeDelgado •LeeDuncan •Lee JunLin •LeeSmith •LenYeh•LeoAlmeida•LéoCabral•LeoTolstoy•LeviBrooks•LewisKang’etheNgugi • LewisNgugi • Lianne Siemensma • LiborVanc • LillianCourtney •LillianCourtneyCoaching•LinaPraškevičiūtė•LisaGayBostwick•LisaKurz•LisaTjide•LisavanMastbergen•LiviuSirghea•LizEden•LizLee•Lizzie•LizzieWeiland •LoganLeger •LoidaValentin •LoreleiMunroe •LorenzoHodges•LorraineMarsh•LotteLundLarsen•LouFox•LouiseW.Klinker•LucaTroisi•LucasBaraças•LucasBaraçasFigueiredo•LucasRowe•Lucas

Seidenfaden•LucileForoni•LuisBorges•LuisDelgado•LuisR.Meza•LuisRobertoBrenes•LuisX.González•LukasArvidsson•LukasImrich•LukasKlinser •LukasMisko •ŁukaszTyrała •LukeBrooker •LukeSummerfield •LutherC.LotzII•LuukvanHees•LydiaHenshaw•MaanaviTandan•MaciejGawlik•MadisonSpangler•MadsHensel•MagdalenaMałachowska•MaggieGram•MaggiePowers•MagnusAskenbäck•Magrafx•MaiaSciupac•MaicolParker-Chavez •MajaKathrineLundholmLarsen •Majbritt Sandberg •MaksMajer•MalPiernik•MaleesaPollock•MałgorzataPiernik•ManchiChung•Manny • Manu Cornet • Manuel • Manuel Vigo • Manuele Capacci • MarcAnthonyRosa•MarcAugustin•MarcEmilDomar•MarcSirkin•MarcSnyder•Marc-OliverGern •MarcellaBorasque de Paula •Marcelo Paiva •MarceloQuinta•MarcelR•MarcianoPlanque•MarcoLohnes•MarcoPardini•MarcoPoli • Marcos Ortiz • Marcus Carr • Marcy Chu • Marek Gebka • MarekModzelewski•MargaretPowers•MargrietBuseman•MaríaFernandaFlores•MaríaFernandaFloresG. •MaríaGraciaMorales •MariaHaynie •MariaM.Fabbroni•Marie-BlanchePanthou•Marie-HaudeMeriguet•MarielaBarzalloLeón•MarinLicina•MarioAlbertoGalindo•MarioDuck•MarioGalindo•MarioGamboa-Cavazos •MarioLópezDeÁvilaMuñoz•MarionNeumann•Maritta•MarkA.Hart•MarkArteaga•MarkBucherl•MarkBucknell•MarkButler•MarkCook•MarkDowney•MarkGarner•MarkMacfarlane•MarkSmith •Mark Stevens •Mark Swaine •MarkWinsper •MarkZhou •MarkoDugonjić •MarkoSoikkeli •Markus “Marek”Gebka •MarkusHuehn •MartMaasik•MarthaValenta•MartinCarty•MartinHoffmann•MartinHuijbregts•MartinKerr•MartinKonradGloeckle•MartinKremmer•MartinLabrousse•MartinLoensmann•MartinNathan•MartinP.Sötzen•MartinTangel•MartinVeldsman•MartinWiman•MarvGillibrand•MarySelby•MateusBarreto•MateuszTylicki•MatiasBejas•MatsHansson•MattBjornson•MattDobson•MattDominici •MattHarbord •MattKoidin •MattMartin •MattRobbins •Matt Storey • Matt Zuerrer • Matte Scheinker • Matteo Roversi • MatthewBorenstein•MatthewCunningham•MatthewHawn•MatthewLee•MatthewMoran•MatthewRobbins•MaureenMacharia•MauricioAnguloS.•MauricioMartinez • Max Birbes • Max La Rivière-Hedrick • Max Pekarsky • MaxStanworth•MaximPekarsky•MayThawdarOo•MayWoo•MegannWillson• Meghan Nesta • MeirionMezWilliams • Mel Destefano • Melanie Kahl •Melina Pierro • Melissa Beaver • Melissa Collier • Melissa Flores • MelissaLacitignola•MelissaLang•MelissaMcCollum•MemoMuñozUrbina•MiaMabanta • Michael Beach • Michael Braasch • Michael Bracklo • Michael

Davidson •Michael Facchinello •Michael Farley •Michael Harris •MichaelJones•MichaelLeggett•MichaelNeff•MichaelNikitochkin•MichaelPavey•Michael Sartor •Michael Sitver •Michael Smart •Michael Stencl •MichaelWickett •MichalNalepka •Michel Jansen •MichellGeere •MichelleBrien •MichelleDunford-Elliott •Michelle Swan •MideumLee •MiguelVazquez •Mika Jovicic •MikeBarker •MikeBrand •MikeCarpenter •MikeCaskey •MikeHerrmann •MikeLeber •MikeLovas •MikeMirabella •MikeMoss •MikeTobias•MikeWilliams•Millie•MistyKarenAntatico•MitchellSmith•Mitushi Jain • Mo • Moe Abdou • Mogens Skjold • Mohammed Pitolwala •MohammedSahli •MohanNadarajah •MollieDuffy •MollyStevens •MonaHakky•MonteK.Youngs•MoraMorais•MorganLindsay•MorganSheeran•Morten Hannibalsen Olsen • Mrinalini Kamath • M.T. Williams • MudassirAzeemi•MunirAhmad•Myles•NadineSteinacker•Nandha•Nandhagopal•Nandini • Nandini Bhardwaj • Natalie Bomberry • Natalie Hewton-Waters •NateOsborne•NateW.Godfrey•NathaliaAlbar•NathanLlewellyn•NathanWunsch•NathanaelSmith•NazHamid•NeallePage•NeerajHirani•NehaSaigal•NelsonCanro•Nenad•NenadJelovac•NicholasEvans•NickBurka•NickBusscher•NickCasares•NickChronis•NickHallam•NickHarewood•NickJohnLopezVillaverde•NickKarpetis•NickNg•NickRuzhnikov•NickSherrard • Nick Stevens • Nick White • Nickolaus Casares • Nicky • NickyGodden • Nicola De Filippo • Nicolai Fogh • Nicolás Alliaume • NicolasHemidy•NicoleLandry•NielsBruin•NigelQuinlan•NikhileswarJangala•Nikki Will • Nils Smed • Nima Bousejin • Nima Roohi Sefidmazgi • NinaKostamoDeschamps•NinaWilken•NirEyal•NirajShekhar•Nish•NishantBhalla•NityaNarasimhan•NobuyaSato•NoelKeener•NoelPeden•NormanTran • Nuno Coelho Santos • Oday mashalla • Ole Rich Henningsen • OlgaRepnikova•OliverVassard•OlufemiOlowolafeII•OmarB.Sanduka•OmarRodríguezBermello•OmidElliyoun•OonArfiandwi•OscarAguayo•OscarHeed•OwenMcCrink•OzLubling•PaoloRovelli•PaoloTripodi•ParisH.•Parita Kapadia • Parveen Kaler • Pascal Michelet • Patrici Flores • PatrickBarrett • Patrick DiMichele • Patrick Ehrlund • Patrick Hawley • PatrickHodgdon•PatrickMooney•PatrickOlszowski•PatrickVanbrabandt•PatrickVilain • Patti Hixon • Paul Essene • Paul Moran • Paul Muston • PaulNikitochkin•PaulPilling•PaulReijnierse•PaulRepin•PaulStrzelecki•PaulSturrock • Pauline Thomas • Pavan S. Kanwar • Pavlo Khud • PedroAlbuquerque • Pedro JoséRuízDíaz • PedroRuíz • PeterAnthony Jackson •PeterD.Gilbert•PeterGoody•PeterLight•PeterPries•PeterSlavish•Petr

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•SergioPanagia•SergueiOrozco•ShachafRodberg•ShaneFeltham•ShaneRyan • Shanin • Shannon K’doah Range • Shari Harrison • Sharon Hsiao •SharonSciammas•Shau-ChauYou•ShaunAdams•ShaunacyFerro•ShawnJones•ShefaliNetke•SheilaBulthuis•SheldonSchwartz•ShinLim•ShingHuei • Shirley Bunger • Shodeinde Peter Oladimeji • Shruthi Bhuma • SidBhargava • Signe Skriver • Silvio Gulizia • Similla Aslaksen • SimoHakkarainen•SimonGale •SimonH. •SimonMatty •SimonSmith •SimonTyrrell • Simone Ellis • Simone Saldanha • Simran Thadani • SimunzaMuyangana•SiriTejani•SivaSundaram•SiyuChen•SlavikKaushan•SooBeng • Sophia Hafyane • Sophie Hwang • Søren Martin Mark Andersen •SpencerODell•SrinivasaKalidindi•StefanClaussen•StefanPetzov•StefanSchreiber•StefanSohnchen•StefanieNagel•SteffenMeyer•StéphCruchon•Steph Fastre • StephMoccia • Stephan Hammes • Stephan Kardos • StephenSherwin • Stephen Tomlinson • Steve Neiderhauser • Steven Mak • StevenNguyen•StevenTwigge •StevenVillarino •StewartSear •StewartWalker •StoweBoyd•StuMalcolm•StuartLawder•SudarshanaSampath•SudhakarKuchibotla • Sumant Subrahmanya • Sumit Parab • Sunita Ramnarinesingh •SuprasannaMishra•SurangaNanayakkara•SurendraChaplot•SuryaVanka•SusanO’Malley•SvenLenaerts•SwaminathanJayaraman•SwathiBhuma•T.J.Chmielewski•TakuoDoi•Tamara•TanYeongSheng•TatianaTeixeira•TavKlitgaard•TawneyHughes•TaylorWimberly•TeodorN.Rotaru•ThaiHuynh•TheRealPVB•TheronD.Makley•ThiagoCarvalho•ThiagoMazarãoMaltempi •ThijsLoggen •ThomasDittmer •ThomasEvans •ThomasGrill •Thomas Klein Middelink • Thomas Klueppel • Thomas Papke • ThomasRademakers•ThomasvanderWoude•ThomasWilliamEvans•ThuPystynen•TiffanyZhong •Till •TillKöhler •Tim•TimCasasola •TimGouw•TimHoefer • Tim Schulze • Tim Upchurch • Timothy Nice • Tin Kadoic • TishKnapp •TobiasTheil •TobinSchwaiger-Hastanan •Toby •ToddChambers •Tom•TomBerkemeier•TomBritton•TomCannon•TomHall•TomKane•TomKerwin •TomRantala •TomásNogueira •TomaszMirowski •TomaszRybak•TomaszSzer•TommiRanta•TomsRīts•TonvanderLinden•ToniKarttunen•TonyThreatt•TorryColichio•TosinLanipekun•TownesMaxwell• Tracy Makkoo • Tracy Stevens • Travis B. Mitchell • Travis DeMeester •Travis Williams • Tridip Thrizu • Tristan Legros • Troels Overvad • TroyWinfrey • Trudy Cherok • Tulsi Dharmarajan • Tuomas Saarela • Tupijara •TylerHartrich•TylerLeppek•TylerMcIntyre•UmaSundaram•UrsulaPritz•VadymZhernovoi•ValerieKalantyrski•VanceStahl•VaniHenderson•Vasyl

Slobodian•VegardJormeland•VickiTan•VictorBaroli•VictorM.Gonzalez• Victoria Hobbs • Victoria Schiffman • Vidhi Gyani • Vik Chadha • VikHighland•VikramTiwari•ViktorSoullier•VilavBhatt•ViljarRystad•VinceLaw•VincentDromer•VirgilCameron•VirginiaJ.Barnett•VivianAgura•Vivian Gomes • Vlad Lakčević •Wagner Lucio •Warren Springer •WayneStrong •WesleyNoah •Whui-MeiYeo •WillChambers •WillDages •WillMunce•WillVaughan•WilliamFrazier•WilliamGruintal•WilliamLaRue•WilliamNewton•WilliamQuezada•WilliamUkoh•WilliamWells•WillmarA.Pimentel•Wolo•XanderPollock•Xian•XiaojieZheng•Xin-FangWu•Yashu Mittal • Yasith Abeynayaka • Yausshi Sakurai • Yohsuke Miki •Yoshinobu•YoungJang•YounghwanCheon•Yugene•YukikoMatsuoka•Yukio Ando • Yvonne Saidler • Zhuoshi Xie • Ziad Wakim • Zike • ZoeMoulson•ZoeT.Do•ZviGoldfarb

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