Making time for what matters | Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky (authors of Sprint and Make Time, co-founders of Character Capital)

1. Choose a Daily Highlight

Start each day by deciding what you want the highlight of your day to be, imagining what you’d say if asked at the end of the day. This anchors your focus and helps you feel good about how you spend your energy, even if other things are messy.

2. Write Down Your Highlight

Don’t just think about your daily highlight; write it down on a sticky note and place it somewhere visible. This simple act creates a special commitment and a natural reflection loop at the end of the day.

3. Design Your Day with Calendar

Use your calendar as a canvas to proactively design how you want to spend your time, rather than letting it dictate your schedule. Block out time for your highlight and other important activities to protect your focus.

4. Delete Distracting Apps

Remove infinity pool apps (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, news apps) from your phone to eliminate constant low-friction dopamine hits and reduce attention residue. This creates relief and allows you to focus on meaningful activities.

5. Log Out of Social Media/Email

Stay logged out of distracting websites like Twitter and LinkedIn on your computer, only logging in for specific, intentional purposes. This adds a speed bump, breaking the automatic habit of checking feeds.

6. Use 2FA as a Speed Bump

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for frequently checked online services, not just for security, but to add an extra step of friction. This deliberate barrier can help prevent mindless engagement with infinity pools.

7. Reset Email Expectations

Communicate to colleagues and contacts that you will be slower to respond to emails, perhaps by adding a line in your email signature or an auto-responder. This manages external expectations and, more importantly, reduces internal pressure and guilt to be constantly responsive.

8. Slow Down Your Inbox

Intentionally check your email less frequently (e.g., once or twice a day) and avoid the pressure of maintaining an empty inbox. This slows down the entire communication loop, reducing the volume of incoming messages and your reactive burden.

9. Remove Phone from Bedroom

Keep your phone out of the bedroom, ideally charging it on a different floor or in a separate room. This helps ensure your last activity before sleep and first activity upon waking are not phone-related, improving sleep quality and morning focus.

10. Create a ‘No-TV’ Living Space

Avoid having a TV as the default entertainment in your main living areas. Instead, use a projector or place the TV in a less accessible room, requiring a deliberate decision and setup to watch something.

11. Use a Separate Device for Distractions

If certain apps are necessary for work but highly distracting, consider using a separate device (e.g., a work iPad) for those specific apps. This creates a clear boundary between focused work/personal time and reactive tasks.

12. Cancel Internet Access (Temporarily)

For deep focus, work in a location without internet access or use a timer to physically shut off your home internet. This extreme measure eliminates the temptation of online distractions, making focused work the only option.

13. Prioritize Sleep for Energy

Recognize sleep as the single most important factor for maintaining energy and focus throughout the day. Construct an environment and routine that prioritizes consistent, quality sleep.

14. Schedule Exercise with Accountability

Integrate exercise into your routine with external accountability, such as a personal trainer or a dedicated app. This ensures consistent physical activity, which is a significant source of mental and physical energy.

15. Practice Daily Reflection

At the end of each day, reflect on what happened, treating the day as an experiment rather than a judgment of success or failure. This fosters curiosity about what worked or didn’t, allowing for continuous adjustment and improvement.

16. Keep a Gratitude Journal

Write down one to three things you are grateful for each day, ideally before bed. This practice trains your brain to notice positive experiences, enhancing overall well-being and satisfaction with your day.

17. Embrace Groundhog Day Mentality

Adopt the mindset that if you don’t achieve your highlight or desired outcome one day, it’s okay because you’ll have another chance tomorrow. This reduces self-judgment and encourages continuous experimentation and improvement.

18. Use Feed Blockers for Work Tools

Install browser extensions that disable feeds in work-related social platforms like LinkedIn. This allows you to use the essential functions of the tool (e.g., search) without getting pulled into endless scrolling.

19. Read Weekly News Digests

Instead of consuming news constantly, rely on weekly news digests from reputable sources. This allows important stories to be distilled and summarized, reducing the feeling of needing to stay ‘on top’ of every breaking event.

20. Shift Team Communication to Documents

Encourage your team to shift main communications to document-based platforms like Notion, rather than instant messaging or email. This changes expectations around response times and fosters more thoughtful, less reactive interactions.