“I have too little time” — almost always, this is a lie.
I have found that when I work for 5-6 hrs with intense focus, I have no more cognitive capacity left.
And this is not an isolated fact. A study of elite musicians (e.g., violinists) revealed that after 4-5 hrs of intense practice, they were so drained that they needed to sleep to recover their mental strength.
While our work is rarely as intense as violin practice at the elite level, you probably can’t do more than 5-6 hrs of focused work. And if you did that, you would accomplish WAY MORE than in a 12-hr distraction-ridden day.
Of course, our ability to focus varies with the nature of the task. For pleasant tasks (or if you got in a flow state) you might be able to go on longer.
But for all practical purposes, 5-6 hrs is the upper limit of focused work for most of us. Don’t take my word for it — just try it one day and watch your brain melt after 6 hrs.
However, in our modern workplace, where focusing even for an hour is becoming impossible, all these remain theoretical abstractions.
So the next time you are frustrated about lack of time, carve out more time for focused work. Even 3-4 hours of focused work will put you in the top 1% of humanity.
Focus is the most non-linear productivity tool we have today.
– Rajan