a 90-minute plan for personal effectiveness - tony schwartz - harvard business review

Tony Schw artz

Tony Schw artz is the president and CEO of

The Energy Project and the author of The

Way We're Working Isn't Working.

Become a fan of The Energy Project on

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A 90-Minute Plan for Personal Effectiveness9:52 AM Monday January 24, 2011 | Comments (37)

For nearly a decade now, I've begun my workdays by focusing

for 90 minutes, uninterrupted, on the task I decide the night

before is the most important one I'll face the following day.

After 90 minutes, I take a break.

To make this possible, I turn off my email while I'm working,

close all windows on my computer, and let the phone go to

voicemail if it rings.

I typically get more work done during those 90 minutes, and

feel more satisfied with my output, than I do for any

comparable period of time the rest of the day. It can be tough

on some days to fully focus for 90 minutes, but I always have

a clear stopping time, which makes it easier.

I launched this practice because I long ago discovered that my

energy, my will, and my capacity for intense focus diminish as

the day wears on. Anything really challenging that I put off

tends not to get done, and it's the most difficult work that

tends to generate the greatest enduring value.

I first made this discovery while writing a book. At the time, I'd

written three previous books. For each one, I'd dutifully sit

down at my desk at 7 a.m., and I'd often stay there until 7

p.m.

Looking back, I probably spent more time avoiding writing than

I did actually writing. Instead, I spent an inordinate amount of

time and energy making lists, responding to email, answering

the phone, and keeping my desk clean and my files incredibly

well organized.

There were days I never got to writing at all. It was incredibly

frustrating.

At the heart of making this work is to build highly precise,

deliberate practices, done at specific times, so they eventually

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become automatic and don't require much expenditure of

energy or self-discipline, akin to brushing your teeth at night.

It's the crux of what I now do at my company, The Energy Project.

It was this approach that I applied to the book I was writing, and at other times to whatever I happen

to be working on. The effect on my efficiency has been staggering. I wrote my fourth book in less

than half the time I had invested in any of the three previous ones.

When I'm not working on a book, I choose the next day's work the night before because I don't want

to squander energy thinking about what to do during the time I've set aside to actually do the work.

I define "important" as whatever it is I believe will add the most enduring the value if I get it done.

More often than not, that means a challenge that is "important but not urgent," to use Steven

Covey's language. These are precisely the activities we most often put off — in favor of those that are

more urgent, and easier to accomplish, and provide more immediate gratification.

I start at a very specific time, because I discovered early on that when I didn't hold myself to an

exact time, it became a license to procrastinate. "Oh wait," I'd tell myself, "I'm just going to answer

this email," Before I knew it, I'd have answered a dozen emails, and a half dozen more had arrived,

calling out for my attention.

Finding an excuse to avoid hard work isn't hard to do.

I work for 90 minutes because that's what the research suggests is the optimal human limit for

focusing intensely on any given task. This "ultradian rhythm," the researcher Peretz Lavie and others

have found, governs our energy levels (see page 51 for details).

Over the course of 90 minutes, especially when we're maximally focused, we move from a relatively

high state of energy down into a physiological trough.

Many of us unwittingly train ourselves to ignore signals from our body that we need a rest —

difficulty concentrating, physical restlessness, irritability. Instead, we find ways to override this need

with caffeine, sugar, and our own stress hormones — adrenalin, noradrenalin, and cortisol — all of

which provide short bursts of energy but leave us overaroused.

By intentionally aligning with my body's natural rhythms, I've learned to listen to its signals. When I

notice them, it usually means I've hit the 90-minute mark. At that point, I take a break, even if I feel

I'm on a roll, because I've learned that if I don't, I'll pay the price later in the day.

I don't get it right every day, but this single practice has been life-changing for me.

Try it for one week. Come back and report here on what you discover. I think you'll be amazed.

More on: Managing yourself, Time management

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I like this philosophy. It is important work vs. urgent work. Doing an important project now insures that it

does not become an urgent "fire" later on.


I agree how very important it is to decide what is important the night before. And to work without distraction

at an appointed time. I need to work on that. I also like how you focus on the important, rather than just the

urgent.

I am reminded of the Pomodoro Technique http://www.pomodorotechnique.c.../ Same idea as Tony

detailed, but they suggest you work in units of 25 minutes and break for 5 minutes. Use a timer and take a

15-30 minute break after 3 or 4 units. The advantage is that you start to measure your work in real units,

instead of time that passes while distracted. Time slips away. But units are focused.


I'm aware of the Pomodoro technique and my issue with it is that I don't believe 25 minutes is

typically enough to get deeply immersed in a difficult challenge. I also don't know any physiological

reason why 25 minutes is particularly relevant. Having said that, I'm a fan of any approach that

promotes the movement between periods of intense focus and intermittent rest.


Excellent tip. I try to start with 10 minutes of focused work. That usually gets me in the groove to keep

working longer. Best of all, if I only do 10 minutes of focused work before falling prey to Facebook or some

other time-waster, I don't feel guilty because I achieved my humble 10 minute goal.


Brian Tracy has some great ideas on time managment...while at work/work; "chunking"; And the question:

"Is this THE best use of my time right now?" Recently I came across some of Dave Lakhani's (The Power

of an Hour) materials. He strongly suggests: 45/15, throughout the day. 45 minutes on/and a 15 break. It

think that is reasonable for many things/and for differing tasks. Without a doubt/focus and concentration

are the keys to productivity. It has been shown that when we come off a task/or are distracted/it can take a

substantial amount of time to get back on task. You cannot really manage time, but you can manage

yourself/and more so that you might initially think.

Thanks much. Clearly we have all had similiar experiences of being distracted and ensuring that the work

that must get done is handled well on a timely basis.

1 person liked this.

The time when we're most susceptible to the tyranny of the urgent is that moment when we begin work for

the day. As you've suggested, making the decision about what to do first when you're least susceptible to

these forces (the night before) makes a profound difference.

Most of us have received some unintentionally bad advice somewhere along the way. Things not working

the way you want? More self-discipline and working harder is the answer. As you point out, this seductive

stevenpofcher 2 days ago

Steve LeBlanc 2 days ago

Tony 1 day ago

Domali3 2 days ago

David Keeney 1 day ago

Rick Ross 2 days ago



thinking sets us up for failure as we "unwittingly train ourselves to ignore signals".

Thanks for the valuable insight and advice.


Great thoughts, Tony. I think an additional hurdle for people is not knowing how to spend breaks. Knowing

the difference between a break and a distraction allows for a true cycle to occur.

Richard Maybury liked this

Couldn't agree more, Adam. We need first to value renewal in order to focus attention on it. And once

we do, we need to train ourselves to renew the same way we'd build any skill -- diligently,

deliberately. At the same time, something such as answering email isn't renewal -- or if it, it's a very

thin form of renewal. We need to experiment with different forms of renewal to find which ones work

best. It can be anything from working out (mental and emotional renewal) to breathing, to sharing a

lunch with a good friend.


Thank you for this definition of renewal. I am good at focus (yay, me!) but not sure I have figured

out the renewal part... talking to co-workers about work in a fun way it turns out is probably not

renewal!

Yoga, guitar, piano, playing with the dogs. Something other-brained and non-work, that I

can turn completely away from and get back to what still needs my attention. Those are

real breaks. Talking with people about work is far too likely to wind up with more work on

my plate, or being asked to do something that's at best a sidebar to what I was working on

before I took the break.

Good article. Thanks!


Tony,

Sometimes applying Sence of Urgency is the only way to get things done. 90 minutes is quite a long time

without any kind of interuptions or tentations.

Most times we only do it when the target is tomorrow or realy close. We should never procastinate, but not

always we are able to not follows this impulse.

But one thing is for sure and we need to put it in mind always: Never do self-sabotage!

Tks,

Gabriel Casals

www.gabrielmanagementschool.bl...


Now I know the difference between a break and an distraction. And I know how long I should focus to

something. But how long is a good break?

Adam Pearce 2 days ago

Tony 1 day ago

Nuz91 1 day ago

Karen_Tiede 1 day ago

Gabriel Casals 2 days ago

Matti 16 hours ago



You can get real renewal in just a minute or two. The best method that we at The Energy Project have

found for renewing quickly is simply taking some deep breaths. This video at

http://theenergyproject.com/ab... demonstrates the technique. However, the length of the break you

need depends on how much energy you have before you start, as well as how depleting your work

activity was. You should have a number of options that you can do based on what you need in the

moment. This can be getting up and moving (if you've been sitting), grabbing a bite to eat, getting a

drink, listening to music, or going outside for fresh air and sunlight. Other than lunch, you shouldn't

need a break of more than 10 minutes.

What's most important is how well you renew not how long you renew. If you get really good at

renewal, you'll renew faster. Having said that, the greater the intensity of the work demand you've just

experienced, the greater the need for renewal. I've found that under ordinary circumstances 10 or 15

minutes is fine. But a great form of renewal at midday, for example, is to work out, and obviously that

takes longer. Experiment! There is no fixed answer.

Having a definite timeslot which you cannot go over for a particular task is a great idea. If you give yourself

a deadline and know that you cannot extend it forces you to focus your energy and gives you clarity of

thought knowing that after the 90 minutes passes - time's up and you have to stop working on a problem.

Very helpful in eliminating procrastination.

I use a similar technique where I give myself 60 - 120 minutes to focus on a single task at any time of day,

not just the morning. This is especially helpful if you have several competing priorities and need to focus

on one at a time. Thanks for the article, always good to be reminded on how to focus.

Another simple exercise from Tony that can change the way we do tasks for the better.

Deciding on what is the most important objective to achieve tomorrow is clearly good practice.

Working on the most important work during High Energy periods is certainly helpful. For many people this

is first thing in the morning - for others it is another time. I have experimented with both approaches. I now

prefer to block out early high energy time for key tasks, rather than do them first thing.

I have found that it does require more discipline to get in the 'High energy/high value' zone than it does in

simply getting down to important work first thing in the morning - but I am more motivated and do get more

done in that selected time.

Whilst I recognise the impact of cycles like Ultradian rhythms, I have never experimented with a full 90

minute ‘High energy/High value’ session – my usual limit is about 50 minutes.....

So ....... thanks again Tony for another thought provoking post and thanks Adam Pearce (and Tony again)

for your contributions on what I call 'Real Renewal'.

Thank you for your comments on this article, and in particular this note acknowledging that morning

may not be the best time for this focused effort. I am one of those people whose creativity/productivity

increase as the day wears on; an ideal window for me would be late afternoon/early evening.

Emily Pines 9 hours ago

Tony 9 hours ago

Gorjan 1 day ago

Vijeet Rathi 1 day ago

Richard Maybury 1 day ago

ededit 20 hours ago



I echo the comments about the importance of "real" renewal...

The key is to finding a solution that best fits you and the way you work. If we can decide the night before

what our focus will be the next day, then we're one step (or many) ahead! I like the philosophy behind the

90-minute stretch. It's so easy to get distracted and pulled into another direction, and therefore getting

derailed from what we really need to working on. This is right along the lines of stopping the multi-tasking.

Thanks!

Michelle Poteet

Well...it's a wonderful plan. But what do you do when you have a schedule of 8 hours at the office and then

have to attend meetings or work on tasks for your free-time activity (eg: an NGO).

You suggest to work for 90 minutes, then take a break, then another 90 minutes and so on?

Thank you, hope you are more focused then ever!:)

I do strongly encourage you to work in 90 minutes sprints, and then take a break! Will make it

possible for you to be a lot more sustainable working long hours. Cheers!


Great post. I think all too often we find ourselves on Twitter, reading inspiring blog posts like this, having

meetings, administering our inboxes or reading sector press, when we should be focusing on the

important, if difficult task in hand.

Tony,

How many sessions of 90 minutes did you take during the day when you wrote your fourth book in less that

half the time you invested in any of the first three?

Jens, I did three 90 minutes "sprints" a day -- total of 4 1/2 hours, started at 7 am, ended by 1 pm,

went running during one of the renewal breaks. That compares to the 12 hours of "writing" I did at my

desk for previous books. The great researcher Anders Ericsson believes that 4 1/2 hours a day is the

natural human limits for fully focused work. In my case, I spent the afternoon of work activities

requiring less singular concentrations.

Pardon the typos above. Let me restate without them:

The great researcher Anders Ericsson believes that 4 1/2 hours a day is the natural human limit

for fully focused work. In my case, I spent the afternoon on work activities requiring less singular

Michelle Poteet 1 day ago

Alice C. 1 day ago

Tony 1 day ago

Rene Power 1 day ago

Jens Erik Pontoppidan Larsen 1 day ago

Tony 1 day ago

Tony 1 day ago



concentration.

I really like how Mr. Schwartz uses 90 minutes for intense concentration.

However, instead of the 90-minute focusing time, I use 50-minute one and take a 10-minute break

because that's how long the classes and breaks were when I was in high school (I am going to be a

freshman in college few months later). I think schools have adopted what is best for their students and

that's why I study now at home by myself just like how I used to in school.

I will try using the 90-minute focusing time because it has been proven by a study. I am glad I got to know

this information

tony..

Tony..

you need to keep up with hrb blogs..the 90 minute routine has been laid out by prior writers..give us 10..

I'd be interested to hear by what writers. I've written about the 90 minute Ultradian rhythm in other

blogs on HBR, and first wrote about it in an HBR article in 2001 (The Making of The Corporate

Athlete) and then in the book "The Power of Full Engagement." I do believe that my former colleague

Jim Loehr and I helped introduce this concept, but correct me if I'm wrong and you're aware of

something earlier.


Tony..

I must apologize..It was you..

"Why Companies Should Insist that Employees Take Naps"..

I was probably in my Nap rhythm..

Great post, again. I really like this strategy even though it might be a challenge some days :) I've tried to set

up my days in these 90 min cycles with refuel times in between seeing my patients.

This and the monthly brainstorming mornings are my favorites :)

Regards,

Vegard

www.manuellterapi.org

agree. put first things first. at least for 90 minutes!

I think this seems to be a really good practice!

ExtraordinaryMind 1 day ago

notmd 1 day ago

Tony 1 day ago

notmd 1 day ago

Vegard Ølstørn 2 days ago

Dan Levine 2 days ago

Joel Falck 2 days ago



Even if people do not have time first thing in the morning to allocate to a project (class, work, etc...) it is a

great habit to get into because it at least gets you in a mindset of needing to prioritize. Great post!

Great tip-I will try it!

I am a big believer in this principle. It's worked for me and has made a big difference in my productivity.

Things like email, and social media keep us busy but not always productive. Spending 90 minutes in the

morning is time that I intentionally use to get important strategic goals moving forward. One suggestion, if

90 minutes is too long try starting with 30. You can still get a lot accomplished.

I have to agree that the 90min thing is a brilliant idea for people to work more efficiently.However the

beginning of the 90minutes might be a problem for many people cuz we are not so motivated if the work

hasn't to be done due to the following day...Tks anyway,I'll try that out when the new semester comes. ;-)

I have to agree that the 90min thing is a brilliant idea for people to work more efficiently.However the

beginning of the 90minutes might be a problem for many people cuz we are not so motivated if the work

hasn't to be done due to the following day...Tks anyway,I'll try that out when the new semester comes. ;-)

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a 90-minute plan for personal effectiveness - tony schwartz - harvard business review

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