Deep Work Sessions Structure

I used to believe more hours = more productivity. I was wrong. I used to be a slave to my to-do list, constantly looking for “more hours”. But, as Sahil Bloom shows us so wonderfully in this excerpt from his new book, 'The 5 Types of Wealth'... You don’t need more hours. You need better balance. Because not all time is created equal. Here's an overview of the four types of professional time (courtesy of Sahil)  and how you can use this wisdom to better structure your days: 🔴 Management Time – Meetings, emails, coordination. 🟢 Creation Time – Deep work, building, producing. 🔵 Consumption Time – Learning, reading, listening. 🟡 Ideation Time – Thinking, brainstorming, strategizing. When you mismanage these, your days feel chaotic. When you balance them, your work (and life) flow. I’ve snapped a photo from Sahil’s book so you can visually see how these four categories can bring better balance to your week. The main point is to start being more intentional about how you use your time, and group similar activities together. Here's how I've applied some of these lessons in my own life  (and how you can too): ✅ Stop checking your email in the morning I used to start my day in my inbox. But you can't plan your days around other people’s priorities. Spend the first 90 minutes each day in deep work before even glancing at your email. ✅ Create “meeting-free” days Back-to-back meetings kill focus. Implement at least one no-meeting day each week, reserving that time instead for your biggest needle-movers. ✅ Batch small tasks together Multitasking is a massive productivity killer. Instead of endlessly switching between small tasks, I now stack my admin work into a defined 30-minute block. Less task switching + more focus = greater output. ✅ Schedule time to think Yes, there is such a thing as “time to think”! Set aside at least 30 minutes of screen-free time each day. Your best ideas often come when you're by yourself. ✅ “Audit” your time every week I used to pack my weeks blindly. Now, I review where I'm spending my time and adjust the split, depending on my priorities. If you see yourself spending too much time in one category, you may need to rebalance. Look at your week. What dominates your schedule? Are you making real progress or are you just keeping busy? And if you need a blueprint for mastering your time - as well as the social, mental, physical, and financial aspects of your life - then Sahil’s new book 'The 5 Types of Wealth' is an absolute must-read. Order it here and take charge of your life: https://lnkd.in/dnPpts2e ⏳ Remember, time is your most precious asset. Once spent, you can never earn it back. So take control and make it count.

A manager came to a 1:1 with me last year with about fifteen goals...and a thumping headache. Actually, he originally told me he had no "set" goals but in our discussions, he named a long list of things he wanted to achieve. We spent the first session helping him to get a lot clearer. I asked him to set just one goal for each of the following areas: 1️⃣ Leader growth (you): your behaviour- how you show up. 2️⃣ Team development: the way your people work together 3️⃣ Lean/Operational performance: improving flow in and between processes 4️⃣ Strategy-aligned impact: what matters most to the business this quarter. Then we gave each goal three lenses: 💠 Behaviours/Practices (what you will do consistently) 💠 Measures (one leading + one lagging) 💠 Enablers (skills/tools/time/stakeholders). And so.... His action plan became: 🔸 Measure the number of issues solved with/without escalation. 🔸 Measure the rework time and associated costs 🔸 Lead a daily 10-min huddle- train and train/rotate facilitators 🔸 Lead a weekly improvement meeting (Send recurring invites to key people) 🔸 Introduce two-way feedback in every 1:1. (Change 1:1 template) 🔸 Track improvements, not just problems. 🔸 Practice ‘ask-and-listen’ every single day. Record examples. We are now well into Q4 of this year and after 10 coaching sessions with a strong emphasis on PDCA (Plan Do Check Adjust), my client has a lot less headaches, a lot more focus and a list of achievements as well as goals. 🙋♀️ Reach out if you want to know more about my work. I combine Lean mentoring, leadership coaching, and team development to help teams gain clarity, work smarter, and continuously improve.

The silent productivity killer you've never heard of... Attention Residue (and 4 strategies to fight back): The concept of "attention residue" says there is a cognitive cost to shifting your attention from one task to another. When our attention is shifted, there is a "residue" that remains in the brain and impairs our cognitive performance on the new task. Put differently, you may think your attention has fully shifted to the next task, but your brain has a lag—it thinks otherwise! With apologies to any self-proclaimed proficient multitaskers, the research is very clear: Every single time you call upon your brain to move away from one task and toward another, you are hurting its performance—your work quality and efficiency suffer. Here are four strategies to manage attention residue and fight back: 1. Create a Boot Up Sequence Your personal boot up sequence is a series of actions that prime your mind and body for deep focus work. For me, this involves cold brew coffee, classical music, and sitting in a bright, well-lit environment. Create your own boot up sequence and your attention performance will improve. 2. Focus Work Blocks Block time on your calendar for sprints of focused energy. Set a timer for a 45-90 minute window, close everything except the task at hand, and focus on one thing. It works wonders. 3. Take a Breather Whenever possible, create open windows of 5-15 minutes between higher value tasks. Schedule 25-minute calls. Block those windows on your calendar. During them, take a walk or close your eyes and breathe. 4. Batch Processing You still have to reply to messages and emails. Pick a few windows during the day when you will deeply focus on the task of processing and replying to these. Your response quality will go up from this batching, and they won't bleed into the rest of your day. Attention residue is a silent killer of your work quality and efficiency. Understanding it—and taking the steps to fight back—will have an immediate positive impact on your work and life. 📌 To learn more science-backed systems to improve your life, join thousands who have preordered my first book: https://lnkd.in/eGhQwaRC Enjoy this? ♻ Repost to help your network and follow Sahil Bloom for more.

As a product leader, have you ever felt like you're constantly working two jobs? Meetings by day, real work by night. You're not alone As product leaders, we're constantly juggling two distinct roles: the strategic thinker 🧠 and the team manager 👥. Finding the right balance between deep work and rapid context switching can be a daunting challenge, especially in today's hybrid work environment. In my latest article, I discuss the concept of the Maker's Schedule vs. Manager's Schedule, why product managers and leaders need to do both, and provide a four-step approach to designing a time management strategy that enables you to excel: 1️⃣ Audit and plan your time to align with priorities 2️⃣ Implement your ideal schedule by culling meetings and blocking off deep work time 3️⃣ Protect your time by saying "no," setting boundaries, and coordinating with your team 4️⃣ Create mental space for deep work using warm-up tasks, managing energy, and transition rituals Mastering the maker-manager balance is an ongoing journey that requires intentionality and experimentation. By understanding the demands of both roles and implementing these strategies, you can significantly boost your productivity and impact as a product leader. 📈💡 Want to learn more? Check out the full article and let me know your thoughts! What strategies have you found effective for managing your time as a product leader? 👇 #ProductManagement #TimeManagement #Leadership #DeepWork #ProductLeaders

How you should start every day for the rest of your life… (According to the highest-paid copywriter in history). ‘The Boron Letters’ by Gary C. Halbert is a collection of advice letters Gary wrote to his son from prison. They dive into a range of topics: Copywriting, direct-response marketing, business strategy, mindset and personal discipline. Gary’s 1.5-2 hour morning routine has always stuck with me... He ticks these tasks off before even starting work: •⁠ ⁠Physical exercise •⁠ ⁠Breathwork •⁠ ⁠Hydration •⁠ ⁠Nutrition •⁠ Reading •⁠ ⁠Writing Gary said that the disciplined habits he built contributed to his success. They optimised his productivity, focus, creativity and overall wellbeing. This is his optimal 8-step morning routine: 1. Wake up early: 5.30 - 6.30am Stay ahead of your competition and have quiet, focused time. (He doesn’t specify a time, so whatever works for you).  2. Do ‘ground work’ - walk, run or jog outside: 30-60mins Wakes you up naturally, sparks creativity and clears your mind. (Use this time to problem solve and ideate). 3. Deep breathing + fresh air: 10-20mins Ideally outside- reduces stress and sharpens your focus. (Take deep, slow breaths to fully oxygenate your brain). 4. Drink water: 500-750ml Hydration boosts mental clarity. (Add salt or lemon for electrolyte balance). 5. Eat a high-protein breakfast: 30g+ protein Maintains energy, supports brain function and keeps you full. (Avoid sugary carbs, they cause energy crashes). 6. Read: 15-30mins Daily reading sharpens your skills and mindset. (Non-fiction or anything that stimulates creativity or strategy). 7. Journal + idea generation: 10-20mins Writing helps clear your mind and organise your daily game plan. (Business ideas, personal reflections, creative strategy, to do lists). 8. Get to work: within 1 hour of finishing breakfast Morning hours = peak mental focus for most people. (Tackle the most high-value/ important take before distractions creep in). Win the morning, win the day! My routine is pretty similar to Gary’s: → Wake up, don’t snooze my alarm (don’t feel groggy) → Go a jog or do a mini HIIT workout (healthy dopamine) → Breathwork/ meditation (encourages quiet time) → Shower (at what point does Gary get ready for the day?) → Drink water (water + lemon and peppermint tea) → Eat a high-protein breakfast (Greek yogurt, fruit, nuts) → Journal (daily gratitude, freeflow it or use prompts) → Write (to-do lists, creative brainstorms, idea dumps). Light a candle, put my phone on DND for deep work mode and *usually,* I get into deep focus mode. In the afternoon when my focus dips, I have a screen break: Cook, go for a walk, change location to a coffee shop, read… My evenings are for me: I go to the gym every night and I'll go for a walk too. This routine has been years of trial and error. I'm also working with an ADHD coach now too to optimise it! How do you win your morning!? 💭 Reckon you could give Gary C. Halbert’s routine a go?

I always thought that I was abnormal for craving breaks where I travel, stay alone, read, and reflect on what I want to do next. Many around me couldn't associate with this need for solitude and introspection. However, these moments are crucial for me to recharge and engage in deep work. While reading "Deep Work" by Cal Newport, I was glad to discover that this is a recognized approach to achieving deep, meaningful work. It's reassuring to know that many people use these periods of focused solitude to produce their best work. So, I am not the odd one out. Here are the 5 Key Takeaways: 1. The Importance of Deep Work Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. This kind of work creates new value, improves your skill, and is hard to replicate. In an increasingly distracted world, deep work is becoming more rare and therefore more valuable. 2. Shallow Work vs. Deep Work Shallow work refers to tasks that are not cognitively demanding and are often performed while distracted. These tasks do not create much value and are easy to replicate. Newport emphasizes the need to reduce shallow work to make more time for deep work, which leads to significant professional and personal growth. 3. Rituals and Routines To cultivate deep work, Newport suggests establishing rituals and routines to minimize the friction in transitioning to deep work. This can include setting a specific time and place for deep work, deciding on a work duration, and setting rules for how you'll work and what you'll avoid (like social media). 4. Embrace Boredom Newport argues that we must train our brains to embrace boredom and avoid the constant stimulation of digital devices. This helps build focus and the ability to do deep work. Scheduling breaks from focus and resisting the urge to constantly switch tasks can help in this regard. 5. Quit Social Media Social media platforms are designed to be addictive and can severely disrupt your ability to perform deep work. Newport advocates for a conscious evaluation of the tools and technologies you use. He suggests quitting or significantly reducing the use of social media and other distractions unless they are proven to provide substantial benefits to your professional and personal goals. If you haven't read this book yet, I highly recommend it. It provides valuable insights into how you can harness the power of deep work to boost your productivity and achieve your goals. #DeepWork #Productivity #PersonalGrowth #CalNewport #SelfImprovement #Solotravel #breaks #Routineandrituals

Ok, raise your hand if you've ever been the "fuzzy meeting person." 🙋♀️ 🙋♀️ 🙋♀️ I’d schedule sessions with no clear agenda, no defined outcome, basically, “let's chat and figure it out.” I’d leave half-exhausted, half-confused, thinking: "Did anything just get decided? Who’s doing what? Could this have been an email?" Probably everyone else thought that too. Waste of time. It took me a while, but I realized: the problem wasn’t the team. It was me. My meetings lacked clarity + intent. So I decided to get scientific about it. I started analyzing my meeting transcriptions with CoPilot. I wanted to see: - How much time I spent talking vs listening - How often I stated an explicit decision - Where confusion or rambling crept in The results were… eye-opening. I wasn’t just scheduling fuzzy meetings, I was enabling them. Here’s the system I built to fix it: Step 1. Define the single purpose (SO IMPORTANT) Every meeting needs a north star: “By the end, what should people know, decide, or do?” Step 2. Structure the agenda around outcomes List topics → assign a single desired outcome + time limit. Step 3. Prep key points, lead with decisions Skip long-winded context. Deliver the decision first, context second. Step 4. Track your talk ratio Use AI to see if you’re dominating or clarifying. Adjust accordingly. Step 5. End with explicit next steps Who does what, by when. No assumptions. Step 6. Follow up in writing 1–2 bullets summarizing decisions + assigned owners (you can do this with AI). Send within 24 hours. I also send transcripts if necessary. The transformation? Meetings went from draining and fuzzy → purposeful, productive, and trust-building. My coworkers leave knowing exactly what to do, and I finally stopped wondering why work wasn’t getting done. People like me more (hopefully?). Also, generally reduced my meeting frequency by 20ish%. Effectiveness frees us time, who knew. Moral: meetings are time, money, and trust. If people feel like you schedule fuzzy meetings, they'll be less committed. Use those steps to focus more on your clarity and intent. How do you make meetings more effective?

Productivity isn’t what people do more of; it’s what leaders remove. I learned this the hard way. Recently I was hit with SSNHL (sensorineural hearing loss). Overnight, my “always on” operating system crashed. No amount of caffeine or late-night heroics could brute-force me back to normal. That shock rewired how I lead. It taught me that high output isn’t about squeezing, it's about designing systems where excellence is sustainable. Leaders. We need an operating rule: Design the work so your best people never have to be heroes. Here’s the weekly, 30-min leadership ritual I use to increase output without burning people out. It runs on 3 simple, metrics. 1️⃣ Capacity (Do we have the oxygen?) - What to track: Workload vs. bandwidth at the team level (story points/OKR load vs. true capacity), and the top 3 systemic constraints throttling flow (people bottlenecks, approvals, tool friction). - What to do: Remove 1 constraint every week. Not all 3, just one. Shift scope, defer work, or break the dependency. Output is a function of constraint removal, not pep talks. - Anti-pattern to kill: “We’ll make it work.” That’s a tax on tomorrow’s quality and morale. 2️⃣ Context-switches (Are we protecting deep work?) - What to track: Interruptions per person (meetings, Slack/Teams pings, unplanned asks), time in meetings vs. maker time, and number of concurrent “priorities.” - What to do: Cap work-in-progress. Ring-fence 10–15 hours of maker time per week per builder. Bundle decisions into twice-weekly “decision hours” to reduce ad-hoc interrupts. - Anti-pattern to kill: “Jump on a quick call?” Quick calls are death by a thousand cuts. 3️⃣ Recovery (Are we restoring the system?) - What to track: Actual time off taken, detachment quality (did people truly unplug?), and energy signals (morale pulse, defect rates, cycle time drift). - What to do: Institutionalize recovery. Friday “no new work” blocks, mandatory cool-down after ship, rotations off the front line, and leaders modeling real disconnection. - Anti-pattern to kill: Celebrating burnout as commitment. Burnout is not a badge, it's a backlog of unmet leadership duties. Capacity focuses leadership attention on leverage, constraint removal turns busy teams into productive teams. Context-switch control preserves cognition, fewer switches equals higher quality and speed. Recovery compounds performance, rested systems learn, adapt, and out-innovate exhausted ones. If you only do one thing this week, do this: 1️⃣ Cancel one recurring meeting that adds 0 value. 2️⃣ Eliminate 1 dependency blocking a high-impact stream. 3️⃣ Protect one 3-hour deep-work block for your top builder. I am still recovering and thankful to the Polish Healthcare System every day I can access. I can’t get back the hearing I lost. But I found a leadership rule I wish I’d learned sooner: sustainable systems beat unsustainable heroics, every time. Which of the three metrics capacity, context-switches, or recovery resonates more? 

𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 Time blocking is an effective technique to take control of your day and ensure that your highest-priority tasks get the attention they deserve. This method involves dividing your day into specific blocks of time, with each block dedicated to a particular task or activity. By doing so, you can optimize your productivity, reduce stress, and maintain focus throughout the day. Imagine starting your day with a clear plan. Time blocking helps you work smarter by ensuring that each part of your day is aligned with your natural rhythms and priorities. By structuring your day with intention and clarity, you can tackle your to-do list with greater efficiency, focus, and satisfaction. Remember, the goal of time blocking isn’t just to fill your schedule, but to create a balanced workflow that supports both your professional goals and personal well-being. Imagine you're an architect, not of buildings, but of time. Every morning, you wake up with a blueprint for your day, carefully crafted to make the most of your hours. This blueprint is your time-blocked schedule, and it’s your secret weapon for success. The day begins at dawn. The morning is your prime time—your mind is sharp, and your creativity is at its peak. You know this is the perfect moment to tackle the most critical task on your list: strategic planning. In early morning hours, you immerse yourself in deep thinking, laying the foundation for the day’s work. No distractions, just pure focus on what matters most. As the morning sun rises higher, your energy shifts. It’s time to interact with others, so you step into the collaborative phase of your day. The afternoon is reserved for meetings, brainstorming sessions, and teamwork. You’ve blocked out this time specifically because you know you’ll be at your best when engaging with colleagues and tackling problems together. As the day winds down, so does your energy. The late afternoon arrives, and it’s time to handle the routine tasks that don’t require as much mental heavy lifting. You dive into your inbox, respond to emails, and tie up loose ends. It’s a satisfying way to close out the day, knowing you’ve managed your time wisely. But what makes this time-blocked schedule truly effective is the boundaries you’ve set. You’ve communicated with your team, letting them know when you’re available and when you need to be left alone. This respect for your own time ensures that each block is used to its fullest potential, allowing you to move through your day with intention and purpose. By the end of the day, you’ve accomplished what you set out to do, and it’s all because you’ve structured your day with care. Time blocking isn’t just about organizing tasks; it’s about crafting a life that balances productivity and well-being, ensuring you’re not just busy, but truly effective. #TimeManagement #Efficiency #StressManagement #Productivity

2018-2021: You're a full-time student, preparing for FRM & CFA, AND building a startup? 2022-2024: How do you manage 2 businesses and keep up with content on 3 platforms? From networking events to family functions to friends reunions, almost everyone asks me the same question! It all comes down to one thing: effective time management.⏰ 18-year-old Ishaan didn’t know anything about it; just went with the flow; life disciplined me! Here are the time-management strategies that help me stay productive and avoid burnout! ⏳Apply the Eisenhower matrix: Sort tasks into four categories: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither. This method helps you focus on tasks that add the most value while pushing aside distractions. ⏳Use the Pomodoro Technique: Work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. Repeat this cycle, and after completing four cycles, take a longer break (15–30 minutes). This method helps maintain focus and prevents burnout. ⏳Use the 2-Minute Rule for Small Tasks: If a task takes two minutes or less, do it immediately. This keeps minor tasks from piling up and clears your schedule for more significant work. ⏳Apply Time Blocking to High-Energy Periods: Instead of just blocking out time on your calendar, match your most demanding tasks to the times of day when you have the most energy. This makes difficult tasks easier and leaves less mentally taxing work for low-energy times. ⏳Apply Parkinson’s Law: Set tighter deadlines for tasks to force yourself to focus and complete them faster. Parkinson’s Law states that "work expands to fill the time available," so giving yourself less time can boost productivity. ⏳Follow the Rule of Three: At the start of each day, identify the three most important tasks you need to accomplish. By focusing on just three big things, you can keep your priorities clear and your workload manageable. Which techniques do you use? 💬