Two focused hours is all you need

If you spend two hours each day on your most important task, you’ll be stunned at your progress in a month.

Two hours of uninterrupted work is the perfect dose. It’s enough time to write long documents or tackle strategic issues. In a week, you can complete entire projects. And yet, it’s not a greedy amount. There are six remaining hours for urgent issues, meetings, and whatever else is on your plate.

Don’t be tempted to do more. Two hours is defensible. But if you block three or four hours, you’ll inevitably steal time to tackle urgent items. Before you know it, the ring-fenced time evaporates. I learned that the hard way.

Here’s a final tip. It’s unlikely your most important task appeared in the last twenty-four hours. Instead, focus on needle-moving activities. The sort you avoid because they feel hard.

Try this next week. You’ll be surprised how much you can achieve.