Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day

by Jake Knapp

something magic happens when you start the day with one high-priority goal.

we got more done when we banned devices.

We also learned about the importance of energy for focused work and clear thinking.

Experimenting allowed us to improve the process,

Although some of our tactics turned into habits, others sputtered and failed. But taking stock of our results each day helped us understand why we tripped up. And this experimental approach also allowed us to be kinder to ourselves when we made mistakes—after all, every mistake was just a data point, and we could always try again tomorrow.

Instead, change comes from resetting defaults, creating barriers, and beginning to design the way you spend your time.

The first step is choosing a single highlight to prioritize

you commit to complete all the tasks required.

On your first day using Make Time, we suggest trying one tactic from each step. That is, one new tactic to help you make time for your Highlight, one that keeps you laser-focused by changing how you react to distractions, and one for building energy—three tactics total.

We want you to begin each day by thinking about what you hope will be the bright spot.

the way you experience your days is not determined primarily by what happens to you. In fact, you create your own reality by choosing what you pay attention to.

What do I want to be the highlight of my day?

If you have something that absolutely positively must be accomplished today, make it your Highlight.

instead of thinking about deadlines and priorities, take a different approach: Think about the sense of accomplishment locked inside each potential Highlight.

steer you away from the impossible vision of perfectly planned days and toward a life that’s more joyful and less reactive. That means doing some things just because you like doing them.

the best way to choose a Highlight is to trust your gut to decide whether an urgent, joyful, or satisfying Highlight is best for today.2

choose a Highlight that takes sixty to ninety minutes.

being intentional is an essential step toward making more time in your life.

If you’re just starting with Make Time, focus on one Highlight tactic at a time. If it works, keep it in your routine. If you need additional help choosing and making time for your Highlight, come back and add another tactic you want to try.

Every distraction imposes a cost on the depth of your focus.

If you change your priorities, people will notice. Your actions show others what’s important to you.

We fear being out of the loop, but once we’re out there, we realize it’s actually kind of nice.

Like a well-behaved kid, clean up after yourself when you’re done.

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What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while. —GRETCHEN RUBIN

To keep your battery charged, pretend you’re a toddler or, more accurately, the parent of a toddler. Look out for crankiness and frustration and be prepared with a nutritious remedy. When you leave home in the morning, pack a little trail mix or an apple. If you find yourself hungry and snackless, seek out real food (e.g., bananas or nuts) instead of junk food (candy or chips). You wouldn’t give your three-year-old a pack of Twizzlers to tide him over until lunch, and you should treat yourself with the same care. Grown-ups are people, too.

What most people (including us before Camille explained it to Jake) don’t realize is that the half-life of caffeine is five to six hours. So if the average person has a coffee at 4 p.m., half the caffeine is out of the bloodstream by 9 or 10 p.m., but the other half is still around. The upshot is that at least some caffeine is blocking at least some adenosine receptors for many hours after you have caffeine and very possibly interfering with your sleep and in turn the next day’s energy.

The benefits of meditation are well documented. It reduces stress. It increases happiness.

Some people say meditation counts only if you do it unassisted for long periods. Those people are jerks. If it works for you and you’re happy, you can keep doing short sessions of guided meditation forever.

Changing defaults isn’t always easy, so it’s helpful to look back on the day through a grateful lens.

There’s an invisible premise behind Make Time: You’re already close. Small shifts can put you in control. If you reduce a few distractions, increase your physical and mental energy just a bit, and focus your attention on one bright spot, a blah day can become extraordinary. It doesn’t require an empty calendar—just sixty to ninety minutes of attention on something special. The goal is to make time for what matters, find more balance, and enjoy today a little more.

Do not ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. —HOWARD THURMAN