Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day

by Jake Knapp

Prehistoric humans ate a variety of foods and often waited all day (or longer) for a proper meal. Constant movement was the norm. Walking, running, and carrying were interspersed with brief bouts of more intense effort. Yet there was plenty of time for leisure and family: Anthropologists estimate that ancient humans “worked” only thirty hours a week. They lived and worked in tight-knit communities in which face-to-face communication was the only option. And of course they got plenty of sleep, going to bed when it was dark and rising with the sun. We’re the descendants of those ancient humans, but our species hasn’t evolved nearly as fast as the world around us has. That means we’re still wired for a lifestyle of constant movement, varied but relatively sparse diets, ample quiet, plenty of face-to-face time, and restful sleep that’s aligned with the rhythm of the day. Our modern world, nice as it is, defaults to an entirely different lifestyle. Physical activity defaults to sitting. Human interaction defaults to screens. Food comes wrapped in plastic, and sleep often is squeezed into our days as an afterthought. How the heck did we get here?