Hey, it’s John.
Most people have a window — usually in the first few hours after they’re properly awake — where their thinking is noticeably sharper. And most people spend it on email.
The mismatch: email, scheduling, and errands ask the least of you. They also feel urgent, so they get first position. By the time you turn to the work that actually needs your brain, you’re running on what’s left.
The fix is embarrassingly simple: put the hard thing first. Not the important thing — the cognitively hard thing. The one you’ve been circling.
How to find your window: think about the last time you lost track of time doing something difficult. That’s roughly it. For most people it’s earlier than they’d like. For some it’s 9 p.m., and that’s fine too.
The one rule that makes it stick: the inbox stays closed until the hard thing has had its hour. Not “check quickly.” Closed. Once you’ve read one message you’re working on somebody else’s priority.
What you’ll notice by Friday: the email still got answered. It always does. It just stopped costing you your best hour.
— John