How to be more productive (7 Golden Rules)

“Heroes finish strong.” – Brian Johnson

Why it works

Brian Johnson (pictured) is an American entrepreneur, podcaster and author known for bridging ancient wisdom with behavioral science. After founding and selling multiple companies, he embarked on an ambitious mission with his Public Benefit Corporation Heroic: to help 51% of humanity flourish by 2051.

In his bestselling book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential, Johnson distills timeless principles into practical tools for living with excellence. While many people consume content on productivity and performance, he argues, few consistently apply what they learn. 

In his work, Johnson emphasizes that true, sustained excellence isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about mastering small, fundamental behaviors over time, day in and day out. With that in mind, here are 7 golden rules to be more productive.

How to do it

1) Start your day with what matters most
Use your first hour for meaningful work, not emails or meetings. Your mind is sharpest in the morning—save it for your biggest priorities. While mornings work best for 75% of people, our 30-3-11 rule helps you time it when your energy and motivation are highest throughout the day: ~30 minutes after waking, ~3 hours after waking, or ~11 hours after waking. Want to dive deeper into timing and optimizing your most important work? Read this.

2) Focus on one priority at a time
Pick the one task that will make the biggest impact today, and get it done. Real progress comes from finishing what matters, not juggling a long to-do list. An excellent tool for pulling this off throughout the day is Timeboxing. Popularized by productivity expert Nir Eyal, it’s simple. Instead of managing your day based on your to-do lists and inbox, you turn everything you do into an appointment with yourself. Learn more about Timeboxing here.

3) Save your energy for big decisions
Simplify small choices, like what to wear or eat, so you have more brainpower for what matters. Fewer decisions equal more focus. For clothing, create a capsule wardrobe with versatile pieces. This simplifies decisions and reduces mental load each morning. If you don’t know where to start, do a quick Google search for “capsule wardrobe”. For nutrition, use Max Lugavere’s ten Genius Foods as an orientation: eggs, almonds, wild salmon, broccoli, avocados, extra-virgin olive oil, grass-fed beef, dark leafy greens, dark chocolate, and blueberries. Enjoy!

4) Work in focused bursts (and take time for breaks)
Work for 60-90 minutes at a time, then step away to recharge. Pushing through when your focus dips doesn’t mean better results. According to a 2021 study, the top 10% most productive people take breaks for 19% of their day, which amounts to 90 minutes in an 8-hour workday. This might seem like a lot, but if you think about it, it comes down to two 15-minute breaks and a 60-minute lunch break. The most effective breaks enable you to defocus both visually and mentally. Learn why and how here.

5) Take a hard look at where your time goes
Track how you spend your time for a week. Then, cut out distractions and low-value tasks. You can’t control your time if you don’t know where it’s going. After timeboxing your day (see #2), spend a couple of minutes at the end of your workday to track what you actually ended up doing. I do so each day as part of Cal Newport’s “shutdown ritual”, which has three simple steps: do a final email review, update your to-do lists and notes, then set your goals for the next day. To learn more, read this.

6) Use the 80/20 rule for maximum impact
Put 80% of your energy into the 20% of tasks that make the biggest impact. Focus on what moves the needle, not the busywork. Concentrate on what matters most, drop or delegate the rest, and check regularly if the balance has shifted. Also known as the Pareto Principle, the 80/20 rule applies to many domains in life and business — including your habits, relationships, and possessions. Here are ten powerful ideas to get you started.

7) Recharge like it’s your job
Prioritize sleep and routines that energize you—whether it’s a walk, exercise, or quiet time. You can’t lead or perform well if you’re running on empty. According to Stanford professor Andrew Huberman, sleep is the foundation of our mental and physical health and performance in all endeavors. Yet, mere quantity (think 8 hours of shallow sleep) isn’t good enough. You also need quality sleep, most notably 90 minutes of deep sleep. Get started with our 3T Method (around time givers, technology and timing) here.

It all comes down to one decision, commitment, and rule at a time.

Your breakthrough is closer than you think.

Please share this post with someone who might benefit from it.

Until next week,
Christian

1 more way I can help you

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