How to double your productivity in 3 simple steps (Ultrafocus)

October 12, 2023

Focusing deeply is the “killer app of the knowledge economy”, according to The Economist: “It is only by concentrating intensely that you can master a difficult discipline or solve a demanding problem”. As it turns out, there’s a way to do just that even on the busiest schedule.

What to do

Put in one 60-90-minute session of deeply focused work per day.

Why it works

Modern work comes in three categories: collaboration, focus, and defocus. We spend 85% of our time collaborating with others (email, group chat, etc). While that’s not a problem in itself, we switch tasks about every three minutes. If you want to get the most out of your time, that is a problem – because task switching destroys your ability to focus.

McKinsey research by Susie Cranston and Scott Keller (pictured above) found that we're 500% more productive in the deeply focused “flow state”. Yet, we only spend 5% of our time in that state. That’s a mere 24 minutes per day. But there’s a silver lining to the study. Increasing the time spent in deep focus from 5% to 15-20% boosts our overall productivity by 100%. In other words, only one 60-90-minute deep focus session a day doubles (!) our overall productivity.

My co-author Eric Partaker and I came up with a brutally-effective and science-backed approach for pulling this off: Ultrafocus. It includes different tools organized into three simple steps. Here are some of the best tools.

How to do it

First, time and plan Ultrafocus. Pick one of three times: ~30 minutes, ~3 hours or ~11 hours after waking. These times are when our motivation and focus are at their peak, says Stanford professor Andrew Huberman. This is due to our so-called circadian rhythm. Here’s a pro tip: Time it using your chronotype. If you’re an early lark, do your Ultrafocus session ~30 minutes after waking up. If you’re an intermediate third bird, do it ~3 hours after waking up. If you’re a late night owl, do it ~11 hours after waking. Use this free online test to determine your chronotype. If you score 70 or higher, you’re a lark. Scores between 31 and 69 indicate that you’re a third bird. And if you score 30 or lower, you’re a night owl.

Second, minimize distractions. I hate to break it to you, but getting into deep focus and flow is hard. Dang hard. So don't make it even harder for yourself. Turn off email and group chat before you start. Also, consider using a distraction blocker like Freedom. It’s a game-changer that I use every single day. Also, it’s free. Here’s a second pro tip: The biggest weapon of mass distraction is in your pocket. It’s your smartphone. Fortunately, the best tool for defusing that weapon comes preinstalled on it. It’s called airplane mode. Use it (h/t to Ben Meer).

Third, maximize focus. Every Ultrafocus session looks like the figure below. In phase 1, resistance is always high, and focus is low. It’s perfectly normal. Muster through this. The 500% productivity boost of phase 2 is worth it. Here’s a third pro tip: Use our Pomodoro 2.0 technique. It’s a simple and effective way Eric and I have developed to get beyond phase 1. Set a timer – ideally in Freedom – for 30 minutes and focus deeply (no distractions!). After 30 minutes, decide whether to go on for another 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes. You'll do so 90% of the time – and produce jaw-dropping results. Learn more about the three Ultrafocus phases and the Pomodoro 2.0 technique here.

TL;DR:

1. One 60-90-minute session of deep focus a day doubles your overall productivity

2. Time it ~30 mins, ~3 hrs or ~11 hrs after waking, based on your chronotype

3. To minimize distractions, turn off email and group chat, and turn on airplane mode

4. To maximize focus, commit to just 30 minutes, using the Pomodoro 2.0 technique

Ain't got no time for Ultrafocus? 

Here’s what NYT bestselling author and productivity expert Tony Schwartz says:

“Don't default to victim mode and tell yourself your company won't let you do it. Build at least one period of uninterrupted focus each day for 60 to 90 minutes and see how much more you get done.”

Alternatively, block out 3-4 hours on the weekend for Ultrafocus. That’s how Jade Bonacolta became the No. 1 creator in the Productivity category on LinkedIn, with over 200k followers. She pulled this off in 8 months – while working full-time as Head of North America Marketing at Google.

What could a similar habit do for you?

If you can think of one person who could benefit from learning about Ultrafocus, please share this post with them.

Until next week,
Christian

1 more way I can help you

Do you struggle with focusing on the important work while jumping from one urgent task to the next? Do you feel tired in the morning and throughout the day despite sleeping for 7 or 8 hours at night? Do you have trouble dealing with high stress at work and “switching it off” at home?

If so, my new Becoming Ultraproductive 1-on-1 coaching program might help. In it, I help executives, entrepreneurs and CEOs build rock-solid habit systems for deep focus, deep sleep, and mastering stress — to increase their productivity by between 100% and 900% while making stress work for them instead of against them.

The 1-on-1 coaching program includes six sessions over 12 weeks. If you’re interested, learn more about the program and get in touch here – or reply to this email.