Rule #5: Set boundaries and eliminate interruptions

Time

Jan 17

Boundaries are the true parent of Agency, and the lifeblood of our effort to build up personal reserves of time.

They implicitly recognize our will and priorities as paramount, reinforcing the sovereignty of our time choices by holding back the emergent demands of others.

The first boundary you should set is with yourself — a boundary against distraction. One task at a time, with zero allowance for interruptions. Set your phone to silent, your notifications to off, clear your desktop of every task but the one you’ve prioritized. Give it your undivided attention, and if the urge to switch tasks pops up before the requisite time, go idle instead. (Leave the building if you have to.)

Then, marshal your forces against the interruption of your unstructured time. With a measured dose of aggressive neglect, know that your workplace will stay within the boundaries you give it. Do not answer emails after hours. Leave text messages to languish. Establish expectations with your family, friends, and colleagues as to when they can expect you to answer, when they’ll get your undivided focus. Do not be unafraid to abandon certain channels entirely — if you never answer another direct message on Instagram, your real friends will likely still find you.

The benefits come first in drops, and then in torrents. You’ll find yourself contending with ever-fewer frivolous demands for your attention, first having mastered your own proclivities to distraction, then having mastered those coming from others. You’ll get more done in less time, freeing ever-greater blocks of unstructured time which you may then dedicate to building your Health or Wealth, to compounding your Agency, and to maximizing your Impact.