A Minute to Think

“Busyness is like the massive boulder that blocks your creative river. Remove it, and you'll be amazed at how much can flow.”

1. Being Busy Doesn’t Mean Being Productive

Have you ever felt accomplished just because your day was jam-packed? The book unveils a startling truth: busyness often hampers productivity rather than increasing it. When we are too preoccupied with constant action, we rarely devote time to thinking or planning effectively.

Linda, a top sales professional, exemplifies this. She gave up her lunch breaks and ate at her desk to cram more work into her day after a promotion. But instead of excelling, her performance dropped. Without pauses, she lost the creativity and precision that initially earned her managerial role.

Overloading our lives is like blocking oxygen to a fire; even the best logs won’t ignite. Carving out time to simply think—not just do—can transform how we approach life and work.

Examples

• Linda's failed attempt at improving performance by eliminating breaks.
• A packed to-do list that leads to exhaustion rather than accomplishment.
• Author’s fire-building analogy revealing the value of breathing room.

2. We Overwork to Belong

Humans are hardwired to conform, whether to social norms or workplace culture. This can lead to unhealthy habits, such as staying late just because others do—regardless of whether it’s necessary for your job.

Take the manager stuck in useless meetings simply because "facetime" seems to matter more than results. When employees see peers answering emails at all hours, they feel pressure to do the same. This silent conformity perpetuates burnout and stress.

Yet, Microsoft Japan's four-day workweek study challenges these norms. Reducing workdays not only enhanced productivity by 40% but also saved costs. It reveals that overworking for acceptance isn’t beneficial for individuals or organizations.

Examples

• Microsoft Japan’s success with a shorter workweek.
• How viewing others' busyness as “essential” shapes your own habits.
• A manager wasting time in meetings because it’s "expected."

3. Breaks Are Creativity’s Best Friend

The myth that productivity requires unbroken focus has been debunked by neuroscience. Taking breaks allows your brain’s frontal lobe—responsible for decision-making and focus—to recharge. Without these pauses, cognitive ability declines.

Carnegie Mellon’s studies show that even three-second or 30-second interruptions improve engagement with tasks. However, the benefits depend on how the breaks are used. Harvard researchers found “relaxation” breaks, like daydreaming or stretching, enhanced productivity far more than distractions like social media or reading.

By stepping away briefly, your mind has the freedom to connect ideas in creative ways, leading to breakthroughs rather than burnout.

Examples

• Short three-second pauses improving task performance.
• Harvard research proving social and relaxation breaks are most effective.
• Failure of cognitive breaks like browsing social media to actually help focus.

4. Perfectionism Drains Your Time

Striving for excellence is admirable—until it morphs into perfectionism. Perfectionists end up spending excessive time tweaking minor details, even on tasks that don’t really matter, depleting their energy.

Imagine excellence as a purse with limited coins: every perfect task costs you one. Waste coins on trivial work, and you’ll be left empty-handed for what truly matters. Accept that “good enough” is often sufficient.

Perfectionism translates into over-attention to activities like rewriting emails endlessly or obsessing over formatting, stealing mental space and productivity.

Examples

• Viewing time like a coin purse to prioritize tasks.
• Over-polishing an email that offers no additional impact.
• Recognizing “good enough” can save resources.

5. The Danger of Information Overload

Our brains haven’t evolved to process the massive amounts of data now available. Despite this, modern life tempts us to keep consuming more information, even when it isn’t helpful.

Compare today’s New York Times to the 1600s—reading one issue now delivers more material than someone would encounter in a year back then. Checking notifications or emails mimics this constant flood. Accepting that you won’t ever learn "everything" is liberating and necessary for productivity.

Learning to filter what truly matters and ignoring non-critical data can help clear mental clutter and refocus attention.

Examples

• Amount of data in modern life outpacing what humans can absorb.
• New York Times comparison to historical information flow.
• Getting bogged down in unnecessary notifications or emails.

6. Digital Communication Hinders Connection

The rise of emails, smartphones, and Zoom has changed ways of interacting—and not always for the better. Constantly being plugged into devices diminishes real-life engagement and reduces brain efficiency.

Experiments reveal that even placing your phone on the table during a conversation significantly worsens how others perceive you. For work, researchers found leaving your phone in another room boosted the quality of focus. Communication has become simpler—but less human.

Balancing screen time with human connection brings better relationships and increased clarity for decision-making.

Examples

• Studies showing phones in sight hinder trust in conversations.
• Boost in productivity when smartphones are left out of reach.
• Reliance on shallow communications replacing meaningful interaction.

7. Choose 3D Over 2D Conversations

Email, texts, and messages get tasks done quickly, but they’re too shallow for nuanced situations. To tackle complex issues, embrace richer “3D” communication methods, like calls or in-person meetings that allow for tone, body language, and emotional insight.

Before deciding, pause and evaluate the importance of your message. Simple yes/no answers belong in the digital realm. However, use the phone or Zoom when meaningful dialogue is required.

This mindful choice prevents confusion and nurtures stronger workplace relationships, especially when delicate topics need clarity and care.

Examples

• Using email for quick requests but a call for sensitive issues.
• Role of body language in resolving misunderstandings.
• Teams connecting better in face-to-face meetings versus emails.

8. Kill the Overloaded Meeting Culture

Meetings can waste time if not managed well. While the pandemic reminded us of the value in human connection during discussions, it also highlighted their tendency to dilute breathing space.

To choose meetings wisely, ask two questions: Can you contribute something unique? Will attending help your own work? If neither applies, skip it. Make declining meetings a respectful habit and delegate attendance to others, if necessary.

By reducing unnecessary meetings, you can reclaim time for deep work and still stay looped in through summaries or emails.

Examples

• Deciding on meeting attendance using two essential questions.
• COVID-19 showcasing both the need and challenges of meetings.
• Empowering team members by sending them in your place.

9. Hallucinated Urgency: Do You Really Need to Act Now?

Tasks often seem immediate, even when they aren’t. This illusion—hallucinated urgency—forces rushed decisions, leaving no room for thoughtful action.

Pause before tackling new requests. Instead of reacting instantly, evaluate how important they truly are. Often, a short delay won’t harm the outcome but will give you necessary clarity.

By resisting false urgency, you regain control over your time. It’s not about being unresponsive—it's about responding with purpose.

Examples

• Taking a pause instead of reacting to urgent-task requests.
• Recognizing false urgency in email culture.
• Clearer, calmer decision-making after brief reflections.

Takeaways

1. Create a daily schedule that includes pauses for relaxation or social interaction to recharge your energy and focus.
2. Adopt an "email diet" by setting specific times for checking your inbox rather than staying perpetually online.
3. Before adding to your to-do list, evaluate the true urgency of the task and whether it aligns with meaningful goals.