Friday, March 13, 2009

The First Twenty

Catching up with an acquaintance today, the conversation turned to productivity, specifically talking about email. I'd lamented that I have a somewhat low retention for information during busy spells. Then he shares with me something he learned from one of his mentors. He calls it "The First Twenty."

"The First Twenty" describes the first twenty minutes of your day after waking up. Many of us impulsively check our email/Twitter/Facebook within minutes of waking, and this is actually a pretty dumb thing to do. It's better, says my friend, to wait at least 20 minutes before beginning mental tasks. It gives your brain time to wash out the 'sleep serum' in your head, and become completely awake before having to deal with memory or process.

I'm told it's really one of the easiest habits to get into, and he swears by it.

What say ye, faithful reader(s)?

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