4. Overcoming Mental Blocks

Willpower is a limited resource, one that we deplete through hard, focused work. We need to take regular breaks to restore our flagging willpower and keep our productivity in the long run.

Take a break and do something different for a few minutes every half-hour or so to give ...

• Only touch things once. As soon as you reach for something, whether it's mail or a project that needs to be filed, do it immediately.
• Set aside 2 - 3 specific time-blocks to process your emails.
• Focus on one thing at a time.

Adopt the Pomodoro Technique. It suggests that you work in 25-minute blocks, then take a short break after each block, followed by a longer break after every 4 blocks. However, this might not work for you if it forces you to stop...