A Better Way of Working Blog

Thoughts and ideas about transforming the way the world works

Three Powerful Lessons I Learned When I Got Offline
Mental Needs, Renewal, Technology | COMMENTS | January 4, 2012
I hadn't been offline for more than a few hours in two and a half years — and only then because I was on safari in Botswana and had no choice.Typically, the first thing I would do when I got up in the morning was to get on my laptop to check a series of sites, including Twitter, Facebook, Google Analytics, and HBR.org, to see what comments my blogs had accumulated overnight.
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Tony Schwartz
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How to Accomplish More by Doing Less
Physical Needs, Renewal | COMMENTS | December 13, 2011
Two people of equal skill work in the same office. For the sake of comparison, let's say both arrive at work at 9 am each day, and leave at 7 pm.Bill works essentially without stopping, juggling tasks at his desk and running between meetings all day long. He even eats lunch at his desk. Sound familiar?
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Tony Schwartz
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Four Destructive Myths Most Companies Still Live By
Renewal | 3 COMMENTS | November 2, 2011
Myth #1: Multitasking is critical in a world of infinite demand. This myth is based on the assumption that human beings are capable of doing two cognitive tasks at the same time. We're not. Instead, we learn to move rapidly between tasks. When we're doing one, we're actually not even aware of the other.
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Tony Schwartz
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How to Recover Your Core Rhythm
Physical Needs, Renewal | 2 COMMENTS | October 26, 2011
I spent much of last week on the road. Eager to get back home when my work was done, I took the red-eye flight from San Francisco to New York at 10 pm. I arrived home at 8:30 am and had to go straight to the office, after less than five hours of fitful sleep on the plane.
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Tony Schwartz
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A 90-Minute Plan for Personal Effectiveness
Focus, Mental Needs, Renewal | 6 COMMENTS | September 20, 2011
For nearly a decade now, I've begun my workdays by focusing for 90 minutes, uninterrupted, on the task I decide the night before is the most important one I'll face the following day. After 90 minutes, I take a break. To make this possible, I turn off my email while I'm working, close all windows on my computer, and let the phone go to voicemail if it rings.
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Tony Schwartz
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