Since doing your best work requires really showing up for extended periods of time, it’s easy to displace it with other stuff. There’s always something to do that’s easier, more urgent, more understandable, less risky, or more likely to please others.

When you sit down to finish something—whether it’s an explanatory email, a new product design, a research report, or a fundraising strategy—it can be so tempting to do more research. It’s so easy to open up dozens of browser tabs, order more books, or go off in completely new directions. Those actions are tempting because they feel like productivit

7. Every minute of every day, ask yourself, “What is the most valuable use of my time, right now?” and then discipline yourself to work on only that task until it is complete.

The key to reaching high levels of performance and productivity is to develop the lifelong habit of tackling your major task first thing each morning.