how some of the greatest minds of the past four hundred years approached this exact same task—that is, how they made the time each day to do their best work, how they organized their schedules in order to be creative and productive.

I started by committing myself to the Rule of 3s. This was that I would have 3 tasks per day, work no longer than 3 hours at a time and take 3 rest breaks a day. It was simple enough to follow each day; 3 tasks, 3 hours, 3 breaks. Over time this helped to reprogram my nervous system into a new rhythm and eventually it became my natural routine.

Working with unceasing intensity is artificial and unsustainable. In the moment, it might exude a false sense of usefulness, but when continued over time, it estranges us from our fundamental nature, generates misery, and, from a strictly economic perspective, almost certainly holds us back from reaching our full capabilities. A more natural, slowe