Absolute focus

I need long stretches of time on my own to focus and get things done. That holds everywhere — at work, and with friends and family too.

It took me years to learn this about myself, and to learn to say no to the things that break that time up. So if I turn down a meeting, an event or an evening call, it’s how I work, not a reaction to you.

The rest of these notes are how I protect that time: I work async by default, keep meetings few, and follow the headphone rule.