Start Your Day on Your Terms

A simple way to protect your attention before the world asks for it.

We’ve all been there, you get to the office ready to tackle a project you promised to your client, Sally. But there it is, an email from another client, Roger, with an urgent matter that seemingly needs your full attention.

What do you do? Both Sally and Roger are good clients. You like them both. You promised Sally that you would attend to her matter this morning. Do you let Roger’s matter interfere with your commitment to Sally?

I say no.

Here’s the truth about work emergencies. They don’t stop. Something will always be pressing to someone.

If you try to problem-solve each emergency ahead of work that you previously promised, you will create for yourself a never-ending cycle of broken promises, sloppy work, and stress that you can’t escape from.

But here’s the other problem. Now that you’ve seen Roger’s request, you can’t unsee it. You try to work on Sally’s project, but Roger’s email keeps surfacing in your mind. Your mind starts trying to solve Roger’s problem, instead of doing your best work for Sally.

There’s only one way to prevent the Rogers in your life from throwing you off course and sabotaging your day.

You have to not see their new requests for your attention to begin with.

You have to start each day on your own terms so you can maximize every minute and stay focused on your priorities. Likewise, you’ll want to end your day so you can wake up restored and ready to be the best version of yourself for you, your loved ones, and your colleagues.

I call this idea No New New.

It’s a simple, meaningful approach. But it’s backed by science, which I’ll explore in the upcoming essays, and offers a range of benefits, from better mornings to better outcomes. And better relationships too.

At its core, No New New means no new email, no new texts, and no new social media until you have accomplished most, if not all, of the tasks and goals that you had previously set for yourself or promised to others.

Using No New New, you’re not letting Roger down, or ignoring him. You’re prioritizing Sally today so that you can prioritize Roger later.

Here’s the other funny thing about work emergencies. Most of them can wait. Not forever. But certainly a few hours. In most situations, you can do your best work for Sally in the morning, then solve Roger’s emergency in the afternoon, and Roger will still be grateful for your work.

Over time, your clients and your loved ones will understand that when you attend to their requests and needs, you will do so with your full attention and focus, even if that means they have to be patient.

If you’re ready to explore No New New with me, hit the subscribe button below. Over the next few weeks, I’ll publish a series of essays on how to reclaim your time, attention, and focus with a few simple tweaks.

If you think No New New will resonate for others in your life, I would appreciate you sharing this post with them. I’m working on building this Substack, and the community around it, so we can work together to find more focus and presence in our lives.

Let’s reclaim your days, and the minutes in those days, for you.