{"id":5494,"date":"2023-12-23T11:20:21","date_gmt":"2023-12-23T15:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/a-centuries-old-technique-for-getting-more-done\/"},"modified":"2023-12-23T11:20:21","modified_gmt":"2023-12-23T15:20:21","slug":"a-centuries-old-technique-for-getting-more-done","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/a-centuries-old-technique-for-getting-more-done\/","title":{"rendered":"A Centuries-Old Technique for Getting More Done"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Profit<\/a>
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In March 1859, Charles Dickens began writing his best-selling novel, \u201cA Tale of Two Cities.\u201d Like any major undertaking, it took tremendous discipline, and Dickens managed it by separating his days into blocks. <\/span><\/p>\n

As described in the book, \u201cDaily Rituals,\u201d Dickens rose at 7 a.m. and spent the next two hours eating breakfast and preparing for the day. He then wrote with \u201cbusiness-like regularity\u201d\u2014an unfailing ritual that continued without interruption and in complete silence until early afternoon, allowing him to complete 2,000 words per day.<\/span><\/p>\n

He then had lunch, and followed that with a three-hour walk around the streets of London, where he sought inspiration for the scenes and characters that filled his work. In the evenings, he socialized with friends and family. <\/span><\/p>\n

Dickens was not the only great creative figure to take advantage of deep work time blocks. Composers such as Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and my personal favorite, Chopin, all worked diligently in morning chunks and then spent afternoons on long leisurely walks\u2014often in the countryside\u2014looking for inspiration. In the evenings, they devoted a block of time to socializing.<\/span><\/p>\n

In some ways, life was much simpler then; I hear many of my clients say there are too many competing interests for their time in this day and age. There\u2019s no way they could make a Dickensian schedule work for them. <\/span><\/p>\n

Rubbish. Or poppycock, as Dickens might say. <\/span><\/p>\n

Life can be just as simple\u2014and productive\u2014now if you\u2019re willing to commit to doing the deep work. You just have to build the discipline to structure your days, block temptations, and make the right decisions for your life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how I do it, and how I coach my Perfect Life clients to design their days:<\/span><\/p>\n

Start by splitting your waking hours into 5-7 blocks of 2-3 hours. <\/span><\/p>\n

Before we show you what to do with those, let\u2019s first look at what not to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

You see, the average\u2014and struggling\u2014person would put the blocks to poor use. It would look something like this:<\/span><\/p>\n