If you’re fresh out of college, applying for jobs, would you just take the first offer from the first company that wanted to hire you?
If you’re selling your house, would you just say yes to the first offer made by a prospective buyer?
Of course not. If you have options, it pays to be picky.
Well, every day, you wake up with options: You can exercise, meditate, and do deep work, or you can check emails, texts, social media, and the news. You can focus on doing work that matters, or you can focus on checking easy things off of your to-do list.
It’s tempting to just do whatever grabs your attention first, but that is unlikely to be your best option. The first notification, text, or email you get is probably not the most important thing for you to address that day. It’s better to be picky about how you spend your best hours of the day and save the trivial stuff for later.
To avoid this trap, put your phone in airplane mode before going to bed, and don’t come out of airplane mode until you’ve done what matters most. And while you’re doing that important work, keep your phone and your to-do list out of sight, so you’re not tempted to do something easier. You’ll feel resistance, of course, but that’s actually a sign you’re going in the right direction.
Parents and pet owners know there’s an exception to this advice: the child or creature who calls for your attention first thing in the morning is, in fact, the most important thing for you to do first.
But after they’re taken care of, and you enter the realm of options, be picky. Choose deliberately.
Don’t give your time – your life – to whoever asks first.