Foreword

Imagine if you could get an extra hour of free time, every single day—to read, to work out, or to spend with your family.

What if you could double your productivity while eliminating those feelings of being overworked and overwhelmed?

Seems impossible? That's what I thought too until I experienced it myself.

A long time ago I believed success was all about the hustle. Working five days a week wasn't enough so I worked seven. Eight hours a day wasn't enough so I worked sixteen or more, often sleeping just a few hours under my desk. I was “crazy busy” and wore my insane schedule like a badge of honor. “I'll sleep when I'm dead,” I'd say with bravado.

And that almost happened. One early morning I stopped to fill up my car with gas and when I drove away, klunk! I had forgotten to take the nozzle out of my car. I was lucky I didn't blow the place up. A week later I was pulled over by a state trooper. He told me he was driving the speed limit in the slow lane when I pulled up behind him and rode his bumper, then I swerved around him and sped off ultimately doing ninety miles per hour. And I never saw him until his siren went off and his lights flashed in my rearview mirror. I was so tired, stressed, and not present that I was like a drunk who just didn't understand how many drinks I had.

That breaking point led me to a long study of productivity, time management, and mindfulness. I've interviewed hundreds of ultra‐productive people including self‐made millionaires and billionaires, ...

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