Many professionals boast about working long hours, but this time is often filled with distractions and low-impact tasks. The focus should be on eliminating "whack hours"—unproductive time spent doom-scrolling or in pointless meetings—and working with deep focus when you're on the clock.

Not all hours are equal; a 9 AM Monday slot might be worth $500/hour in focused output, while a 4 PM Friday slot is worth $10. Identify your peak performance times for deep, creative work and relegate low-cognitive tasks like watching informational videos to low-energy periods like a commute.

Short-term aids like timers or caffeine are merely patches. The true aim is the "upgrade loop": using systems to build habits that permanently alter your identity. Ultimate success is when you no longer need the hack because you've become a person who is naturally focused and disciplined.

A common neurofeedback technique involves a user watching a movie that only plays when their brain produces desired brainwaves for focus. When they get distracted, the screen shrinks and the movie stops, providing instant feedback that trains the brain to self-correct and maintain attention.

Paul Graham's concept of "good" procrastination involves strategically neglecting socially important but non-essential tasks (e.g., matching socks, formal attire) to maintain obsessive focus on one's life's work. This is the excusable neglect practiced by highly effective builders and thinkers.

In an era defined by notifications and multitasking, a founder's ability to block out all distractions for extended periods is a profound competitive advantage. This deep, rigorous focus allows them to solve complex problems at a level that is increasingly rare and valuable.

Counter to popular productivity advice, many routine work tasks do not require deep, undivided focus. The key skill is not avoiding multitasking but discerning which rare activities demand full attention versus the many that can be handled concurrently. Your brain is powerful enough to manage this cognitive load effectively.

Frame mundane life-maintenance tasks like eating, cleaning, and laundry as "humaning." By systematically outsourcing this work, you eliminate distractions from your primary goals. This allows you to create an environment of extreme focus, effectively doubling your productive output.

The damage from frequent distractions like checking stock apps isn't the time spent on the task itself. It's the 'cognitive residue' and 'switching costs' that follow. A quick glance can disrupt deep focus for 15-17 minutes, making these seemingly minor habits incredibly costly to productivity and complex problem-solving.