Nick Pridachin Blog

Part II: Stress-Free Productivity

The Problem: Why Prioritization Feels Impossible

In the age of overload, everything screams for attention—but not everything deserves it. Traditional systems like the Eisenhower Matrix fail because:

  • They assume we can objectively categorize tasks (but decision fatigue clouds judgment).
  • They don’t account for emotional labor (e.g., saying “no” to a colleague).

Enter The Sanity Filter—a brain-friendly method to triage demands before they hijack your day.

Step 1: The 3-Question Triage

Ask these in order about any incoming task/request:

  1. “Is this truly urgent?”
    • Urgent = time-sensitive with real consequences (e.g., server outage, client deadline).
    • Not urgent = false emergencies (e.g., “ASAP” emails without justification).
    • Script: “Help me understand the hard deadline for this.”
  2. “Does this align with my core priorities?”
    • Important = advances your key goals/values.
    • Noise = “shoulds” that don’t move the needle (e.g., vanity metrics).
    • Tool: Keep a visible list of your top 3 yearly priorities to compare requests against.
  3. “Can only I do this?”
    • If yes → consider it.
    • If no → delegate, defer, or delete.
    • Script: “Who else could handle this just as well?”

Step 2: The “Guilt-Free No” Playbook

Saying “no” isn’t rude—it’s necessary. Use these scripts to protect your sanity:

1. The “Not Now”

  • For: Requests that are important but mistimed.
  • Script:
    “I can’t give this the attention it deserves right now, but I’d love to revisit it [specific time].”

2. The “Delegate Upgrade”

  • For: Tasks others can handle.
  • Script:
    “I’m not the best person for this—let me connect you with [name] who’d crush it.”

3. The “Trade-Off Transparency”

  • For: Pushy stakeholders.
  • Script:
    “If I take this on, I’ll need to deprioritize [X]. Should we make that trade?”

4. The “Automated Decline”

  • For: Recurring noise (e.g., low-value meetings).
  • Script:
    “I’ve blocked focus time for [priority]. Could you share notes afterward?”

Step 3: The Daily Sanity Scan

At day’s end, audit:

  • What passed the filter? Celebrate these wins.
  • What slipped through? Ask: “What false urgency or fear (FOMO, guilt) let it in?”

Case Study: The CEO Who Regained 10 Hours/Week

Problem: A startup founder was drowning in “urgent” requests from investors.

Reader Exercise: Build Your Filter

  1. List your last 5 “urgent” tasks. How many were truly urgent? Important?
  2. Practice one “no” script this week—note the outcome.

Key Takeaway: The Sanity Filter isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing what matters with clarity and confidence.

Chapter 4: The 90-Minute Workday
Leveraging Ultradian Rhythms for Deep Work

The Myth of the 8-Hour Grind

The modern workday is a relic of factory labor—not knowledge work. Neuroscience reveals our brains operate in 90-minute ultradian cycles: bursts of peak focus followed by natural dips. Fighting this rhythm leads to fatigue; harnessing it unlocks sustainable productivity.

Part 1: The Science of Ultradian Rhythms

1. How Your Brain Actually Works

  • Peak focus: 90-minute windows where the prefrontal cortex (decision-making, creativity) operates at full capacity.
  • Reboot required: After ~90 minutes, the brain demands a 20-30 minute rest (not a coffee break, but true downtime).
  • Study: Top performers (musicians, athletes, CEOs) work in 90-minute sessions, not marathons (K. Anders Ericsson).

2. Why You Crash After 3 PM

  • Circadian mismatch: Most people schedule meetings when energy is lowest (post-lunch dip).
  • The “zombie work” trap: Pushing through fatigue creates more work from errors and re-dos.

Part 2: Time-Blocking for Mortals

No 5 AM routines or punishing schedules—just strategic alignment with your biology.

Step 1: Map Your Energy

  • Morning person? Block deep work in early 90-minute slots.
  • Night owl? Save focus work for post-7 PM.
  • Tool: Track energy levels for 3 days to find your personal peaks.

Step 2: The 90-20-30 Framework

  • 90 minutes: Deep work (single task, no interruptions).
  • 20 minutes: Physical reboot (walk, stretch, not screens).
  • 30 minutes: Admin (email, meetings, low-cognition tasks).
  • Repeat 2-3x/day (not 8x—quality over quantity).

Step 3: Guard Your Blocks

  • Defend the first 90: The most common sabotage? “Quick” morning meetings.
  • Script: “I have a hard stop at [90 minutes from now]—can we start earlier or later?”
  • Tech hack: Use Focus Mode (or a literal timer) to lock distractions.

Case Study: The Writer Who 10X’d Output

Problem: A novelist struggled to write 500 words/day amid distractions.

Reader Exercise: Try It Tomorrow

  1. Pick one 90-minute block. Label it: “Sacred Focus—No Exceptions.”
  2. Post-block: Note how you feel vs. your usual grind.

Key Takeaway: Productivity isn’t about hours logged—it’s about aligning work with your brain’s natural rhythm.

Chapter 5: Email & Notifications on a Diet
Taming the Inbox Beast and Reclaiming Your Attention

The Tyranny of the Inbox

The average knowledge worker spends 2.8 hours/day on email (McKinsey). Worse, notifications fracture focus, triggering a 40% drop in productivity (University of California Irvine). This chapter isn’t about “inbox zero”—it’s about inbox sanity.

Strategy 1: Batch Processing—The Antidote to Reactive Work

Why Batching Works

  • Attention preservation: Each email check costs 23 minutes of refocus time.
  • Cognitive relief: Decision fatigue plummets when you process similar tasks together.

The 3-Tier Batching System

  1. Digest Mode (2x/day, 30 min)
    • When: Mid-morning (e.g., 10:30 AM) and late afternoon (e.g., 4 PM).
    • How:
      • Skim subject lines → flag urgent items (use ”!!” prefix).
      • Reply to only time-sensitive messages (apply the Sanity Filter from Ch. 3).
      • Archive/delete the rest.
    • Script for colleagues:
      “I check email at 10:30 AM and 4 PM to ensure quality responses. For urgent needs, text me at [phone].”
  2. Deep Processing (1x/week, 60 min)
    • When: Friday afternoon (clean slate for Monday).
    • How:
      • Clear unflagged emails with templated responses (e.g., “Thanks for this—I’ll review it fully next week.”).
      • Unsubscribe from 5+ newsletters (use Unroll.me or Gmail’s “Unsubscribe” button).
  3. Auto-Pilot Rules
    • Filters:
      • @newsletters → Skip inbox, label “Read Later.”
      • @social → Archive, label “Low Priority.”
    • Template bank: Save 5-10 standard replies (e.g., meeting declines, FAQs).

Strategy 2: The “Notification Bankruptcy” Reset

Step 1: The Nuclear Option (1 Hour)

  1. Turn off all notifications (yes, even Slack/Teams).
  2. Set an auto-responder:
    “I’m resetting my notification system until [time]. For immediate help, contact [name/phone].”

Step 2: The Smart Reboot

  • Re-enable only:
    • Direct messages from key people (e.g., boss, spouse).
    • Calendar alerts (15 min before meetings).
  • Leave disabled forever:
    • Social media, news apps, “FYI” group chats.
  • Tech tweaks:
    • iPhone: Use Focus Modes to whitelist apps.
    • Android: Set “Do Not Disturb” exceptions.

Step 3: The “5-Second Rule”

Before re-enabling any notification, ask:
“Has this app EVER improved my life within 5 seconds of alerting me?”
If no → permanent ban.

Case Study: The Manager Who Regained 16 Hours/Month

  • Problem: A team lead wasted 30+ minutes/day toggling between Slack and email.
  • Solution:
    1. Batched Slack checks to 3x/day (11 AM, 2 PM, 5 PM).
    2. Created a team FAQ doc to reduce “quick question” DMs.
  • Result: 98% of “urgent” pings were non-urgent—and her team adapted within a week.

Reader Challenge: 24-Hour Notification Fast

  1. Today: Delete email/social apps from your phone (or disable notifications).
  2. Tomorrow: Process emails in just two batches. Note the mental difference.

Key Takeaway: Your inbox and notifications are tools—not taskmasters. Treat them like a mailbox: Check them on your schedule.