Monday Links 10

Techniques for managing your time and cognitive load as a senior leader

The constant context switch is part of the job for most leaders. If you manage to keep the type of activity similar for a longer period of time it will have less impact on your cognitive load and energy level.

I am a fan of time blocking and bundling up work, as this article suggests. Not so sure about doing all the 1:1s on the same day, though, I find that too draining.

(via Pat Kua’s Level Up newsletter)

Cal Newport on time blocking

Sometimes people ask how time blocking can work for reactive work, where you cannot tell in advance what obligations will enter your life on a given day. My answer is again simple: periods of open-ended reactivity can be blocked off like any other type of obligation. Even if you’re blocking most of your day for reactive work, for example, the fact that you are controlling your schedule will allow you to dedicate some small blocks (perhaps at the schedule periphery) to deeper pursuits.

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About Joe Mahoney

Joe is a software engineering leader, programmer, surf life guard, and runner who writes about and curates links covering links covering software engineering and management, career growth, continuous improvement, creativity, and productivity.

Wellington, New Zealand