Make Space to Make

The Maker’s Day

Makers run on long stretches. Managers run on hours. One stray meeting in the middle of the afternoon splits your day in two and leaves neither half big enough to build in. Protect the long stretch. paulgraham.com

Why interruptions wreck progress

Break focus and you don’t snap back instantly. On average, it takes people roughly twenty-plus minutes to regain the thread after an interruption. And even when you switch tasks, part of your mind clings to the last one—attention residue. That hangover drags on performance. HRDResearchGate

Even tiny pings hurt. A vibration or banner you don’t act on still dents accuracy and speed on demanding tasks. Kill notifications during maker time. PubMed

Fewer meetings, more making

Teams that cut meetings see big gains. Across 76 companies, reducing meetings by about 40% boosted reported productivity and engagement. Meeting-free days also improve focus and satisfaction. If you need proof to push back, here it is. Harvard Business ReviewMIT Sloan Management Review

Protect the block

Put 2–3 hour blocks on the calendar. Treat them as sacred: No meetings. No DMs. No email. Phone in another room. Tell people how to reach you for true emergencies (one channel only). Batch the rest before or after the block. Microsoft’s workplace research calls this “bursty” collaboration around quiet focus windows—works better than always-on chat. Microsoft

Lower the barrier

When you sit down, you shouldn’t wonder where to start. Keep a running list of “next smallest steps.” Tiny, concrete actions reduce friction and increase follow-through. This matches decades of research on simple “implementation intentions” and on how making a plan frees mental bandwidth from nagging, unfinished goals. people.umass.eduPMC

Template, use it today

• Open file: maker-log.md

• Write the next three atomic steps (each < 10 minutes)

• Star the one you’ll do first

• Start timer for 25–50 minutes

• Repeat until the block ends

Make it visible

Post your maker hours. A short status line works: “Heads-down 9:30–12:00. Ping after 12:15.” You’re not being difficult. You’re being predictable—and productive.

What if the block gets hit?

It will.

• If it’s a meeting invite: propose an async update, or offer your non-maker hours. Meeting-free policies aren’t radical; they’re evidence-based. MIT Sloan Management Review

• If it’s a “quick question”: park it in a shared doc or queue. Batch replies at the end.

• If you get knocked off course anyway: stand up, reset your work surface, and do the tiniest next step you wrote down. Momentum beats mood.

Rituals that help

• Same place, same time. Habit saves willpower.

• One tab, one task. Everything else closed.

• Paper at hand. Capture stray thoughts; don’t chase them.

• Hard stop. Leave a breadcrumb for tomorrow: write the very first line you’ll do next.

The promise

Guard time. Cut noise. Decide the next step before you need it. The results compound: fewer meetings, fewer pings, more finished work. The calendar won’t make space for you. You must.

Make space to make. Then make.