The 2-Hour Rule That Doubled My Productivity
And Reduced My Stress
Charlie Munger sold himself an hour a day.
As a young lawyer making $20 an hour, he asked: Who’s my most valuable client? The answer was obvious. Early in the morning, he'd work on construction projects and real estate deals — the work that would eventually make him Warren Buffett's partner and one of the greatest investors of all time.
The math was counterintuitive.
By "losing" an hour for clients, he gained a fortune for himself.
Here’s the brutal truth: It takes 23 minutes to refocus after each interruption. Most knowledge workers switch tasks every 3 minutes.
Do the math — we're spending more time switching than actually working.
So I followed Munger’s lead. I sold myself two hours each morning. No meetings. No Slack. Just me, my code, and the hardest problem on my plate.
It felt small. But it changed everything.
Bill Gates used to disappear to a cabin twice a year. No meetings. No distractions. Just deep focus. One of those retreats led to Internet Explorer. Another sparked what became Bing Maps.
The pattern is clear. Buffett reads for 80% of his day. Gates retreats. Munger builds before breakfast.
The best results come from the quiet hours no one sees.
Give yourself that time before you sell it to anyone else.
If focus feels harder than it should… you’re not alone.
This explains why → Why We Can’t Focus
Context switching is so real!! I’ve felt my focus getting weaker the more I try to do more (using more tech, having more tabs open, doing multiple tasks at the same time).
But weirdly, I don’t see that as a bad thing. I’d never go back to how I used to work. The key (like you said) is enforcing boundaries that keep us aligned. For me, blocking focus time on my calendar has always worked, while making sure those hours match my energy levels too.
What’s funny is… the “solution” is often simple. Prioritize, protect your time, stick to it. But we overcomplicate it, chasing hacks and secrets, when what we need is implementing that simple solution and doing it consistently.
Great reading! You nailed here "...by "losing" an hour for clients, he gained a fortune for himself..."