In the 4-Hour Work Week, Tim Ferris extolled the virtues of a greatly abbreviated work schedule, a concept considered unrealistic by all achievement-oriented entrepreneurs and corporate leaders I have spoken with. However, I do not see sustained benefits from long workdays, missed vacations or regularly working the weekends. In these situations, I have observed deteriorating health and damaged relationships. But perhaps there is a power in another option—a  4-hour workday.

A case in point: Jeremy Gray wrote the biography of Henri Poincaré, a leading physicist, mathematician and philosopher. Gray considered Poincaré’s influence to be wide-ranging and long-lasting and cited that Poincaré typically worked from 10 am to 12 pm and from 5 pm until 7 pm. In Gray’s words Poincaré found that working longer seldom achieved anything.

Our bodies operate with ultradian rhythms—typically 90 to 120 minute cycles. Many creators, such as musicians and writers vouch for an inherent ability to focus on creative tasks for this period of time, followed by a break.

While it can be challenging to incorporate this into the daily demands of meetings, phone calls, emails and digital alerts, it is possible and highly productive.

Try this:

Identify substantial or creative accomplishments you wish to achieve, such as preparing a proposal, completing year-end performance reviews for your direct reports, or drafting the new product strategy. Then, try applying the 4-hour workday. Plan your week accordingly. Set aside a minimum of 90 minutes (ideally two hours) and apply your focus, creativity and attention to only that task. If you do this consistently, I guarantee you will achieve more with less effort than you thought possible.

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