Instead, Schmidt credits a deceptively simple habit, one he calls a game changer for anyone seeking meaningful productivity gains: Set aside a few undisturbed hours each weekend for reflection, and grab a pen and paper. No screens allowed.
He insists this simple practice can be transformative because it helps you practice focusing on accountability. “It’s a good trick because it forces you to take charge of your next week. Like, ‘Oh, I forgot that I have a sales problem over there,’ or ‘I forgot I was supposed to call this person.’ ‘Oh, I didn’t have this proposal, and I had this idea, but I didn’t get to it.’ And that usually works pretty well,” he said.
For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.
