Today, we are constantly bombarded with email, text messages, social media notifications, and much more. It is easy to check or respond to all of these because it feels like productive work. But, if we fall into this trap and reflect at the end of the day, it is clear that it was not productive work.
This brings me to the idea of cognitive load. Productivity (and sanity, for that matter) really boils down to minimizing cognitive load. Before we choose what is worth our attention, we must first cut the crap that does not deserve our attention. Sustained focus is simply easier when there is less to focus on. It sounds like common sense, but it is far too uncommon.
Quality, not quantity.