Hello Reader,

I check my email as little as humanly possible.

In practice, that means once a day on most days. (Yes, there are days I don’t check email at all.)

I also check my phone as little as possible. (And have virtually every notification disabled.)

I get it. This is not typical.

But if you’re anything like me — and I’m willing to bet you are — you don’t want a typical life (or to practice like the typical therapist).

Nope, you and I… we’re not typical. We want to create something bigger, better and special in our lives. And that requires taking some atypical actions.

Allow me to explain my I love it when people accuse me of being a digital hermit.

Why I Check Email Infrequently

I sequester myself in this way so I can deeply concentrate and create highly impactful work.

Repeated focus (or task) switching is incredibly energy depleting — not to mention distracting. Multi-tasking isn’t a thing: we humans can’t simultaneously engage in two mentally challenging activities at the same time. Frequently checking email, constantly responding to requests that come my way - these deplete my energy.

Further, creating meaningful work and solving intricate, important problems - these require deep, focused work. There aren’t any shortcuts. My most impactful work comes about when I have extended periods of uninterrupted focus.

Extended, uninterrupted and deep focus benefits my clients, and everyone else I interact with. The world of finance is complex and constantly evolving. Navigating that world requires learning the details, understanding what’s changing and thinking strategically about what actions should be taken as a result.

And truly understanding my clients and what financial strategies will most positively impact their lives requires further focus. It requires deep conversation with them, and then deep reflection on the nuances of their life and financial circumstances.

Of course I want to hear from you!

But I won’t instantly respond to your email, to someone’s else email, and to whatever else lands in my inbox. Instead, I will dedicate an extended, uninterrupted period of time to process my email and then dedicate further time to craft on thoughtful response (rather than a knee-jerk reaction).

If you’d like to learn more about why I take the approach I do, click the image below to watch me explain.

My practice of eliminating digital distractions to enable focus on deep, essential and impactful work has been greatly influenced by three books:

• ​Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
• ​Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
• ​Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport

As always, if you have any questions about what I’ve covered today — or anything else happening in your financial life — HIT REPLY and ask away! I read and respond to every email.

Best,
Dave