Are you one of those people who checks their email at the top and bottom of every hour? It might seem strange, but frequently checking your inbox could seriously kill your productivity. So, why not challenge yourself to this 24-hour email rule? You might be surprised at just how much you get done when you’re not in your inbox all the time.

In a recent episode of Thrive Global Podcast, host Arianna Huffington interviewed Malcom Gladwell, a long-time writer and bestselling author of hit books like Outliers, David and Goliath and Blink – just to name a few. Needless to say, Gladwell is incredibly productive, but what does he do to protect his productivity?

In conversation with Huffington, Gladwell shared that his father, was very strict about creating boundaries to balance his work and personal life. And Gladwell followed in his footsteps, especially when it comes to managing his email time.

Gladwell follows a strict 24-hour email rule, and only checks his email once every 24 hours. Every evening, he reads and replies to his emails. And then, closes his inbox until the following evening.

This allows him to keep the morning free, which is his most productive time of the day, and where he can devote time to writing. 

It might seem impossible to keep this 24-hour email regimen, but Gladwell is a firm believer in it. In fact, he said, “If everyone observed the 24-hour rule for responding to emails, the world would be a much better place…everyone’s happier.”