How to become Ultraproductive, our book deal with Portfolio Penguin, and a gift for you
Imagine asking 100 people in a room if they want to boost their productivity. You'd see nearly every hand in the air. The desire to enhance productivity is almost universal.
Yet, while the longing to improve is widespread, finding a clear path to better productivity is far from straightforward. Hunting for productivity tips online is akin to seeking a sip of water, only to be blasted by a fire hose.
The end result? You emerge from your search more baffled than before, overwhelmed by countless conflicting suggestions.
But what if you could multiply your productivity by up to ten times — even if you're super busy at work or home — using a method grounded in solid research?
How to become Ultraproductive
As it turns out, you can. The key to sustainable peak performance and holistic well-being is strategically optimizing focus, sleep and stress management – 90 minutes at a time. The reason is the so-called “ultradian” rhythm, which governs both our days and nights.
Research pinpoints the number 90 as pivotal in optimizing focus, sleep, and stress management: allocating 90 minutes daily to deep focus doubles our productivity; ensuring 90 minutes of deep sleep each night increases productivity by 2.5 times; and interrupting stress about every 90 minutes can further double productivity.
In short, that 90-90-90 formula allows anyone to elevate their productivity by up to 10x: 2x for focus, 2.5x for sleep, and another 2x for stress.
By optimizing focus, sleep and stress, we don't just manage; we thrive both at work and home. These three strategies form the cornerstone of the Ultraproductive framework, which I developed with my co-author Eric Partaker.
Here are three simple tips to get started on focus, sleep and stress optimization:
Focus Optimization. To get 90 minutes of deep focus a day, start with timing it right. Follow our 30-3-11 Rule and pick one of three times to focus deeply: ~30 minutes after waking, ~3 hours after waking, or ~11 hours after waking. These times are when you’re best able to focus (due to your “circadian rhythm”). Learn more about why and how to optimize for deep focus here.
Sleep Optimization. To get 90 minutes of deep sleep a night, start with getting light right. This is vital for optimizing your cortisol and melatonin levels. You’ll not only have more energy during the day, but also fall deeply asleep easier at night. To do so, use our 10-10-10 rule: Get 10 minutes of sunlight into your eyes before 10 am and avoid bright, blue light after 10 pm. Learn more about how to optimize for deep sleep here.
Stress Optimization. To interrupt stress about every 90 minutes, start with 1-3 “physiological sighs”. It’s the most effective way to reduce stress levels in real-time. Here’s how: inhale deeply through the nose for two seconds; inhale again through the nose for one second; then exhale fully through your mouth for six seconds. Trust me: this works like a charm – and it’s also a terrific way to fall asleep after a stressful day. Learn more about the technique here.
Our book deal with Portfolio Penguin
Eric and I also have exciting news: we’ll turn our 90-90-90 framework into a book. In Ultraproductive, we’ll provide a comprehensive roadmap for living and working in line with our 90-minute ultradian rhythms. It’s the operating manual for achieving sustainable peak performance and holistic well-being by strategically optimizing focus, sleep, and stress management – 90 minutes at a time.
We’re beyond thrilled to announce that we’ve joined forces with Portfolio Penguin for the North America version of Ultraproductive. They’re the world’s leading nonfiction publisher for ambitious people and connect readers with powerful ideas that inform and improve their lives, within the workplace and beyond.
Portfolio Penguin's New York Times bestsellers include life-changing books by Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, Scott Galloway, Ryan Holiday, Shane Parrish, Cal Newport, Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey, to name just a few.
We’ve also teamed up with phenomenal publishers in other countries, most notably Bloomsbury in the UK and Droemer Knaur in Germany.
Ultraproductive will be published worldwide in the spring of 2026. If you want to ensure you don't miss future announcements for our book — including perks and potential “early bird" discounts — set up an alert so we can notify you directly here.
A gift for you
Are you an executive, entrepreneur or CEO who struggles to focus on the important work while jumping from one urgent task to the next, feels tired in the morning and throughout the day despite sleeping for 7 or 8 hours at night, and has trouble dealing with high stress at work and “switching it off” at home?
If so, I’ve got bad news and good news for you. The bad news first. You can’t go on like this. Building a great career or company doesn’t take weeks or months. It takes years or decades. It’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon of sprints. To succeed in this marathon and avoid burning out halfway, you need to set yourself up for the long run.
Now the good news. Eric and I created a new 1:1 coaching program to help executives, entrepreneurs and CEOs thrive in high-stress environments – the Becoming Ultraproductive coaching program.
In the program, I’ll help you create habit systems for focus optimization, sleep optimization, stress optimization and more.
I’ll tailor these to your professional and private life regime so that you can 10x your productivity while making stress work "for you" instead of "against you."
I’ll also become your personal sparring partner who holds you accountable and helps you overcome obstacles along the way.
The program is my most exclusive offer and is limited to 10 seats. It’s our gift to those of you who would like hands-on support with implementing the 90-90-90 formula we lay out in our forthcoming book.
It includes six 1:1 sessions with me – and it’s an investment that will pay for itself many times over the years and decades to come. To celebrate our book deal, I’ll offer a 20% discount on the first three seats — on a "first come, first serve" basis.
So, if you’re an executive, entrepreneur or CEO who wants to build habit systems that increase your productivity by up to 10x while making stress work "for you" instead of "against you”, simply reply to this email or get in touch here.
And please share this post with one person who could benefit from doing the same.
Until next week,
Christian
PS: Interested in sponsorships for my newsletter and LinkedIn post?
Get in touch with me here.