Take back the first 10 minutes

I often ask a simple question to the leaders I work with:
“Open your inbox, look at the last 10 emails you’ve received, and tell me — how many of those will actually matter in 18 to 24 months?”

“One… maybe less.”

And that’s when I usually smile and ask, “If most of the messages you receive have almost no long-term impact, why are you spending the best hour of your day — your freshest, sharpest time — buried in your inbox?”

In this video, I want to share three simple tips to protect your focus and boost your performance

I’ve worked with leaders all over the world, and there’s one thing they all have in common: they’re constantly bombarded by messages.

It used to be just emails. Now it’s Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, Trello — and the pings don’t stop, not even while they sleep.

By the time they wake up, their inbox is overflowing with another 20, 30, sometimes 50 emails from colleagues in other time zones. And so, the first thing they do — almost automatically — is open their inbox “just to check.”

But that “quick check” rarely takes five minutes.

Suddenly, it’s 9:30 a.m., and they’ve spent their freshest energy reacting to everyone else’s priorities.

I always say this: Your mornings are gold.
That’s when your brain is most alert, creative, and capable of deep thinking. Don’t waste it on short-term noise.

Instead, protect the first 90 minutes of your day for long-term priorities — the work that actually moves the needle.

Now, some people say to me,
“But Cyril, I work in a global organisation — what if something urgent comes up overnight?”

Fair point. So here’s my compromise: take the first five minutes, no more, and do a lightning check I call What’s In, What’s On, What’s Joy.

1. What’s In
Do a quick scan of your inbox or messaging tools — not to reply or process, just to check if there’s a real emergency. This isn’t the time for detailed triage. Think of it as a five-minute safety check.

2. What’s On
Glance at your calendar for the day.
Make sure your schedule still makes sense, especially if things shifted overnight. I’m a big believer in weekly planning rather than daily firefighting — but it’s always good to make small adjustments in the morning.

3. What’s Joy
Ask yourself one powerful question:
If I could only do one thing today — one thing that brings me joy and makes a real impact — what would it be?

This anchors your day in purpose.
Yes, the unexpected will happen — meetings, admin, even more emails. But at least you’ve chosen the one thing that truly matters before the world starts choosing for you.

Once you’ve done your What’s In, What’s On, What’s Joy check, dedicate the next 90 minutes to deep, meaningful work — the kind that moves you closer to your long-term goals.

That small shift can completely change the rhythm of your day — and your results.

Tomorrow morning, before you touch your inbox, try this:
Take five minutes to ask What’s In, What’s On, What’s Joy.
Then spend your first hour and a half doing the work that really matters.

Your future self will thank you for it.

Wishing you a great day ahead!

A bientôt,

Take back the first 10 minutes

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