One of our favorite authors here at One Daily Nugget is Cal Newport, whom we’ve already met in issue 48 and whom we are bound to hear from again in the future.

In today’s nugget, Newport explores an interesting question on his Study Hacks blog: How come many elite achievers in competitive fields like classical music lead such relaxed lives? Citing a famous study of violinists from the early 1990s, he describes how it’s not about the number of hours you spend practicing, but about the amount of practicing you put into every hour.

Indeed, contrary to expectations, elite players in the study didn’t spend more time practicing than average players, but they spent almost three times as much on deliberate practice. Elite players also slept an hour more per night, and they spent more time on leisure activities.

“If your goal is to build a remarkable life,” Newport concludes, “then busyness and exhaustion should be your enemy.” Read today’s nugget and learn how to accelerate your growth while reclaiming time for relaxation!