Secrets Of The Most Productive People
Fast Company|December 2017/January 2018

It’s always showtime in the entertainment world today, and the rest of the business landscape is no different. Here’s how James Corden keeps his creative edge. Plus: Insider tips from Apple, Google, Instagram, Microsoft, WeWork, and more.

Benjamin Svetkey
Secrets Of The Most Productive People

James Corden’s office, at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, is crammed full of showbiz clutter—dog-eared scripts, award-show trophies, a framed thank-you note from a former first lady. But there’s one small item sitting atop a pile of magazines on a coffee table that Corden couldn’t get through the day without, a simple artifact that plays a key role in the Zen order of his work-life philosophy.

“I try to carve out six or seven minutes of silence twice a day, which is where this thing comes in handy,” he says, picking up a little black sleep mask, the kind airlines give away in first class. “Some people would call it meditating. But I don’t do breathing exercises. I don’t ‘go’ anywhere in particular. I just do this”—he slips on the mask for a few seconds and assumes a blissfully blank expression— “and then when I’m done, it’s like, restart!”

This story is from the December 2017/January 2018 edition of Fast Company.

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This story is from the December 2017/January 2018 edition of Fast Company.

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