15SecretsSuccessfulPeopleKnow
AboutTimeManagement
TheProductivityHabitsof7Billionaires,
13OlympicAthletes,29Straight-AStudents,and
239Entrepreneurs
KEV IN KRUSE
NewYorkTimesBestsellingAuthor
FirstEdition
THEKRUSEGROUP
Philadelphia
Whatifafewnewhabitscouldincreaseyour
productivityby5xoreven10x?
Imagineyouhadanextrahoureachdaytoread,
exercise,ortospendwithyourfamily?
Based on survey research and interviewswith billionaires,Olympic
athletes, straight-A students, and over 200 entrepreneurs—including
Mark Cuban, Kevin Harrington, James Altucher, John Lee Dumas,
Grant Cardone, and Lewis Howes—New York Times bestselling
author,KevinKruse,answers thequestion:Whatarethesecrets to
extremeproductivity?
Youwilllearn:•Howtocureprocrastinationwith“TimeTravel”
•Howtosave8hoursaweekwith“3Questions”
•Howtoidentifyyourrealtoppriorities•Howtogettozero
emailsinyourinboxeveryday• HowtheE-3Csystemwill
boost productivity by 10x • How to reduce stresswith the
RichardBransonTool• Howto leaveworkat5:00without
feelingguilty • How to runmeetings likeApple,Google&
Virgin•Howtoconquersocialmediadistractions•BONUS:
DiscoverYourTimePersonalityquiz• BONUS:100+Time
ManagementQuotes
YOURTWOFREEGIFTS
Asathankyouforbuyingthisbook,I’mofferingtwoFREE
resources:1)HowMillionaire’sScheduleTheirDay
(1-PagePlannerTool)2)15SurprisingThingsUltra
ProductivePeopleDoDifferently(QuickGuide)Tap
TheLinkBelowToGetInstantAccess:
www.MasterYourMinutes.com
KevinKruse
NewYorkTimesBestsellingAuthor
ForbesContributor
Inc500Entrepreneur
http://www.masteryourminutes.com/
CONTENTS
“OverworkedandOverwhelmed”onaNewJerseyHighway
ThePowerof1440
HowIBeatBackTimeThieves
1,440MinutesinaDay
TimeIstheMostImportantAsset
WhyMinutes,NotSeconds?
ThePowerofProperPriorities
What’sYourOneThing?
IdentifyYourMostImportantTask(MIT)
MarkPincusonHisMIT
TwoAwesomeHoursintheMorning
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
StopMakingTo-DoLists—DoThisInstead
TheProblemwithTo-DoLists
LiveLifefromYourCalendar
JeffWeinerTimeBlocksBufferTime
DesignYourIdealWeekwithTimeBlocks
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
TheProcrastinationCure
ProcrastinationIsn’taboutLaziness
ProcrastinationBuster#1:TimeTravel
ProcrastinationBuster#2:Pain&Pleasure
ProcrastinationBuster#3:AccountabilityPartner
ProcrastinationBuster#4:RewardandPunishment
ProcrastinationBuster#5:ActAsIf…
ProcrastinationBuster#6:SettleForGoodEnough
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
HowtoLeavetheOfficeat5:00—WithoutGuilt
SherylSandbergMakesItHomeforDinner
TheSecrettoGuilt-FreeBalance
DoYouNeedtoBeEverythingforEveryone?
ThereWillAlwaysBeMoretoDo
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
RichardBranson’sSecretProductivityTool
Branson’sMostImportantPossession
AdvicefromBillionaireAristotleOnassis
JimRohn’sThreeTreasures
Notebooksof20FamousPeople
WhatTypeofNotebookIstheBest?
TakeNotesbyHand,NotonaLaptop
MyPersonalNotebookSystem
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
MasterYourEmailInboxWith321Zero
EmailasaCognitiveSlotMachine
7StepstoMasteringYourEmail
HowtoGettoInboxZeroinTenMinutes
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
MeetingHacksfromGoogle,Apple,andVirgin
WhyMeetingsSuck
TheMarkCubanMeetingRule
DustinMoskovitz’sNoMeetingWednesdays!
HowtoDesignEffectiveMeetingAgendas
GoogleVentures’SecretWeapon
TheSteveJobsMeetingMethod
MarissaMayerandRichardBransonHold10-MinuteMeetings
NoSmartphonesAllowed
DailyHuddlesEliminateOtherMeetings
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
OneLittleWordThatMultipliesSuccess
EndlessRequestsforOurTime
BewareofDistantElephants
EveryYesIsaNotoSomethingElse
WhyIt’sHardtoSayNo
7EasyWaystoSayNo
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
ThePowerfulParetoPrinciple
TheAmazingDiscoveryinanItalianGarden
80/20Business
80/20Yardwork
80/20ReadingandStudying
What’sintheDalaiLama’sBag?
The80/20Mindset
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
The“3HarvardQuestions”ThatSave8HoursaWeek
TheSlackerWhoWona“BestCoder”Award
Drop,Delegate,orRedesign
TonyRobbinsWasaTeenWhenHeHiredanAssistant
VentureCapitalistSusterontheValueofanAdmin
TodayYouCan“Uber”Everything
ButMarkCubanStillDoesHisOwnLaundry
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
WhyTwitterCo-FounderJackDorseyThemesHisDays
JackDorsey’sProductivitySecret
HowJohnLeeDumasThemesHisDays
ThreeThemesfromDanSullivan
DesigningMyIdealWeek
AnOfficeHourTheme
SandwichVacationwithBufferDays
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Don’tTouch!(UntilYou’reReady)
HowDoYouSortYourMail?
‘TouchItOnce’Mentality
‘TouchItOnce’forEmail
‘TouchItOnce’andCalendarIt
‘TouchItOnce’toDeclutter
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
ChangeYourMorning,ChangeYourLife
My“Sacred60”MorningRoutine
TheMorningRoutinesofArnoldSchwarzenegger,TonyRobbins,andOther
HighlySuccessfulPeople
HalElrod’s6-StepMorningRoutine
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
EnergyIsEverything
YouCan’tGetMoreTime,OnlyMoreEnergy
RedBullNation
HowMonicaLeonelle6x’dHerProductivity
TheMostProductivePeopleTakeMoreBreaks
EnergyStartswithHealth
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
TheE-3CSystem:PuttingItAllTogether
Energy
Capture
Calendar
Concentrate
TheTimeIsAlwaysNow
WantMoreTrainingontheE-3CSystem?
20MoreTime&ProductivityHacks
TimeSecretsof7Billionaires
TimeSecretsof13OlympicAthletes
TimeSecretsof29Straight-AStudents
TimeSecretsof239Entrepreneurs
Quiz:DiscoverYourTimeManagementPersonality
110BestTimeManagementQuotes
Jointhe#1440Movement
ExtremeProductivityWorkshoporKeynote
KevinKruse
INTRODUCTION
“OverworkedandOverwhelmed”ona
NewJerseyHighway
“Licenseandregistration!”
5:20 a.m. Dark and cold, pulled over on the shoulder of Route 1 in New
Jersey.Ihadbeenheadingtowork.
“DoyouknowwhyIpulledyouover?”
Whydidhehavetoshout?
“IassumeIwasspeeding,”myvoicecracked.
“Speeding!”Heleaneddownuntilthebrimofhishattouchedthetopofmy
window.Eyetoeye,hesaid,“Youflewupbehindme,rodemybumper,swung
aroundandpassedme,andkeptongoing.Iwasdoing65intheslowlane.”
I wish I could say the officer had been driving an unmarked car, but he
wasn’t.BigwhiteCrownVicwith the lightbaron top.Giantblueandyellow
“StatePolice”decalsonthedoors.
Ican’treallyexplainit.Ihavenomemoryofcominguponanycar,letalone
awell-markedcopcar.
Apparently,halfasleepandthinkingofwork,Iwasdrivingover80milesper
hourwhen I came upon a state trooperwhowas going ameasly 65, so I just
switchedlanesanddroverightpasthim.
“I’msorry,officer.Ijust,uh,zonedoutIguess…”
“Zonedout?!”
“Ididn’tgetmuchsleep,and…”
Iwasluckyhedidn’tarrestme.
IwasreallyluckyIdidn’tcrashandkillsomebody.
Thiswas20yearsago,whenIwasyounganddumb.Iwasso“crazybusy”
thatIjustkeptaddingmorehourstomyworkdayandmoretaskstoeachhour.
I’dleavethehouseatfiveinthemorningandworkuntilmidnight.Notimefor
propermeals.Coffeeandabutteredrolleateninmycarforbreakfast.Skipped
lunch.Wolfeddowndinnerstandingup.
IdranksomanydietRedBullsthatIstartedlookingatthosesilverandblue
cansthewayanalcoholiclooksatabottleofwine.Thosecanscalledtome.
Passingatrooper
,strokesfordifferentfolks:•Manycreativewannabesuse
Moleskine(http://www.moleskine.com/us/home)notebooks. Iuse themmyself.
These high-quality leather-boundbooks aremade in Italy and cost from$9 to
$25.
• Some Moleskine fans are switching to Ecosystem
(http://www.ecosystemlife.com/)notebooks, includingMichaelHyatt
(http://michaelhyatt.com/why-i-ditched-my-moleskine-journal.html),
becausetheyuserecycledpaper,aremadeintheUSA,andeachpage
isperforated.
• For many years, I preferred the more expensive and
unfortunately very nerdyBoorum&PeaseAccountBook. It’s hard
cover,300pagessoitlastsalongtime,thickenoughtostandupand
standoutonabookshelf—andsobigInevermisplacedit.
• Author and entrepreneur James Altucher
(http://www.jamesaltucher.com/) recommends waiter’s pads, which
cost tencentseach.Heexplainstheyaretheperfectsizeandagreat
conversationstarter—theyalsoshowpeopleyou’refrugal.
Notice that nobody is recommending yellow legal pads or loose pieces of
paper. They are just too easy to get lost in stacks or otherwise damaged.
Notebooksaredesignedtolast.
http://www.moleskine.com/us/home
http://www.ecosystemlife.com/)%20
http://michaelhyatt.com/why-i-ditched-my-moleskine-journal.html
InTheirOwnWords…
IusethisMoleskinenotebookthatI'lljustcarryaroundwithme.Imaketrainingnotesinit.Imakework
notesinit.Ihaveawholebookshelffullofoldonesathome,becauseI'llgobackandrefertooldthings
initallthetime.
–SaraHendershotisanOlympicrowerfortheUnitedStatesandcompetedinthe2012Olympics.Sheis
currentlytrainingforRio2016.
IusetheBulletJournalasmygo-toorganizationsystem.Itkeepsideas,thoughts,andotherimportant
agendaitemsatmyfingertips.Ihighlyrecommendkeepingajournal,becausealifeworthlivingisalife
worthrecording.
–HonoréeCorderisanauthor,speaker,andpersonaltransformationexpert.
Whileappscanbewonderfulandhelpusincreaseproductivity,IprefertoplaninmyMoleskine
ExecutiveDaily.
–NatalieMacNeilisanEmmyAward-winningmediaentrepreneur,creatorof
SheTakesOnTheWorld.com,andauthorofTheConquerKit(Perigee2015).
TakeNotesbyHand,NotonaLaptop
Using paper-based bound notebooks for notes is better than taking notes on a
laptop,tablet,orsmartphone.
Letthehatemailbegin!
First, letmesaythat ifyouhavedyslexiaoranother learningdisabilityand
canreallyonlyrecordnotesbytypingthemintoadigitaldevice,gofor it. It’s
notasin,andI’mnottryingtobiastheworldagainstyou.
ButifyouareusingadigitaldeviceasageneralpreferenceandjustthinkI’m
being an old fashioned Luddite, I encourage you to consider an interesting
article, “The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard,” published in the journal
PsychologicalSciencein2014.
PamMuellerandDanielOppenheimer,psychologistsatPrincetonUniversity
and theUniversity ofCalifornia, LosAngeles, did three different experiments
with327undergraduates.Inonestudy,studentswatchedaTEDtalk,tooknotes,
and then took a test on it 30minutes later.While the laptop users and hand-
writersscoredthesameonfactualquestions, thelaptopusersdidworseonthe
conceptualquestions.
Noticing that laptopuserswere transcribing theTED talk insteadofnoting
keyconcepts,Drs.MuellerandOppenheimerdidasecondstudyandspecifically
toldthelaptopuserstojusttakenotesintheirownwords.Theresultswerethe
same;hand-writershadbetterrecallofthematerial.
One defense of laptop note-taking is that it enables you to take a more
completesetofnotes,whichishelpfulwhenyouneedtoreviewthematerialata
laterdate.Inotherwords,you’llhavemoreoftherawcontenttostudy.Sothe
researchers did a third study inwhich students took the test aweek later, and
weregiventimetostudybeforethetest.Onceagain,hand-writersscoredhigher.
This latest research from Princeton and UCLA just con-firms what others
have discovered in the past. The act of taking notes by hand involves active
listening,cognitiveprocessing,andfinally recalling it to record it.Peoplewho
take noteswith a laptop tend to just robotically record spokenwords,without
doingthementalworktoprocessit.
Anddon’tforget,ifyouwanttokeepadigital,searchablearchiveofallyour
notes, you can always scan them intoEvernote, use the Jot Script 2 Evernote
stylus,orusetheLivescribenotebookbyMoleskine.
MyPersonalNotebookSystem
TherearemanydifferentfancyMoleskinesystemsavailable—includingpeople
whocutouttabsorusefancylabelingsystems.Butyoumightfindinspirationin
myKevinKruseMoleskineGenius System (OK, I justmade that up, I don’t
haveafancynameformysystem).Tome,themorecomplicatedImakeapaper
notebook,thelesslikelyI’lluseit.SoIjustkeepitsimple.
1. Get yourself a brand new notebook. (I’m back to using
Moleskine.)Doesn’titfeelgreatinyourhands?
2. GetyourselfsomePilotG2gelpens.They’recheapanda joy to
writewith.IalsoliketheSharpieExtraFinePointpens.
3. Tape your business card to the inside front cover so if you ever
leaveitbehindinaconferenceroomorairplane,agoodSamaritan
willgetitbacktoyou.Somepeoplewrite,“Iffound,pleasecallor
emailme.Iwillpayarewardtogetthisback!”
4. Write the current date on the inside cover so you can quickly
locate the notebook in the future if you are trying to find notes
from a specific meeting or event. Some people like to use a
Sharpietowritethestartdateontheedgeofthepages,soitcanbe
seenwithoutevenopeningthenotebook.
5. Jot down everything and anything you don’t want to forget.
Recordrandomcreativeideasyouhave:newideasforbooksyou
wanttowrite,companiesyouwanttostart,productstoinvent,new
marketing tactics, gift ideas for your family, future vacation
destinations, restaurant recommendations, a great bottle ofwine,
namesforyourbaby,whatever!Writeeverythingdown,andyou’ll
neverworryorstressoutaboutforgettingsomethingagain.
6. Wheneveryouencountergreatadviceoraninspirationalquote—
whethersomeonesaysitoryoureadit—writeitdownintheback
of the book. Reserve pages in the back for these nuggets of
wisdomsotheycanallstaytogetherandbeeasilyreviewedinthe
future.
7. At the beginning of each phone call or meeting, write the date,
time,andnamesofthepeopleyouarespeakingwith.Jotdownany
notes from the call, especially any follow-up items or
commitmentspeoplearemaking.
8. Ifyouaremeetingpeopleforthefirst time,drawalittlediagram
oftheconferencetableandwritetheirnamesinthelocationwhere
theyaresittingtohelpyourememberthem.Jotdownnotesfrom
themeetingbutdonot try to record everything that is said.You
aren’tacourt reporter! Just try to recordkeygoals, actions,next
steps.Summarize.
9. When you have filled your notebook, write the end date on the
inside front cover, again tohelpyou locate the rightbook in the
futurewhenyouhaveawholerowofthemonyourbookshelf.
10. Put thebookupon the shelfnext to theprevious journals.Here
willbeadetailedrecordofyourentirelife!
11. EveryNewYear’sDay,makeitanewtraditiontothumbthrough
your old journals from the previous year. You’ll be amazed at
howmuchyou’llre-learnfromyournotes,anditwillremindyou
ofallyourprogress.Foranythoughts
,orideasthatyou’llwantto
revisitinthecurrentyear,justrewritetheminyourneworcurrent
notebook.
Ialsouseshorthandthataddsclaritytomyfree-formnotes.
•Iputanopensquare( )nexttoanyitemthatisa“todo,”which
I’llputontomycalendarassoonaspossible.
• I put anopen circle ( ) next to any item that is an event to
calendarlater.
•Iputanexclamationmark(!)nexttoitemsthatrequireafollow-
upactionfromme.
•Iputaquestionmark(?)nexttoitemsthatIwanttoaskaboutat
theendofthemeeting.
• Iput anasterisk (*)next to items that are importantorkey
themesfromanevent.
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur: Would a notebook help you keep a record of all the
commitmentscolleaguesmakeduringmeetings?
Executive: Would a notebook help you record all that you accomplish
throughouttheyear?
Freelancer:Wouldanotebookhelpyourememberkeyclientobligations?
Student:Wouldanotebookhelpyoutocapturekeylecturenotes?
Stay-at-HomeParent:Wouldanotebookhelpyoutocapturealltherandom
to-doitemsthatoccureachday?Remember,youcanreviewandtransferthemto
yourcalendaratalatertime.
SECRET#6
Alwayscarryanotebook.
How much less stress will you feel when you begin to dump everything
importantintoyournotebook?
FREEBONUS
Todownloadthe“GetTheMostfromYourNotebook”quickreferencecard
andotherFREEbonuses,visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#7
MasterYourEmailInboxWith321Zero
Howcanyouemptyyouremailinboxquicklyandkeepitfrominterfering
withtrulyproductivework?
EmailasaCognitiveSlotMachine
According to a survey conducted by the McKinsey Global Institute, office
workersspend2.6hoursperdayreadingandansweringemails,whichequatesto
33 percent of a 40-hour workweek. (OK, OK, nobody only works 40 hours
anymore, but it’s still a big chunk of an averageworkweek!) Clearly people
send too much email at work, and as the dominant form of professional
communication,it’shardtoignore.Butyouhavetotakeresponsibilityforyour
ownroleinemailoverwhelm,too.
Yourbrainusesemail—andallsocialmedia—likeacognitiveslotmachine.
Likepullingaslothandle, there isanticipation,which feelsgoodasyougo to
check for newmessages.Andmost of the time it’s a bust, nothing there.But
everynowandthen,dingdingding,“Oh,look!Aninterestingarticle!”Oreven,
“Oh,someonehasaquestionIcananswerinonlyfiveminutes!I’msohelpful
andproductive!”
Andourbrainreleasesabitofdopaminewitheverytriplecherryontheemail
slotmachine.Ah,thatfeelsgood!Whichmakesuscomebackandcheckitagain
andagain.Yes,youreceivetoomuchemail,butyouneedtotakeresponsibility
forhandlingit.
7StepstoMasteringYourEmail
Unsubscribe from email newsletters. Come on! Do you really need to
subscribe to all those fashion websites? Those flash deals-of-the-day offers?
Those viral clickbait “news” headlines? Don’t give permission to all those
companiestointrudeonyourday,tointerruptyourflow,totemptyouwiththeir
offers.Theyaretryinghardtogetintoyourhead,buttheycan’tifthey’renotin
yourinboxtobeginwith!Justgointoyouremailandsearchfor“unsubscribe”
andthenunsubscribefromalltheemailnewslettersthatyoufind.Youcanalso
go to a cool site calledwww.Unroll.me and itwill let you easily unsubscribe
from the newsletters you want to trash, and then it will consolidate the
newslettersyouwanttokeepintoonebigdailyemail.
Turnoffallemailnotifications.Emailisnotintendedtobeanurgentform
ofcommunication,andespeciallyinthesetimeswhenmostofusaregetting50
to500emailsaday,gettingemailnotifications isa sin.Notifications interrupt
your concentration, your work sprints, and your ability to be present during
meetings and conversations. Whether you have an audible ding, a phone
vibration,or a littlewindow thatpopsupwitheverynewemail…TURNALL
THATOFF.
Onlyprocessemailthreetimesaday,usingthe321Zerosystem.Schedule
threetimesadaytoprocessyouremail(morning,noon,night),setthetimeron
your phone for 21minutes, and try to get to inbox zero in that time.Make a
gameoutofit.21minutesisintentionallynotenoughtime,butitwillkeepyou
focused, ensure thatyour responsesare short, and thatyoudon’t start clicking
linksoutontothewonderfulworldofinternetdistractions.
Immediatelyapplythe4D’s.Everytimeyouopenanemail,youshouldbe
readytoDoit,Delegateit,Deferit,orDelete(archive)it.
Ifyoudeferanemail,inmostcasesthatmeansimmediatelyaddinganentry
toyourcalendar—“moving”theemail toacalendarentry(remember,noto-do
lists!).
Whenyouthink“delete,”inmostcasesyoushouldreallyjustarchive.These
days, with virtually unlimited storage space, it’s easy to just hit the Archive
button onmost things, knowing that you can use the search function to get it
backagaininthefuture.
In addition to the 4D’s, consider F forFile It. Inmy opinion, this is just
anotherformofarchiving,butitcanbehelpfulespeciallyifyouarenervousyou
might not be able to find something again. Just create folders for all your
projects,clients,orevensomethingcrazylike“RespondtoSomeday,”andthen
dragemailsrelatedtothosetopicsintothefolderstokeepyourinboxniceand
clean.
InTheirOwnWords…
Meetings,phonecalls,andemailscanbreakupyourentiredayifyouletthem,leavingyoulittletimeto
getanybigthinkingdone...Cancelmeetingsyoudon'tneed.Andonlycheckemailafewtimesaday.
http://www.Unroll.me
–JonahBergerisamarketingprofessorattheWhartonSchoolattheUniversityofPennsylvaniaand
authorofContagious:WhyThingsCatchOn.
Howdoyoucreateaneffectiveworkroutine?Simple:bychoosingwhatyouwantittobe,ratherthan
lettingothersdictateitforyou.Exceptthatmostpeopledoexactlytheopposite,throughonesimple
(terrible)habit:theychecktheiremailfirstthinginthemorning…Thismeansthattheirfocusandenergy
aregoingwhereothersaredirectingit,ratherthanwheretheystandtomakethegreatestimpact.
–DannyInyisthefounderofmarketingeducationfirmFirepoleMarketingaswellasthebestselling
authorofEngagementfromScratch!andTheAudienceRevolution.
Think twicebeforeyou forward, cc,orbcc.As reported in anAugust9,
2013, article in the Wall Street Journal, London-based International Power
reducedtotalemailtrafficby54percentjustbyencouragingtheirtopexecutives
to“thinktwice”beforetheyforwardedanemailoraddedanyonetothecc:line.
Toooftenweforwardorccsomeoneinthespiritofkeepingthem“intheloop,”
but in reality we are contributing to the information overload problem.
Remember,everyemailyousendandeveryccyouincludemeansyouarelikely
goingtogetareplybackintoyourownemailbox.Ifyousendlessemail,you’ll
alsoreceivelessemail.
Usethesubject linetoindicatetheactionrequired.Anidealsubject line
doesn’t just indicate the subject of the email, but also the type of action it
requires. This helps email recipients to process your email in less time. And
they’lllearntoreciprocate.Theideaistoprefaceyoursubjectlinemessagewith
somemeta-information. I like to use all caps tomake this part of the subject
standoutfromthemessage.Herearesomeexamples:
“FYI: [subject]”—Use the
,FYI designation when you are just
passinginfoalongasacourtesy.
“ACTION REQUIRED by [DATE]: [subject]” or “TO DO by
[DATE]”—UseACTIONREQUIREDwhenyourrecipientsshould
takeanaction,buttheydon’treporttoyou;useTODOwhenyou
aregivingadirectivetosomeonewhoreportstoyou.
“NRN:[subject]”—NRNstandsfor“noresponseneeded”andcan
be used to eliminate the polite response emails that people often
sendlike“Thanks”or“Looksinteresting”or“I’lltakealookatthis
nextweek,”etc.
“[subject]–EOM”—Mypersonalfavorite,EOMstandsfor“endof
message”andletsyouputsupershortmessagesrightinthesubject
line.EOMtellstherecipient,don’tbotheropeningthisonebecause
allthecontentisinthesubjectline.
Keepemails short—really short.Realize thatbeingbrief isn’t rude; it’s a
signofrespectfortheotherperson’stime(inadditiontoyourown).
There is even amovement that suggestswe consider emailmessages to be
similartotextmessages.Thewebsitefive.sentenc.essuggestsyoulimitallyour
emails to five sentences or fewer and then add a footer message that directs
peopletothewebsiteforanexplanation.
InTheirOwnWords…
Whyuse100wordswhen10wordswilldo.Whetherthatisinanemail,areport,apresentation,ora
pitch.Brevitycanbepowerful.
–NaomiSimson,founderofRedBalloon,authorofLiveWhatYouLove,andinvestoronSharkTank
Australia.
Keepemailsshortandsweet.Overtheyears,I’vetrainedmyselftowritethree-sentenceemails,leaving
outthefluffandkeepingonlythemostessentialpoints.Itsavesmytimeanditsavesthereader’stime.
–RyanHolmesisthefounderandCEOofHootSuite.
HowtoGettoInboxZeroinTenMinutes
MyfriendChristinehasover10,000emailsinherinbox,mostofthemunread!
Perhapsyoucanrelate?
Ifthisisthesituationyoufindyourselfin,youmightwanttodeclareemail
bankruptcy and quickly start at “inbox zero” before applying the email
managementstepsinthischapter.
Mysuggestionis:
1. Dealwithallemailthatarrivedwithinthelast48hours.
2. CreateafoldercalledOldEmails.
3. MoveALLoftheemailssittinginyourinboxintotheOldEmails
folder.
4. Voila,you’restartingfreshatinboxzero.
Isthissortofcheating?Maybe.
Couldn’t you just archive all your emails insteadof creating a new folder?
Yes.
But why haven’t you previously deleted or archived or filed your emails?
Whyaretheysittingtheretobeginwith?Mostpeopletellmethatthey’reafraid
there is something valuable that they’ll never find again. They don’t seem to
trustthearchivefunctionorknowhowtouseit.Soasimplesolutionistojust
createyourownlabeledfolderandmoveeverythingthere.Enjoy!
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur: Would keeping your email inbox clean reduce your levels of
stressandenableyoutospendmoretimeonrevenue-producingactivities?
Executive: Would reducing the time spent on email enable you to spend
moretimeonstrategicpriorities?
Freelancer:Would reducing the time spent on email enable you to spend
moretimeadvancingyourskills?
Student:I’mguessingyoudon’tuseemailverymuch!
Stay-at-HomeParent:Wouldeliminating thenumberof emailnewsletters
youreceivehelpyoutospendtimemoreproductively?
SECRET#7
Emailisagreatwayforotherpeopletoputtheirprioritiesinto
yourlife;controlyourinbox.
Areyoureadytocommittocheckingemailnomorethanthreetimesaday?
FREEBONUS
Todownloadyour“GettoInboxZero”infographicandotherFREEbonuses,
visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#8
MeetingHacksfromGoogle,Apple,and
Virgin
Howcanyouimmediatelyshortenthetimespentinmeetingsbyone-third?
Been to a great meeting lately? Yeah, didn’t think so. Most meetings are
poorlyorganized,poorlyfacilitated,andhighlyinefficient.
Ina surveyconducted in2015byClarizan,35percentof thosepolled said
theirweekly statusmeetingswere awaste of time.And if a dozen people are
sittinginaone-hour“wasteoftime”meeting,it’sactuallyawasteof12hours!
That’sadozenhoursoflostproductivity,oftentopresentorreviewinformation
thatcouldhavebeencoveredinminutesthroughadifferentmedium.
YetHarvardprofessorNancyKoehnestimates that11millionmeetingsare
heldintheU.S.eachday!
WhyMeetingsSuck
Whydothemajorityofmeetingssucksobadly?
Meetingsstartlate.Whetheraresultofunprofessionalbehaviororthefact
thatmanypeople literally havemeetings stackedback to back,mostmeetings
end up starting late. This becomes a cultural phenomenon as late meetings
actually train people to arrive late.When everyone knows the meeting won’t
start until five or tenminutes past the hour, they don’t bother showing up on
time.Whendozens,hundreds,oreventhousandsofpeopleinanorganizationsit
aroundwaitingforotherpeople toarrive, thoseminutesaddup tomanyhours
overthecourseofayear.
Thewrongpeopleareinthemeeting.Thedefaultideaseemstobe“When
indoubt,invitethem!”Thiswastesthetimeofthepersonwhowasinvited(and
who may not have the professional courage to say “no thanks”), and if that
person feels compelled to ask questions or give input, it wastes the time of
everyoneelseinthemeeting,too.
Parkinson’s lawoftriviality.Alsoknownas thebike-shedeffect, this law
statesthatorganizationsspendthemosttimeontrivialissuesandtheleasttime
onthemostimportantissues.Thestorygoesthatacommitteemustmakeseveral
decisionsrelatedtoanexpensivenuclearpowerplant.Theapprovalofthepower
plant goes quicklywith little input because it’s too complicated of a topic for
mostparticipantstoweighinon.Yetwhenitcomestodecidingonthedesignof
thebikeshedfor thestaff,sinceeveryoneunderstands the trivialproject,great
timeisspentnitpickinganddebatingit.
Meetingsbreakupthedayinillogicalwaysandmayinterferewithflowor
peakconcentrationtimes.
Thewrongpeople dominatemeetings.By their nature, the overconfident
and the extroverts tend to dominate the communication in a meeting—at the
expenseofotherswhomayknowmorebutarelessinclinedtoshareameeting
format.
TheMarkCubanMeetingRule
IreachedouttohundredsofhighlysuccessfulpeopleasIwasdoingresearchfor
thisbook.Bydesign,Iwastryingtocontactthemostsuccessfulpeopleonthe
planet,andknowingthattheyonlyhave1,440minutesaday,itneversurprised
mewhenpeopledidn’trespondtome.
What did surprise me was when billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban
respondedtomyemailonly61minutesafterIsentit.
Inhistypicaldirectandto-the-pointstyle,Cuban’stimemanagementadvice
describedhisapproachtomeetings.
InTheirOwnWords…
Nevertakemeetingsunlesssomeoneiswritingacheck.
–MarkCubanistheowneroftheDallasMavericks,
aserialentrepreneur,andaninvestor
ontheTVshowSharkTank.
DustinMoskovitz’sNoMeetingWednesdays!
Ifyou thinkMarkCuban’sadvice isabitextremeor impractical,perhapsyou
canswearoffmeetingsforonedayaweek.
In an interview for this book, Dustin Moskovitz shared his “NMW”
productivityhack,whichhebroughtwithhimfromFacebook.
InTheirOwnWords…
Pickonedayaweekthatyouandyourteamcanfocusongettingindividualworkdonewithoutany
interruptionslikemeetings.AtAsana,wehaveNoMeetingWednesdaysestablishedtoencourageflow
andproductivityacrossthecompany.
–DustinMoskovitzistheco-founderofteamproductivityappAsanaandco-founderofFacebook.
Others
,havetakentothisone-daymeetingreprieveandcalledthem“Maker
Days.” The idea is that everyone leaves everyone else alone to focus on
“making”stuff—especiallyifit’smakingprogressontheirmostimportanttask
(MIT).
HowtoDesignEffectiveMeetingAgendas
If you have to have a meeting, highly successful people know that effective
meetingsbeginwitheffectiveagendas,whicharecirculatedinadvance.Secrets
tocreatingeffectiveagendasinclude:
Seekinputontheagendafromparticipantsbeforethemeeting,so
newtopicsdon’tcropupandderailtheprimarygoal.
Clearlystatethepurposeofthemeeting.
Clearlystatewhothefacilitatoris.
Identifyallinvitedparticipants.Thefewerthebetter,butyoualso
wanttomakesureakeypersonisn’tbeingforgotten.Googletries
to limit meeting participants to ten or fewer. Steve Jobs was
knownto throwpeopleoutof theroomif theycouldn’tcomeup
withagoodreasonforbeingthere.
List agenda topics as questions whenever possible in order to
focustheparticipantsondecision-making.
Attach time estimates to each agenda item so participants can
monitor the progress and pace of the meeting; make sure time
estimatesarerealistic.
GoogleVentures’SecretWeapon
Jake Knapp, design partner at Google Ventures, is an advocate for using a
physicalclocktocountdownthetimeremaininginameeting.Hediscovereda
specific type of timer, called the Time Timer, while visiting his child’s
classroom.
https://blog.asana.com/2015/03/workstyle-no-meeting-wednesdays/
http://www.asana.com
Teachershavebeenknowntocallit“TheMagicClock.”Cominginvarious
sizes—for about $25 fromAmazon.com—the Time Timer is battery powered
andlargeenoughtobeseenbymeetingparticipantsfromacrossaroom.Ared
disc silently spins, showing the amount of time remaining.Whynot just set a
timer on your smartphone? As Knapp wrote on Medium
(https://medium.com/@jakek):
TheTimeTimerisWAYbetterthanatimerapponascreen.Becauseit’s
physical,it’seasiertoadjustandset,andabsolutelyimpossibletoignore.
DuringhertimeatGoogle,MarissaMayerwasknownforusingaprojector
attached toa laptop todisplayagiant count-down timerupon thewallof the
meetingroom.IcanonlyassumeshestillusesthispracticeatYahoo!
TheSteveJobsMeetingMethod
In1999,ateamofpsychologistsconductedresearchonthedifferencebetween
sit-down and stand-upmeetings across 56 different groups.As reported in the
JournalofAppliedPsychology:
Sit-downmeetings were 34 percent longer than stand-upmeetings, but
theyproducednobetterdecisionsthanstand-upmeetings.
In a different study, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis
determined that standing meetings were far better than sit-down meetings in
termsofoutcomes.TheyreportedinSocialPsychological&PersonalityScience
that stand-up meetings led to better collaboration and less possessiveness of
ideas,higherlevelsofengagement,andmoreproblem-solvingcreativity.
IstillrememberthefirsttimeIsoldoneofmybusinesses.RudyKarsanwas
theCEOoftheacquiringcompany,andinmyveryfirstvisittohiscorneroffice,
hejumpedupbeforeIcouldsitandsaid,“Let’sgoforawalk!”Thirtyminutes
later,weshookhandsona$2milliondeal.
RichardBransonisn’t into traditionalmeetingseither.Hewrites inhisblog
(http://www.virgin.com/author/richard-branson):
Oneofmyfavouritetricksistoconductmostofmymeetingsstandingup.
Ifindittobeamuchquickerwayofgettingdowntobusiness,makinga
decisionandsealingthedeal.WhengiventheopportunityIoftenliketo
takethingsastepfurther–literally,withawalkingmeeting.
https://medium.com/@jakek
http://www.virgin.com/author/richard-branson
SteveJobswasnotorious forhis longwalkingmeetings,apractice thathas
beenadoptedbyMarkZuckerbergandJackDorseyaswell.
MarissaMayerandRichardBransonHold10-Minute
Meetings
Whydoallmeetingsseemtodefaultto30minutesoronehour?It’salmostasif
peoplechoosethatdurationbecausethat’sthedefaulttimeblockintheOutlook
calendar.Andweallknowthatworktendstofillupthespaceallocatedtoit.
InaninterviewwithBloombergBusinessin2006,whenMarissaMayerwas
stillwithGoogle(shenowrunsYahoo),shetoldtheinterviewerthatsheholds
up to70meetingsaweek.Theonlywayshecancram themall in is tobreak
down the “30-minute”block into smallmeetings, sometimes as fewas fiveor
tenminuteseach.
VirginfounderRichardBransonoftentalksabouthisaversiontomeetings.In
ablogpostheshared:
It’sveryrare thatameetingonasingle topic shouldneed to lastmore
than5-10minutes.
InTheirOwnWords…
Thedefaultlengthofameetingorcall—bothinternallyandexternally—shouldbe20minutes;anything
longershouldbeanexception…Evenifyou'rejustmovingfrom30-minutemeetingsto20-minute
meetings,youcanfitin4-6moremeetings,calls,orappointmentsinaday.
–RyanDelkleadsgrowthatGumroad.
NoSmartphonesAllowed
Doyoucheckyourphonefortextmessagesoremailsduringbusinessmeetings?
If you answeredyes, research from theUniversity ofSouthernCalifornia’s
Marshall School of Business suggests you are annoying your boss and
colleagues.Theirstudyfound:
86 percent think it’s inappropriate to answer phone calls during
formalmeetings.
84 percent think it’s inappropriate towrite texts or emails during
formalmeetings.
75 percent think it’s inappropriate to read texts or emails during
formalmeetings.
66 percent think it’s inappropriate towrite texts or emails during
anymeetings.
Atleast22percentthinkit’sinappropriatetousephonesduringany
meetings.
Why do so many people—especially more successful people—find
smartphoneuse inmeetings tobe inappropriate? It’sbecausewhenyouaccess
yourphone,itshows:
Lackofrespect.Youconsidertheinformationonyourphonetobe
more important than the conversation in the meeting; you view
people outside of the meeting to be more important than those
sittinginfrontofyou.
Lack of attention.You are unable to stay focused onmore than
oneitematatime;theabilitytomultitaskisamyth.
Lackoflistening.Youaren’tdemonstratingtheattentionandfocus
thatisrequiredoftrulyactivelistening.
Lack of power. You are like a modern day Pavlovian dog who
responds to the beck and call of others through the buzz of your
phone.
To make the most of valuable time spent in meetings, participants should
muteandpockettheirdevicesandleavethemintheirpockets.
DailyHuddlesEliminateOtherMeetings
Canmoremeetingsleadtofewermeetings?
I’veworkedwithalotofconsultantsovertheyears,butonlyVerneHarnish
evergavemethesecretstobuildinghighlysuccessful,fast-growingcompanies.
HarnishisthefounderofthelegendaryEntrepreneursOrganization,theCEOof
GazellesandalsotheauthorofScalingUp.
OneofthebigahamomentsIhadfromhisworkisthatanorganizationcan
onlymoveasfastastheleadershipteam.Asgoesleadership,goestherestofthe
company.Tomakesureeveryoneismovingfastandstayinginsync,it’scritical
to establish a rhythm or cadence of meetings—the most important being the
dailyhuddle.
InitiallyIwasveryskeptical.
Dailyhuddlesarequickstand-upmeetingswithyouandyourteammembers.
Nolongerthan15minutes,alwaysscheduledatthesametimeeachday.
What I quickly discovered is that once daily huddles were in place, they
eliminatedtheneedformanyotherlongerone-offmeetings,reducedthenumber
,of phones calls and emails, and had a dramatic impact on other variables
includingemployeeengagementandcross-selling.
Theagendasofdailyhuddlesincludethreethings:
What’sup—highlights from the last24hours,especiallyanything
relevanttootherteammembers
Numbers—this is to review any daily metrics, whether sales,
conversionrates,orwidgetproduction
Stuck—are you “stuck” on anything, whether it’s a problem to
solve,redtapetocut,oraquestionthatneedsananswer
InTheirOwnWords…
"Routinesetsyoufree"isthemantraunderpinningourtoolsandapproachinScalingUpcompanies,
includingthe15-minutedailyhuddlewithyourteam(andspouse!)thatwillsaveeveryonecollectively
overanhoureachdayandallowyoutoavoidminortrainwrecks(thatgrowintobiggerproblems)and
takeadvantageofimmediateopportunities."Ifyouwanttomovefaster,pulsefaster."
–VerneHarnishistheCEOofGazelles.
Keepyourdailyhuddlesto15minutes!Iftheystarttorunlonger,peoplewill
be less likely toshowup.Forcepeople tobebrief,andany“stuck” items that
can’tbesolvedimmediatelyshouldbetakenoffline.
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur:Wouldreducingthetimespentinmeetingsenableyoutospend
moretimeimprovingyourproduct?
Executive:Wouldreducingthe timespent inmeetingsenableyoutospend
moretimecoachingyourteammembers?
Freelancer:Wouldreducingthetimespentinmeetingsenableyoutospend
moretimefindingnewclients?
Student:Dostudygroupstrulyhelpyouwithhomework,orwouldyousave
timestudyingalone?
Stay-at-HomeParent:Howmanymeetingsdoyouattendinsupportofthe
PTA, the soccer league, or other community events? Could you have more
impactbyactuallyhavingfewermeetings?
SECRET#8
Scheduleandattendmeetingsasalastresort,whenallother
formsofcommunicationwon’twork.
Lookat themeetings onyour calendar for theweekahead.Howcanyou
eliminatethemorreducetheirallottedtime?
FREEBONUS
Todownloadyour“MaximizeYourMeetings”posterandotherFREE
bonuses,visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#9
OneLittleWordThatMultipliesSuccess
Want a one-word magic spell that will instantly free up space on your
calendarinthefuture?
"Focusingisaboutsayingno."—SteveJobsEmail,socialmedia,andtext
messaginghasnotonly increased theoverall amountof informationwe
mustdealwith,butithasalsomadeitfartooeasyforotherpeopletoask
usforthings.Oftentherequestsaresocialorpersonalinnature.Wantto
hangouttonight?Wanttogotohappyhour?Wanttogoouttolunch?
And for peoplewho have experienced any amount of business or financial
success, the inbound requests to“do lunch”and“grabcoffee” flood the inbox
eachday.
EndlessRequestsforOurTime
ThesearetherequestsI’vereceivedinthelast24hours:• Fromabusiness
friend,“Let’sgrablunch…”
• Fromanauthoracquaintance,“Ifyouhavesomethingtosay
aboutthebook,I'dbedelightedifyou'dpostanAmazonreview.You
candoithere…”
•Fromanagent,askingmetoincludeherrosterofclientsonmy
“Top100LeadershipSpeakers”list• FromanentrepreneurI’ve
nevermet, “I amnowover here inBoston—abit of a shock to the
systemwithallthesnow—andI’dwelcometheopportunitytohavea
quickfiveminutecallifthatwasatallpossibletosayhelloandseek
youradvice.”
•Fromawonderful,localnonprofitleaderlettingmeknowabout
anupcomingfundraiser,“Ihopethateveryoneonthecommitteewill
sell10tickets!”
• Fromthedeanofalocalcollege,“Iamexcitedtotalktoyou
aboutwhatwearedoinghereinthebusinessdepartment…Wouldyou
beavailabletomeetforcoffeeoneday?”
•Nineemailsfromreadersintroducingthemselvesandtellingme
abouttheircurrentchallenge.
AndthenofcoursearetherequeststhatcomethroughLinkedIn.Iget10–20
messagesadayrequestingameetingorcalltoseeifIwouldliketoinvestina
company, reviewanewproductoffering,provideadvice for their startup,help
themwritetheirfirstbook,andonandon.
Nowdon’tgetmewrong.I’mnotcomplainingabouttherequests,noramI
makingfunofanyofthepeoplereachingout.Onthecontrary,I’mflatteredand
viewtheserequestsonmytimetobeasignthatI’mdoingsomethingright.And
in fact, many of these requests I will respond to (coffee with the dean, for
example).
Butwemustbevigilantwithourtime.
Remember,only1,440minutesinaday!
InTheirOwnWords…
PartofbeinganOlympicathleteisjustthattherearealotofthingsthatIhavetomiss,andmomentsor
eventsthatIhavetoskip.I'vealmostjustgottentothepointwhereI'musedtohavingtosay"No"to
things.
–SaraHendershotisanOlympicrowerfortheUnitedStatesandcompetedinthe2012Olympics.Sheis
currentlytrainingforRio2016.
Even a 30-minute chunkof time for a phone call or coffeemeetingmeans
something else won’t get done. It could be a poem that never gets written, a
chunk of code that doesn’t get debugged, a report that doesn’t get proofed, a
clientthatdoesn’tgetcalledbackuntilthenextday,twomilesthatdon’tgetrun,
orabrilliantideathatneveroccurstoyou.Thereisalwaysaprice.
“Thedifferencebetweensuccessfulpeopleandverysuccessfulpeople is
that very successful people say 'no' to almost everything.”—Warren
BuffettBewareofDistantElephants
They say that in the distance, even giant elephants at first look small.
Unfortunately,manysmallthingsturnintobigthingswhentheyactuallyarrive.
ResearchSays…
Peoplewhoroutinelysay“no”torequestsfortheirtimereporthigherlevelsofhappinessandenergy.
(Source:TheKruseGroup,2015)
Ayoungwoman,anundergraduateatDickinsonCollege,emailedmeoutof
theblueonedayandtoldmeshewasafanofmyleadershipwork.Shesaidher
school had a speaker series each year, and she asked if it wasOK for her to
suggestme.
Sure,Isaid.Thatwasmyfirstyes.
Amonthlater,aDickinsonCollegeadministratoremailedtofollowupwitha
specificdateformetocomespeakand to letmeknowtherewouldbenofee.
WouldIconsiderit?Mytypicalspeakingfeeis$12,500to$22,500,butIlove
speaking to students and always try to schedule at least one pro bono speech
eachmonthtoanonprofitgroup.
Ilookedupthedateonmycalendar—threemonthsdowntheroad—andthat
datewas free. In fact,mywholeweekwasunscheduled.Wow, the futurewas
goingtoreallybealotlessbusythanthepresent!Iwaslookingforwardtoit.I
acceptedtheinvitation.Thatwasmysecondyes.
Asthedategotcloser,anotherstudentaskedmeifshecouldinterviewmefor
thecollegeradiostation.Iwouldhavetoarriveacouplehoursearlierthanmy
event to record the interview.Sure, I said; I’d be honored.Thatwasmy third
yes.
A week before the event, a professor emailed to ask if I wouldn’t mind
speakingtohiseconomicsclassaboutbusinessandethicsandengagement.His
classwasearlierintheday.Ilovespeakingtostudents,I’dbethereanyway—
justnowalittleearlierintheday—so,ofcourse,Igavemyfourthyes.
As time ticked away and the pro bono event at the college got closer and
closer, inevitablythingscameup.Mydaughter’sschoolplaygotscheduledfor
the sameday; Iwould have tomiss it. Iwas asked to do a corporate keynote
event on the same day—for my full fee; I had to turn it down. A TV news
programinAustraliawanted
,todoaliveinterviewwithmeonthesamedayvia
satellite,butIwasalreadybooked.
Yes,itwasabigbummermissingoutonallthoseotherthings,especiallymy
kid’s play, but I don’t regret my original decision or the string of yeses that
followed.
ButIsharethisstoryasanextremeexampleofhowwemistakenlythinkwe’ll
belessbusyinthefuturethanweareinthepresent.
It’sfartooeasytoacceptalunchdatewhenyoulookatyourcalendarthree
weeks fromnow and see that you have nomeetings or other lunch plans that
day.Sure,thatdaylooksgreattograbacasuallunch!Andthenthatdaycomes,
andit’sfilledwithmeetingsanddeadlinesandfamilyobligations.
You have to realize:whatever obligations and projects and tasks you have
now, you’ll also have in amonth, sixmonths, or a year. Unless youmake a
radicalchangeinyourlife,yourkidswillcontinuetogetsick,playsports,and
require parent-teacher conferences; your bosswill still be giving you projects;
your car will still need oil changes and inspections; your friends will still be
throwingparties.
EveryYesIsaNotoSomethingElse
ThisisalessonIeventrytoteachmykids:everyyesisanotosomethingelse.
It’s not that they should say no to everything; it’s that they should think it
through.
InTheirOwnWords…
Ifsomethingisnota"hell,YEAH!"thenit'sa"no!"
–JamesAltucherisabestsellingauthor,activeinvestor,andhostofTheJamesAltucherShow.
Multipliersrealizethatperfectionisachievednotonlywhennothingmorecanbeadded,butwhen
nothingmorecanbetakenaway.Itisthepermissiontoignore.Becauseanythingwecansaynototoday,
createsmoretimetomorrow.
–RoryVadenistheauthorofProcrastinateOnPurposeandTaketheStairs.
TruefocusissayingnotothethingsYOUreallywanttodo.
–NikhilArora&AlejandroVelez,co-foundersofBacktotheRoots.
Mybesttoolistokeepfrontofmindthisidea:Everythingyousayyestomeansyouaresayingnoto
somethingelse.
–MelanieBensonistheco-authorofEntrepreneur.com’sStartupGuidetoStartinganInformation
MarketingBusiness.
My daughter had RSVP’d yes to a friend’s birthday party. Then the pop
singerMaxSchneiderannouncedalocalconcertdatethatfellrightonthesame
date.Whatshouldshedo?Ohtheteenangst!She’dtoldherfriendshe’dbeat
theparty,andsheneededtohonorthatcommitment.
My eleven-year-old son signed up to play travel soccer; he’s one of two
goaliesontheteam.Aftertheseasonwasunderway,hewasaskedtoplayapart
inalocalplay.Hereallywantedtodoit,buttheplayperformancewouldmean
hewouldmissoneortwosoccergames.Whattodo?Hemadeacommitmentto
hiscoachandfellowteammates,sohewasgoingtoplaysoccer.
Again,thelessonisn’ttoalwayssayno.Justrealizethateveryyeswillbea
notosomethingelsewhenthetimecomes.Understandingthatthereisalwaysan
opportunitycostwillmakeyouhesitateandreallybecarefulaboutwhatyouare
agreeingtoputonyourcalendar.
WhyIt’sHardtoSayNo
Despitethefactthat“everyyesisanotosomethingelse,”wefinditsohardto
justsayno.Therearemanyreasons:•We’reafraidtomakepeoplemad.
•We’reafraidtohurtsomeone’sfeelings.
•Wewanttobeliked.
•Wedon’twanttoberude;wewereraisedtobepolite.
•Weunderestimatehowmuchtimeitwillreallytake.
•Wearen’tclearonourownpriorities.
•Wefeelgoodbybeinghelpful.
•Welikeearningfuturereturnfavors.
Indeedweareraisedandsocializedtowanttohelpothersinneed;wevalue
helpingothers.
Butuncontrolled, sayingyes to requests for timewill quicklyblockout all
theotherthingswevalue—includingtheverythingsthatmadeussuccessfulin
thefirstplace.Weareself-imposingthepressureandthefeelingsofguiltwhen
wesayno.
Giveyourselfpermissiontosaynowithoutguilt.Youshouldnotcareabout
whatothersthinkofyoufordecliningtheirrequests!
7EasyWaystoSayNo
Firstofall,knowthat“no”isenough.Youdon’toweittoany-bodytohaveto
saymorethanthat.
But ifyouarestillstrugglingwith“justsayno,” then try thesemoresubtle
responses. I often send a response email beginningwith “Thanks for reaching
out…”andcontinuewithoneofthesemessages:
1. “…but I’m on a deadline right now and am not taking any new
meetingsuntilI’mdone.”Iusethisapproachoftenwithstrangers
whocold-contactme. Idon’tspecifywhat thedeadline is—since
they’re strangers, they don’t need to know my details and
shouldn’texpectmetoshare.Andtheworddeadlinehasamagic
toit,apowerthatmostpeoplecanrelateto.
2. “…UnfortunatelymyscheduleissopackedatthistimeIcanonly
take calls and meetings with paying clients. Thanks for
understanding.”Iusethisapproachforpeoplewhoarelookingfor
freeadvicethatwillbenefitthemandtheircompanytremendously.
It’s really incredible how often people who already have decent
incomeandassetswillaskfortimeandinformationthatwillmake
thematonofmoney,buttheydon’tthinktohiresomeoneforthe
answer.The approach above is a gentle nudge that if they really
wanttotalktomeabouttheirbusinessproblem,theycandoit if
they’rewillingtopay.Theyalmostalwaysdisappearinstead.
3. “…and I’m happy to connect, but there is no daylight on my
calendar until 2:15 p.m. ET on [pick a date five months in the
future].”ThisiswhatIusuallysaytosomeonewhoIdon’tknow
personallybutwhoisvaguelyconnectedinsomeway.Maybethey
areafriendofsomeonewhousedtoworkformefromyearsago.
Theintentofthisapproachistonotrejectthemoutright,buttolet
them know I’m hustlin’ and have a very busy calendar. This
response sends the message that their issue had better be pretty
important,andiftheyreallywanttomeetwithyou,they’lltakethe
offeredtimeslotinthedistantfuture.I’vefoundthatmostofthese
peoplejustrespondandsay,“Oh,noworries,yousoundswamped.
Let’sjustconnectwhenyou’relessbusy.”Andtheygoaway.
4. “…andmynextopenslotforaphonecallis2:00a.m.–2:15a.m.
ETonThursdayofnextweek.Letmeknowifthatworksforyou.”
Noticethetimeslotisa.m.,notp.m.;that’sonpurpose.Ionlyuse
this line aboutonce ayear, because if theperson callsmybluff,
I’llactuallyhavetostayuplateordragmybuttoutofbedtotake
thecall.ButIusethisonpeoplewhoarereally,reallypersistent.If
I know they’re a persistent stranger just trying to sell me
something,Icaneasilysayno.Butifafriendorbusinesspartner
suggestedtheycallme,Idon’twanttoignorethemoutofcourtesy
to my friend. But this approach puts a burden back on the
requester.Howbadlydotheywanttotalktome?Aretheyreally
willing to do the call in the middle of the night? Usually they
respondwith,“Sure,nextThursdayafternoonisgreat,butyouhad
a typoandwrote a.m.…thatwould surebea crazy time!” I then
writeback,“Notypo.I’ma24/7kindofguy,andthat’smyonly
openslotforthenextseveralmonths.Doyouwantit?”I’venever
actually had a person in this situation ask for the call, which is
reallyamazing.Theyarewillingtoimposeonmytimetotrytoget
some life-or career-altering information, yet they won’t take the
callattwointhemorning.And,ifanyoneeversays,“Youbet,I’ll
call you then,” I can always respond and say I found a way to
move something around and that we can talk during normal
businesshours.
5.
,“…butIdon’tthinkI’mthebestperson;I’dliketoreferyouto…”
This isaneasyone.Peopleoften requestyour timebecause they
think you know something that can help them or that you are a
decisionmakerthatcanbuysomething.Ifyouaren’t,orifyou’ve
“delegated”thatdecisionmakingpowertosomeoneonyourteam,
usethisapproach.Youcanalwaysqualifyitbysayingsomething
like,“Thefastestway tomakeprogresson this is foryou to talk
directly tomy colleague Paulina. But don’t worry; when you’re
talkingtoPaulina,you’retalkingtome.She’stheultimatedecider
here.”
6. “…but I’m not able to take any more meetings or calls during
normalbusinesshours.ButIoftencancatchuponemailsduring
traveloratnight.Wouldyouliketocommunicateviaemail?”This
isprobablytheresponseIusemostoften.Ireallydotrytorespond
to every email I get from readers, email newsletter subscribers,
referrals, etc. And email is way more efficient than live phone
calls.
7. “…and as a rule, I only schedule 15 minutes for first calls. If
you’reinterested,couldyousendoveradraftagendasoIcansee
whatwe’llbecoveringandwhatdesiredoutcomeyouarehoping
for?”Again,ifyoudon’twanttojustrejecttheperson,thistypeof
response isagoodway to let themknowyou’reverybusy,so if
theyreallywanttotalktoyou,they’dbetterbewillingtodosome
pre-work.Iusuallyneverhearfromthesepeopleagain.
InTheirOwnWords…
Sayingnotofriends:Thinkoftheconsequencesandwhatthebestdecisionisforyou;don'ttrytoplease
others.Thinkofyourselffirst.Becarefulofwhoyousurroundyourselfwith;ifthey'reyourfriend,no
willnotbeanissue.
–HaleySilvaisastraight-Astudentat
SierraHighSchool.
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur:Would “just saying no” help you to reject tangentialmeetings
fromoutsideparties,enablingyoutostayfocusedonyourcurrentproductroad
map?
Executive: Would “just saying no” help you to stay out of nice-to-have
initiatives,enablingyoutomakeprogressonyourquarterlyobjectives?
Freelancer:Would“justsayingno”helptoreduceyourprobonohours?
Student:Would“justsayingno”helpyoutospendmoretimeinthelibrary
andlesstimeatthecoffeeshop?
Stay-at-Home Parent: Would “just saying no” help to minimize your
“volunteering”andmaximizeparenting?
SECRET#9
Saynotoeverythingthatdoesn’tsupportyourimmediategoals.
Which meetings, calls, and projects will you say no to in the upcoming
weeks?
FREEBONUS
TodownloadyourFREEbonuses,visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#10
ThePowerfulParetoPrinciple
Couldasimpleanalysisofyourworkloadmake80percentofitdisappear?
TheAmazingDiscoveryinanItalianGarden
VilfredoFedericoDamasoParetowasborninItalyin1848.Hewouldgoonto
becomeanimportantphilosopherandeconomist.Legendhasitthatonedayhe
noticed that20percentof thepeaplants inhisgardengenerated80percentof
the healthy peapods. This observation caused him to think about uneven
distribution.Hethoughtaboutwealthanddiscoveredthat80percentoftheland
inItalywasownedbyjust20percentofthepopulation.Heinvestigateddifferent
industriesandfound that80percentofproduction typicallycamefromjust20
percentofthecompanies.
80percentofresultswillcomefromjust20percentoftheaction.
This “universal truth” about the imbalance of inputs and outputs became
knownastheParetoprinciple,orthe80/20rule.Whileitdoesn’talwayscometo
beanexact80/20ratio,thisimbalanceisoftenseeninvariousbusinesscases:
•20percentofthesalesrepsgenerate80percentoftotalsales.
•20percentofcustomersaccountfor80percentoftotalprofits.
•20percentofthemostreportedsoftwarebugscause80percent
ofsoftwarecrashes.
• 20 percent of patients account for 80 percent of healthcare
spending(and5percentofpatientsaccountforafull50percentofall
expenditures!)
On amore personal note, youmight be able to relate tomy unintentional
80/20habits.
Iownat least fiveamazingsuits,but80percentof the timeormoreIgrab
my black, well-tailored, single-breasted Armani with a powder blue shirt.
(Ladies,howmanyshoesdoyouown,andhowoftendoyougrabthesame20
percent?)
Ihave15roomsinmyhouse,butIspendabout80percentofmytimeinjust
mybedroom,familyroom,andoffice.
I’mnotsurehowmanymilesofroadsareinthesmalltownwhereIlive,but
IbetIonlydriveon20percentorlessofthem.
OnmySamsungS5smartphone, Ihave48differentmobileappspinned to
thetiles,but80percentofthetimeI’msureI’monlyusingabout8ofthem.
When I gogrocery shopping, I definitely spend themost time in the aisles
thatarearoundtheedgesofthestore:produce,thefishmarket,dairy,breads—
and generally skip the aisles in the middle of the store (except health and
beauty).
Asamassiveintrovert,Idon’tactuallysocializetoomuch,butyouprobably
findthatyouspend80percentofyourtimewith20percentofyourfriendsand
familymembers.
InTheirOwnWords…
IacceptthatIcannotdoeverythingsoIworkonlyonthingsthatarevitallyimportantusingthe80:20
rule.
–JamesSchramkoisthefounderofSuperFastBusiness.
ThetwoprimaryproductivityconceptsIapplyarethefollowing...First,the80/20rule,whichhelpsmeto
identifywhichtasksdeliverthebiggestrewardsandthusIshouldfocuson.Two,the“Theoryof
Constraints,”whichhelpsmetoidentifywhattheimmediateconstraintisthat’sholdingmebackfroma
desirableresult.
–YaroStarakistheauthoroftheblogProfitsBlueprintandfounderoftheEntrepreneurs-Journey.com
blog.
SohowcanweapplyPareto’sprincipletogainmoretimeinourlives?
80/20Business
Inbusiness,youcouldliterallyanalyzeyourcustomerbaseanddecideto“fire”
80percentof the leastprofitablecustomers. Icertainly firedmanyclientswho
weren’tworththetroublebackinmyday.
Youcoulddothesamewithyoursalesforce.Applythe80/20ruleandfire
themajorityofyoursales representativeswhoareactuallyproducing the least.
Thiswillenableyoutorewardtheremaininghighlysuccessfulrepswithmore
accountsorlargerterritoriesandgiveyoumoretimetosupportthe“winners”on
yoursalesteam.
Youcouldlookatalltheproductsyouarecurrentlyofferingand,using80/20
analysis, get rid of themajority of your products that provide the least profit.
This could eliminate themajority of customer service issues, free up room in
yourwarehouse,andsimplifyyourvalueproposition.
Ifyou’rerunningasoftwarecompany,makesureyouareidentifyingwhich
bugs are causing 80 percent of the phone calls to your help center. Eliminate
thesefirst,andyou’lldramaticallyreduceyourtechsupportcosts.
Youcanevenapply80/20toyourmarketingefforts.IonceinterviewedSeth
Godinataconferenceandaskedhimwhyhedidn’tuseTwitter.Thiswasback
when Twitter was all the rage and, given that Seth is viewed as a marketing
guru, people were shocked he wasn’t engaged with the platform. He said, “I
havenothingagainstTwitter.ThereareonlysomanyhoursadayandifIspend
timeonTwitter, Iwon’tbespending timeonother things, likewritingadaily
blogpost.”
Inthisageofsocialmedia,somanyofusfeellikewehavetobeonTwitter
and Facebook and LinkedIn—my gosh, I even have a Pinterest page! But a
simple80/20analysiswouldrevealthatmostofyourengagement,most
,ofyour
audience, probably comes from just one platform.You could let people know
that’swhereyou’llbe,andthenignoretherest.
80/20Yardwork
Howmuchtimeandmoneydoyouspendonyouryardeachyear?Maybeyour
current practice is to mow the lawn, edge the lawn, apply fertilizer or other
chemicals,weed the flowerbeds, trim thebushesand trees,plant flowers, and
sweepthesidewalk.Ifyoudon’tdoityourself, thinkhowmuchyouspendon
mowing, replacing mulch, buying lawn fertilizer, applying weed killer, or
trimmingtrees.
The 80/20 rule would suggest that only 20 percent of yard maintenance
activities account for about 80 percent of howyour yard actually looks to the
neighbors and others who are driving by your home.With that in mind, you
mightdecidetomowandweed,butstopedgingandplantingseasonalflowers.
(Unlessyardworkisfunforyou,ofcourse!)
80/20ReadingandStudying
MyfavoritehighschoolteachergavemesoundadviceasIwentofftocollege.
Shewarned that the readingassignmentswouldbeunlikeanything Ihaddone
before.Abookaweek for classesusing fiction, andmultiple chapters aweek
fromeachtextbook.
Shetaughtmethatifyoujustreadthefirstandlastparagraphofeachchapter
aswellasthefirstsentenceofeachparagraphinbetween,you’llunderstand80
percentof themessageof thebook.I learnedthat itmightnotgetyoustraight
A’s,butitcangetyousolidB’s.
Today, I have three over-scheduled kids in school. As I help my teenage
daughters study for high school tests, I now know to start by looking at the
chapter summaries and chapter self-tests. Knowing what the textbook author
thinksismostimportant,andthengoingbackandfindingtheanswerstothose
questionsinthetextitself,ismuchmoreefficientthanreadingtheentirechapter
frombeginningtoend.
What’sintheDalaiLama’sBag?
MyfavoritestoryabouttheDalaiLamawasfromanarticleinTheGlobeand
Mail in 2002. The Dalai Lama travels the world frequently, teaching people
about Buddhism and the plight of the Tibetan people. A man without many
possessions,healwayscarriesasmall redbagwhereverhegoes.Accordingto
thereporteratoneevent,someone in theaudienceasked theDalaiLamawhat
wasinhisbag.
Immediately, he opened it and began pulling out objects for all to see. A
chocolatebar,acaseforhisglasses,atoothbrush,Kleenextissues,andthenafter
a pause—a single candy, which he promptly unwrapped and popped into his
mouth.
Howmuchstuffdoyoucarrywithyouwhenyoutravel?Istoomuch“stuff”
takingawayyourtime?
Mostofmyfriendshavesecondhomes.SomeareinNewYork,othersatthe
Jersey shore, others have ski cabins in the Poconos. They are surprised that I
don’t have a vacationhome.What theydon’t realize is that I’ve listenedvery
carefullywhentheytalkabouttheirhomes.Rarelydotheytalkabouthowmuch
joy they aregetting from them.But I definitelyhear itwhen they tellme that
theyhavetodealwiththeaftermathofabreak-in,orthatHurricaneSandyput
threefeetofwaterintheirfirstfloor,orthatthey’verenteditoutandsomeone
trashedtheplace.
Asecondhome is justoneexample to show the truth thatallobjectscome
withacost,likecollectibleknickknacksthatneedtobedustedeveryweek.The
bigger the house, themore rooms that need to be cleaned. Electronic gadgets
needtobelearned,setup,stored,Bluetooth-paired,andultimatelyfixed!Pools
need to be cleaned. Pets need to get walked, groomed, and taken to the vet.
Boatsputinandtakenoutofthewater.
With three school-age kids, I thinkmy suburban lifestyle is practical. But
once the kids are all out of the house, Iwill be too! I envision getting rid of
almost everything I own (I’ll pack up the sentimental stuff—there won’t be
much—andputit inaclimate-controlledstoragefacility)andjustspendayear
rentinganamazingapartmentinadifferentcityeachyearuntilIgetboredwith
thatordie.NewYork,Barcelona,Amalfi,SydneyorMelbourne,HongKong,
LaJollaorNapa,whoknowswhere!
Thelessonisn’tthatall“things”arebad—Ihavesometoystodriveandtwo
cats. It’s just that all things require time, and we should think twice before
acquiringthem.
Whilewemaynotwanttolimitourpossessionstoonlythatwhichfitsinto
onesmallredbag,wecanprobablytakeinspirationfromtheDalaiLama,who
clearlydoesn’tneedobjectstofeelhappy.
The80/20Mindset
The important takeawayfromthischapteron theParetoprinciple isnot to run
aroundwithacalculatorandactuallydothemathtofigureout80percentand20
percentcalculationsindifferentareasofyourlife.
It’s more important to have a mindset of identifying the few things and
activitiesthatwillgiveyououtsizedreturns.Youwantto:
•Lookforshortcuts.
• Dothemostimportantthingsexceptionallywell,andtherest
just“goodenough”ornotatall.
• Developyourskillstobeexceptionalinafewtargetedareas;
don’ttrytomastereverything.
• Realizethatyoucanworkless,stressless,andincreaseyour
happiness by figuringout the 20percent of goals and activities that
aremostimportanttoyou.
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur: Would an 80/20 mindset help you to stay focused on your
strategicplanandspendlesstimechasingendlessnewopportunities?
Executive:Would an80/20mindset helpyou tomaximize the return from
yourlimitedresources?
Freelancer:Wouldan80/20mindsethelpyoutofocusonandserviceyour
mostimportantclients?
Student: Would an 80/20 mindset help you to identify the content that
mattersmostonatest?
Stay-at-Home Parent: Would an 80/20 mindset help you to manage the
householdwithoutlosingyourmind?
SECRET#10
Eightypercentofoutcomesaregeneratedbytwentypercentof
activities.
What20percentofyourtimegenerates80percentofyourvalue?
FREEBONUS
TodownloadyourFREEbonuses,visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#11
The“3HarvardQuestions”ThatSave8
HoursaWeek
Canthreesimplequestionssaveyoueighthoursaweek?
TheSlackerWhoWona“BestCoder”Award
In January of 2013, several news outlets reported on the remarkable story of
Bob.
WithBob’sprogramming speedandcodequality, his companynamedhim
“BestCoderintheBuilding”andgavehimanexcellentperformancereview.He
was amodel employee; in hismid-40s,Bob clocked in bynine eachmorning
andsenthisbossadailysummaryofhisproductivitybeforeheleftatfive.
But if we had been able to secretly peek over Bob’s shoulder all day—to
discover howhe spent his time—wewould have seen something peculiar.On
Bob’stypicalday,hewouldreadRedditandwatchYouTubevideosfromabout
9:00to11:30,whichiswhenhewouldheadouttohis90-minutelunch.Backat
1:00 p.m., Bob would then spend the next three and a half hours on Ebay,
Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media sites. At 4:30, he would send a
reporttohisbossandgohome—withoutwritingasinglelineofcode.Thenext
daywouldbethesame.
Howcouldthisbe?Howcould“Bob”behiscompany’sstarprogrammer,yet
goofoffallday?
ItturnsoutthatBobwasverysmart.
Insteadofasking,“HowcanIdothis?”
Heasked,“Howcanthisgetdone?”
Theanswer,inBob’scase,wasthatheoutsourcedhistask—actuallyhisjob
—to a software development company in
,Shenyang, China. Bob’s company
gave him approximately $200,000 a year to do hiswork, and he in turn gave
$50,000ayeartoaprogrammerinChinatodoitforhim.
For the longest time, Bob’s company marveled at his productivity and
quality,whilehesurfedtheInterneteighthoursaday.
Eventually Bob’s company noticed unusual server access from China, and
thinkingtheywerebeinghacked,theystumbledonBob’sbrilliantscheme.They
werenotamused.Bobwasfired.
ResearchSays…
Peoplewhoactivelylookforthingstodelegatereporthigherlevelsofproductivity,happinessand
energy,andarelesslikelytofeel“overworkedandoverwhelmed.”
(Source:TheKruseGroup,2015)
IfIhadbeentheCEO,IwouldhavedoubledBob’ssalaryandmadehimthe
CTO.Thatwayhecouldhaveoutsourcedall thedevelopmentworkandsaved
thecompanymillionsofdollars.
WhileBobultimatelygotfiredforbreakingcompanyrules,wecanlearnalot
fromhisapproachtogettingthingsdone.
InTheirOwnWords…
Seeyourdayfromahigherperspective…Avoidleveragingyourtimeformoney,insteadleverageyour
expertiseanddelegatetherest.
–JeffMooreispresidentoftwoseafoodcompaniesandthefounderofaglobalmastermindgroupcalled
ThursdayNightBoardroom.
Drop,Delegate,orRedesign
InSeptember2013,ProfessorsJulianBirkinshawandJordanCohensharedthe
resultsoftheirproductivityexperimentintheHarvardBusinessReview.
They found that 41 percent of knowledge workers’ time is spent on
discretionaryactivitiesthatweren’tpersonallysatisfyingandcouldalsobedone
byothers.
Sowhydopeoplekeepdoingtheseactivities?
Theresearcherssuggestthatoftenwefeelimportantwhenwefeelbusy;we
feel engaged and satisfied as we make progress against tasks, and while
meetingsareoftenboring,theyalsoprovideanopportunitytoleavethedeskand
socializealittlebit.
OnceworkersweretrainedbyBirkinshawandCohentoslowdownandthink
abouttheiractivitiesinanewway,theyachievedmassivetimegains.
In fact, on average, theworkerswhowere trained saved six hours of desk
workandtwohoursofmeetingtimeeachweek.
Sowhat’sthesecrettothesemassivetimesavings?
Theresearchers trainedeveryone toanalyze their tasks tosee if theycould:
•Drop:WhatitemscanIdrop?WhatcanIstopdoingentirely?
•Delegate:WhatitemscanIdelegatetoasubordinate?Whatcan
Ioutsource?
•Redesign:WhatdoIneedtocontinuedoing,butdoitinanew,
time-efficientway?
Toputthisintopractice,makealistofallthetasksandmeetingsyouworked
onduringthepreviousweekandfollowthesesteps:
1. Ask, “How valuable is this task tome or to the company?
WhatwouldhappenifIjustdroppeditcompletely?”
2. Ask,“AmItheonlypersonwhocoulddothistask?Whoelse
inoroutsidethecompanycouldaccomplishthis?”
3. Ask, “How can the same outcome be achieved but with a
fasterprocess?HowcouldthistaskgetcompletedifIonlyhad
halfthetime?”
Those threequestionswill giveyou thedatayouneed to identify the tasks
thatareoflowvalueandshouldbetargetedtoDrop,Delegate,Redesign.
InTheirOwnWords…
Leverageeverydimeyouhavetooutsourceandbuyotherpeople'stime.Thatisthekey.Organizeyour
168hours,thenBUYhoursfromotherstogrow.
–Shane&JocelynSamsbuiltahighsix-figurebusinesssellingdigitalproductsandstarted
FlippedLifestyle.comtohelpotherfamilies"fliptheirlives"withonlinebusinesses.
TonyRobbinsWasaTeenWhenHeHiredanAssistant
Icanrememberbeing25yearsoldandmowingmylawnonahotSaturdayin
August. Iwas theCEO of a startup,working over 80 hours perweek, barely
getting any sleep, gettingno exercise, and Ihadno social life, andyet there I
wasspendingacouplehoursmowingandedgingmylawn.
Sweatdrippingoffmychin, facebaking in thesun, strainingup thegrassy
hill, pushing themower through a cloud of dirt and grass pollen, all the time
thinkingabouttheslidedeckIneededtocreatebeforeMonday,thehundredsof
emails I needed to respond to, not to mention painting a bedroom, doing the
laundry,andgoinggroceryshopping.
Sowhydidn’tIjusthiresomekidtomowmylawnforme?BecauseIhadno
money.IshouldsayIthoughtIhadnomoney.
IrecentlywatchedaninterviewwithTonyRobbins.Hetellsasimilarstory
ofstartingout—still justa teenager—andrealizing thatasbrokeashewas,he
wasgoingtohirehelp,initiallyforjusttwohoursaday.Hetellshisstory:
I think in the very beginning the hard thing is you think you can only do it
yourselfand then there’sonly somanyhoursandyou’vegot kidsand family
andfriendsandhowdoIdoitall?
Theanswerisyouhiresomeone.Youtradewithsomeone.Youtradethemfor2
hours.That’swhatIdidinthebeginning.BecauseIremember,Iremember,I’ll
neverforget,Iwasjustreallyyounginmycareer,veryintheearlydays,andI
wasrunningtogettothedrycleanerssoIcouldgetmyonlytwosuitsbecause
ifIdidn'tgetthem,youknow,thentheplaceclosesandIcan’tgetontheplane.
And I was running to the airport sweating like crazy, and I’m a sweater
anyway.Sweating like this, trying toget in thedoor, and itwas like,what is
wrongwiththispicture?
Icouldbedoingsomethingthat’ssoproductiveandI’mstandinginlineatthe
drycleaningplace.Thisisjustnuts.AndsoIwasreally…Iwaslike17,18,19,
Idon'tknowwhatIwas,andIsaid,“I’mgonnahiresomebody.”Twohoursa
day,that’swhatIneedtostartwith.Andthenitwas4hours.
Andsomyview is Idon'tdoanything thatsomeoneelsecandobetter,andI
don'tdoanythingthatisn’tthehighestandbestuseofmytime.
Youneedtostartpayingotherpeopletodostuffforyouevenbeforeyoufeel
youareready.Whatwoulditcost tohirethekiddownthestreet tomowyour
lawneachweek?
Are you a stay-at-home dad? What would it cost to hire an unemployed
collegegradtowatchyourkidsforanhoureachafternoontoletyouhavesome
alonetime?
InTheirOwnWords…
Nothingwillslowyoudown,takeyouofftrack,orkeepyouunproductivemorethandoingthingswhich
youboth:donotliketodoandarenotgoodat.Anythingthatfallsintothatcategorymustbeoutsourced
tosomeoneelse(ideallywhobothlikesitandhascompetence)assoonaspossible.Theextenttowhich
youcontinueonthosetypesoftasksiswhatwillholdyoubackfromtrulylovingwhatyou'redoingand
alsobeingfulfilled.
–AndreaWaltzistheco-authorofthebestsellingbook,GoforNo!,andaprofessionalspeaker.
IoutsourceanythingIcanusingfantastictoolslikeAmazonPrimefortwo-dayshippingandPeapodfor
grocerydeliverysoIdon'thavetogotothestore;FancyHands.comtobookappointments,lookup
vendors,researchproducts,etc.;Thumbtackforfindinganyhouseholdtaskthatcanbedone;and
ZocDocformakingdoctorappointments.Beingamomoftwolittleonesandrunningamulti-office
agencyrequiresallofthehelpIcanget!
–KimWalsh-Phillipsisaleadingdirectresponsesocialmediamarketer,bestsellingauthor,
keynotespeaker,andfounderofIOCreativeGroup.
VentureCapitalistSusteron
theValueofanAdmin
AreyouastartupCEO?Whatwoulditcosttohireareallygoodadministrative
assistant? Why spend money on an admin when you know how to use a
computerandcandoityourself?
ThereareonlytwoblogsthatIreadreligiously,andventurecapitalistMark
Suster writes one of them. In Bothsides of the Table
(http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/), Suster gives advice to startup
entrepreneurs.Inhisarticle
,“TheControversialFirstRoletoHireAfterYour‘A
Round,’”Sustermakesacompellingcaseforthevalueofanadmin.
Yourfirsthireafterthatfirstroundofcapitalisanofficemanager/company-
wideassistant.
“What?You’rejoking,right?”
No.
WhileI’mpassionateaboutbeingscrappywhenyoustartandcontrollingyour
costs,I’mequallypassionateaboutperformancewhenyouhaveabitofcash.
And I’ve seen way too many CEOs/founders get bogged down in minutiae
because they were used to it from the scrappy phase. They’ve struggled to
scale.
Thinkaboutit.Yoursinglemostvaluableassetintheearlydaysisyoursenior
teamandpresumably nobody ismore valuable than the founding team.And
you’re bogged down in expense claims, booking hotel rooms, scheduling
http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/
meetings,dealingwithaleakytoilet,processingpayroll,orderingcomputers,
etc.
Ifyoudon’thaveanadmin,youareanadmin.
Even if you can do all the administrativework yourself, why should you?
The one hour a day you spend running to the post office, balancing the
checkbook, or booking airline tickets would be better spent calling prospects,
learning,orthinkingstrategically.Alwaystrytospendasmuchtimeaspossible
usingyouruniquestrengthsonyourhighest leverageactivities.Runningoutto
Staplestobuyprinterpaperprobablydoesn’tfallintothatcategory.
InTheirOwnWords…
Focusonwhatyouaregreatatandhireeveryoneelsetodotherest.
–LewisHowesisabestsellingauthor,entrepreneur,andformerprofessionalathlete.Heisthehostof
TheSchoolofGreatnesspodcast.
TodayYouCan“Uber”Everything
Ever since the success ofThe4-HourWorkweek byTimFerriss, usingvirtual
assistantshasbeensomewhatinvogue.Initially,usingavirtualassistant,orVA,
generallymeantworkingwithsomeoneinIndiaorthePhilippinestoscreenyour
email,scheduleappointments,andothergeneraltasks.Whilesomefoundthese
arrangements to be helpful, others found the language barriers and the lower
qualityofworktobeunacceptable.
ButsincetheearlydaysofVAs,theconcepthasreallygrownandmorphed
into the idea that you can outsource almost anything, with very little prior
planning.
Uber was really the company that popularized the concept of on-demand
mobile service (ODMS). Remember being envious of the “rich and famous”
withtheirchauffeurs?Well inthesametimeitwouldtakeyoutosay,“Home,
James,”youcannowtapyourUberappandhaveyourpersonalchauffeurshow
uptotakeyoutoyourdestination.
Spend too much time grocery shopping? See if Instacart
(www.instacart.com), Peapod (www.peapod.com), or Fresh Direct
(www.freshdirect.com) operates in your area. For non-perishables, use
Amazon.com Subscribe & Save (www.amazon.com/gp/subscribe-and-
save/details/).
Need someone to do some Internet research, make social media updates,
http://www.peapod.com
make reservations at a restaurant, or cancel your cable? Just visit
FancyHands.com.
Have miscellaneous chores to complete? See if the folks on TaskRabbit
(www.TaskRabbit.com) will hop over to clean your oven, build your Ikea
furniture,ororganizeyourclosets.
And don’t forget, for all your general freelance needs: www.fiverr.com,
www.freelance.com,andwww.upwork.com.
WhenThe4-HourWorkweekfirstcameout,outsourcingwasanovelty.Now,
it’s just assumed you can give thework to the best people, and nobody cares
where they are located.WithWiFi Internet access, Skype, email, and project
management communication tools like Asana (www.asana.com) and Slack
(www.slack.com),workingwithremoteteammembershasbecomenobigdeal.
IliveoutsideofPhiladelphiaandpersonallyuse“virtual”helpforallkindsof
things:
Clarissaisoneofmybookcoverdesigners;shelivesinSingapore,
andIhavenoideawhatshelookslike(we’veonlycommunicated
viaemail).
BalajilivesinIndia,andI’veusedhisteamtodoresearchprojects,
datamining,andslidedesigns.
SerenaanswersmyMailchimpemailtechnicalquestions(whenwe
firstconnected,shewasspendingtimeinIreland,andnowshe’sin
Thailand).
Camille is one of my book editors whom I found on
www.Fiverr.com (her profile page says she lives in the United
States,butIhavenoideawhere).
Matt and Chris are the two guys who handle my websites (I’ve
neverhadaface-to-faceprojectmeetingwiththem).
InadditiontotheteamofremotefreelancersIroutinelyworkwith,locallyI
alsooutsourcetheseitems:
Ipay$60aweektoacompanytomowmylawn.
Ipay$100toaguytoplowmydrivewaywhenitsnows.
I pay $150 every two weeks to a cleaning service to clean my
house.
Ipay$20anhourtoawomantohelpmegetmykidsofftoschool
eachmorning.
I pay a bookkeeper to handle both my personal and business
accountingneeds;Ineverwriteacheckmyself.
Ihireplumbers,electricians,andpainterstomaintainmyhome.
http://www.fancyhands.com
http://www.upwork.com
http://www.asana.com
ButMarkCubanStillDoesHisOwnLaundry
Sowhatshouldn’tyououtsource?
NoticethatwhileIhavesomeonewhostopsinafewmorningseachweekto
help, I’ve never had a full-time nanny for my three kids.While I have good
friends who have live-in nannies or daily full-time nannies, I just never felt
comfortablewiththatmyself.Forme,Idon’twantanon-familymemberliving
inmyhouse,andparentingismyfirstvalue,soIwanttodoitmyselfasmuchas
Ican.I’mfortunateinthatIhavealotofscheduleflexibilitythatenablesthis.
I’m not judging others who aremaking different choices; I do it consciously,
knowingthatitiscostingmepotentialincomeandcareeradvancement.
I also domy own grocery shopping—almost every day or every other day
actually.Thismakesnosensefromatimeoptimizationstandpoint.ButIactually
like it. I like having the freshest fruits and vegetables and fish possible, and
zippingquickly through the store ismywayofgoing to themarket eachday.
SinceIworkfromhome,it’sagoodexcusetogetsomefreshairandsunlight.
BillionaireMarkCubanrevealedonSharkTankthathestillwasheshisown
laundry.Ido,too.Itwouldbeeasyformetohavesomeonestopineachweekto
domylaundryortodropitatthedrycleaningplace—itwouldbeeasyforyou
todothattoo,andmaybeyoushould.ButIjustfinditgroundingsomehowtodo
myownlaundry.
Thebottomlineisyoushouldtrytooutsourceeverythingyoucanunless:
1. You enjoy doing it and it’s part of your rest and recharging
process.
2. It’spartofyourvaluestocontinuedoingthetask.
3. Itcostsyoumoreperhourtooutsourceitthanyouwanttomake
yourself.
InTheirOwnWords…
Everyyear,audityourtimeandfindawaytodelegateatleast15%ofwhatyou'redoing.
–JayBaeristhefounderofConvince&Convert,akeynotespeaker,andauthorofYoutility.
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur:Would being aggressive about outsourcing help you to spend
moretimeusingyouruniqueabilities?
Executive:Wouldbeingaggressiveaboutoutsourcingenableyoutoreduce
projectcosts?
Freelancer:Wouldbeingaggressiveaboutoutsourcingenableyoutospend
moretimeutilizingyourtruetalents?
Student:Wouldbeingaggressiveaboutoutsourcing(yourlaundryperhaps?)
helpyoutospendmoretimestudyingforthebigexams?
Stay-at-HomeParent:Wouldbeingaggressiveaboutoutsourcinggiveyoua
fewhourstoexerciseorrecharge?
SECRET#11
Focusyourtimeonlyonthingsthatutilizeyourunique
strengthsandpassions.
Whatareyougoingtooutsource
,onthehighwaywithoutevenrealizingitwasdefinitelythe
worstthingIdid,buttherewereothersignsofbeingoutofcontrolbeforethat.
Likewhen I filled upmy carwith gas, drove away, andKLAANK! I had
forgotten to take thegasnozzleoutofmycar. It’samiracle Ididn’tblow the
placeup.
And the timesmywifekept tellingme, “I justdon’t feel connected toyou
anymore.”She’snowmyex-wife.
Itwasn’t likeIwascompletelycluelessabout timemanagement.Ihadread
allthebestsellers.Iwasthemasteroftheto-dolistandprioritizediteverynight
forthenextday.AtonepointIhadsuchalonglistthatIusedastandardpiece
of rulednotebookpaperandfilled in twocolumns—35ruled lines,2 tasksper
line,70totalto-doitems.
Ilookbackatthattimeinmylifewithhorrorandembarrassment.
Thankfully,todayI’madifferentperson.
I’masingledadwiththreekids.Ihelpthemwiththeirhomeworkeverynight
and amhome for dinner at the kitchen tablemore than half the time. I attend
most of their games, plays, and music recitals. I’m no athlete, but I exercise
routinely and ammaintaining a healthyweight. I manage at least one or two
“datenights”withmygirlfriendeachweek.
For work, I run a small consulting practice, write two books a year, give
speechesaroundtheworld,andoverseemyinvestmentsinvariousstartupsand
commercialrealestate.
I take a lot of vacation time, too. Last year alone I went to Puerto Rico,
Cancun,andtheJerseyshore;spentseveralweekendsinNewYorkCity;andfor
mydaughter’s16thbirthday,ItookheronanepictriptoBarcelona,Madrid,and
toseetherunningofthebullsinPamplona.
I do all this—and this is the key point—while rarely feeling stressed out,
rushed, overwhelmed, or guilty. I definitely don’t feel “crazy busy” and don’t
feeltheneedtobragaboutbeing“crazybusy”tothosearoundme.
Don’tyoujusthateme?
My personal time and stress transformation started as I began to ask my
successfulfriendshowtheymanagedtime.
Iimmediatelynoticedthatnoneofthemmentionedthethingsthataretaught
intraditionaltimemanagementbooks.
Mycuriositysoon turned intoaquest,andIdidoriginalsurveyresearchof
working professionals, looking for correlations between specific time
managementpracticesandproductivity,stress,andhappiness. I fundedastudy
ofthousandsofworkingprofessionalsandwefoundnocorrelationbetweentime
managementtrainingandhigherlevelsofproductivityorreducedstress.Zero!
I then interviewed hundreds of highly successful people including Mark
Cubanandotherbillionaires,famousentrepreneurs,goldmedalOlympianslike
ShannonMiller,andstraight-Astudents.
WhatIdiscoveredisthathighlysuccessfulpeopledon’tprioritizetasksona
to-do list, or follow some complex five-step system, or refer to logic tree
diagramstomakedecisions.
Actually, highly successful people don’t think about time much at all.
Instead,theythinkaboutvalues,priorities,andconsistenthabits.
Whilenotwopeoplemanagetimeexactlythesameway,therearecommon
themes.Andifyoureallytrythem,youmightfindthatjustoneoftheir“secrets”
hasthepowertotransformyourcareerandyourlife.
KevinKruse
BucksCounty,PA
CHAPTER#1
ThePowerof1440
Canasinglenumberchangeyourlife?
Athree-wordquestionusedtosendchillsofdreaddownmyspine.
“Gotaminute?”
Sure, I believed in an open door policy. Sure, I was the boss. Sure, some
peoplewouldsayIwasoverlydetailoriented,whichmadepeoplecheckinwith
metoofrequently(who,me?).
Iwas the founder and president of a digital learning company that quickly
tookoff.Revenuedoublingeveryyearandalltherelatedchallenges:newhires,
sales,productlaunches,fundraising,andonandon.
The fires to put out keptmultiplying, as did the knocks onmyoffice door
followedby,“Gotaminute?”
Therewas nothingwrongwith people askingme for advice or help.But I
quickly found entire days were being spent on other people’s priorities and
problemsastherequestedminute-meetingsinevitablyturnedinto30minutesor
more. My priorities, the company’s strategic priorities—washed away by the
never-endingtorrentof“urgent”got-a-minutes.
Finally,Iprintedabig1440onapieceofpaperandtapedittotheoutsideof
myofficedoor.
Nootherwords.Noexplanation.Just“1440”inArial,bold,300-pointfont.
HowIBeatBackTimeThieves
Every time Iwalked intomyownoffice, I passed that giant “1440” sign as a
reminder.Tick,tick,tick.Icouldnotbecarelesswithmyminutes.
But what also happened was that when people stopped by to ask, “Got a
minute?” and I would say yes, they would immediately ask, “So what’s that
1,440allabout?”
Iwouldexplainthatitwasasimpleremindertomeofthevalueoftimeand
howIneededto“invest”eachminuteofmydayverywisely.
I always made it about me, but the length of these got-a-minute meetings
suddenlygotshorter.Onepersonheardmyexplanationandreplied,“Youknow
what, I don’t need to talk anymore. I just realized it can wait until the team
huddleonMonday.”
Icanonlyassumethatmy1440signinitiallyfreakedpeopleout.Kevinmust
be in a bad mood; he doesn’t want us talking to him anymore. Kevin’s a
hypocrite…hesayshehasanopendoorpolicybuttheninsultsuswiththatsign.
Butthesignstayedup,andthenoveltyworeoff.SoonIheardotherpeoplein
theofficetalkingabout“only1440minutes”astheyprioritizedtasksorturned
downinvitationstoirrelevantmeetings.
1,440MinutesinaDay
If you’re likemost peoplewhowant to improve their timemanagement, you
probably want a list of tips, tools, and systems that will increase your
productivityandaddhourstoyourweek.
Yet,thesinglemostimportantthingwhenitcomestotimeandproductivity
isn’tatacticoratrick—it’sashiftinmindset.
Self-mademillionaires, professional athletes, straight-A students, and other
highly successful people think about time differently. They experience time
differently.
InTheirOwnWords…
BeforeIdecidetotakeonanewproject,Ianalyzeit…Howmuchofmytimewillthistake,andwhatis
myfinancialupsidepotential.Icreatea“dollarperminute”analysis,hopefullyamilliondollarper
weekupside.
–KevinHarringtonistheinventoroftheinfomercial,abestsellingauthor,anoriginalinvestoronShark
Tank,andfounderandchairmanofAsSeenOnTV,Inc.
Takeaminute to thinkabout themostvaluable things in life.Really takea
minute to look up from this book,maybe even close your eyes, and come up
withalistofallthethingsintheworldthatyouvaluemost.
I’llwait…
Didyoureallydothislittleexercise?Don’tjustreadthisbookandletitgoin
andout!Youneedtodotheactivitiestoanchorthelessons.Changingbehaviors
ishardandpassivelyreadingwon’tgetitdone.Doit!
OK,ifyouarelikemostpeople,yourlistofthemostvaluablethingsincludes
yourspouse,children,friends,health,money,andofcourse,time.
Highlysuccessfulpeoplehaveasimilarlist—buttheyranktimeasthemost
importantitemofall.
Shouldn’thealthbenumberone?Youcanbehealthy,andthengetsick,and
thenregainyourhealth.
Howaboutmoney?Youcanloseallyourmoney,andthenyoucanmakeit
allback.
Friends?Friendsareimportant,andyet,howmanyfriendsdidyouhaveback
in college that you no longer keep in touch with? Or even people who were
guests at your wedding, and that was the last day you
,startingnextweek?
FREEBONUS
TodownloadyourFREEbonuses,visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#12
WhyTwitterCo-Founder
JackDorseyThemesHisDays
Whatifonesimplechangetoyourcalendarenabledyoutohaveaquantum
leapinyourproductivity?
JackDorsey’sProductivitySecret
JackDorsey is theco-founderofTwitter and the founderandCEOofSquare.
Forawhile,Dorseyworkedfulltimeatbothcompanies.Sixteenhoursaday—
eight hours at each. In a 2011 interview at Techonomy,Dorsey explained his
secrettohisproductivity.
Theonlywaytodothisistobeverydisciplinedandverypracticed.ThewayI
foundthatworksformeisIthememydays.OnMonday,atbothcompanies,I
focus on management and running the company…we have our directional
meeting at Square, we have our OpCom meeting at Twitter, I do all my
management one-on-ones on that day. Tuesday is focused on product.
Wednesday is focused on marketing and communications and growth.
Thursdayisfocusedondevelopersandpartnerships.Fridayisfocusedonthe
companyandthecultureandrecruiting.SaturdayItakeoff,Ihike.Sundayis
reflection,feedback,strategy,andgettingreadyfortheweek.
And there are interruptions all the time, but I can quickly deal with an
interruption and know that it’s Tuesday and I have productmeetings, and I
needtofocusonproductstuff.Italsosetsagoodcadencefortherestof the
company.We’realwaysdelivering;we’realwaysshowingwherewewerelast
weekandwherewe’regoingtobethefollowingweek.
HowJohnLeeDumasThemesHisDays
John Lee Dumas built a million-dollar business in a few short years on the
success of his daily podcast, EntrepreneurOnFire. Dumas’ colleague, Kate
Erickson, wrote a 2014 year in review blog post in which she described the
impactdailythemeshavehadontheirbusiness.
Something thatwealsoboth foundsuccesswithdoing iscreating themes for
each day of the week. For example, John’s podcast day is Tuesday: that’s
whenhedoesallofhispodcastinterviewsforEntrepreneurOnFire.
Another example: Wednesdays are our webinar days. This is when we
schedule our Live Podcast Workshops, our Webinar Workshops, and our
exclusivecommunitywebinars.
Havingthemesforourdaysmakesiteasiertoplanahead,andeasiertostay
ontrack.Havinganentiredaysetasideforathemecreatesabiggerspacein
which to accomplish things, and a smaller chance that you’ll “just set it
aside”untiltomorrow.
ThreeThemesfromDanSullivan
RenownedentrepreneurcoachDanSullivansuggeststhatwethemeeveryweek
aroundthreedifferentkindsofdays:
Focus Days: “Game days” are to focus on our most important activities,
typicallyrevenue-producingactivities.Thesearealsothedayswhenweshould
ideallybeusingouruniquetalents;dowhatyoudobest.
BufferDays:Thesearedays tocatchuponemailsandcalls,hold internal
meetings,delegate tasks,catchuponpaperwork,andcompleteany trainingor
educationalactivitiesthatarerelatedtowork.
Free Days: These are days without any kind of work. These are days for
vacation, fun, or perhaps charity. No work-related emails, calls, or thinking
shouldbedoneonthesedays;it’satimetorejuvenate.
DesigningMyIdealWeek
Itrytothememydaysaswell,butnotquitetothepointofDorsey,Dumas,or
Sullivan.Here’swhatmytypicalweeklookslike:
Monday: The first day of the week is my day for internal management
meetings(similartoDorsey).Imeetoneononewitheachdirectreportasaway
toreviewkeydevelopmentsfromthepreviousweekandtoreviewactivitiesand
goals for the week ahead. I also end the day with a team meeting where
everybody briefly shares what their week looks like so there is a contextual
awarenesswithin the company.To be honest, I don’t likeMondays because I
don’t likemeetings.ButI lovestartingeachweekwitha“huddle”thatIknow
willmakethenextfourdayshighlyproductive.
TuesdaythroughThursday:Thedays in themiddleofeachweekaremy
“focus”days.Inmycurrentbusiness,thesearethedaysthatIspendwritingnew
books,designinge-learningcourses,orwritingmarketingmaterial.Thoseitems
are the “output” that generate revenue and are definitely utilizing my unique
strengths.
Friday:Theendofmyweekismy“buffer”day that Iuse toprocessbills,
catchuponemail,orrespondtoreaders.
AnOfficeHourTheme
Inadditiontomydays-of-the-weekthemes,IalsothemethelastFridayofeach
monthasmydaytobooklunchorcoffeeappointments.
I’minundatedwith“canwegrabacoffee”requestseachweek,andforthose
invitationsIwanttoaccept,Ijustgivethemthenextopentimeslotonmylast
Fridayofthemonth.ThewaitersatLaStallainNewtownarealwaysamusedasI
arriveat11:00a.m.andjustsitatthesametableasastringofguestscomeand
go each hour. I pick up the bill at the end of the day,which usually includes
threeorfourlunches(Ionlyeatone)andabouttencoffees.
Bestselling author Dave Kerpen similarly “themes” a block of time on a
weeklybasisforoutsidemeetings.Heexplainedtome,“WhileItakemeetings
with just about anyonewhowants tomeetwithme, I reserve just one hour a
weekforthese‘officehours.’"
SandwichVacationwithBufferDays
Iusedtohatevacations.Theystressedmeout.
Theideaofvacationwasfine,butthenthedaybeforevacationwouldbean
insanescrambleof trying tohand thingsoffwhiledoinganormalday’swork.
The first few days of vacation would consist of me either dealing with the
undonethingsviaphoneandemailorworryingaboutthosethingsifIwastrying
to“unplug.”Thedaybackfromvacationwouldmakemenauseous,scrambling
again to catch up on emails and callswhile diving back into a normal day of
meetings.
Togainaquantumleapinvacationquality,justscheduleabufferdaybefore
andafteryourvacation.Bookendyourvacationwithdaysthataretimeblocked
forcatchingup.Nopre-plannedmeetings,noprojectwork,nolunchcatch-ups.
Justblockoutthattime—especiallythedaybackfromvacation—tocatchupon
emails,phonecalls,mail,andquickstand-upmeetingswithstafftogetbackup
tospeed.
Justknowingyouhave this time tohandoffwork inanorganized fashion,
andthentimetocatchupagain,willhelpyoutotrulyrestandrelaxwhileyou’re
away.
Want thesecret tomaking thiswork?Tellyouradminwhichdayyou’llbe
returning to work, but tell him or her to leave “vacation” marked on your
calendar for everyone else to see. That way you won’t get scheduled into
meetingsorhavepeoplepounceonyouassoonasyouwalkinthedoor.
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur:Woulditbehelpfultothemeproductdevelopmentandcustomer
acquisitiondays?
Executive:Woulditbehelpfultotimeblockinternalmeetingtimes,butalso
freethinkingtimes?
Freelancer:Would itbehelpful to themeonedayaweek just todealwith
peskythingslikefindingclientsandsendinginvoices?
Student: Would it help to theme one night a week as “party night” and
anothernightfor“studyinthelibrarytime”?
Stay-at-Home Parent:Would it be helpful to theme Sunday afternoon as
timetopre-cookaweek’sworthofmeals?
SECRET#12
Batchyourworkwithrecurringthemesfordifferentdaysofthe
week.
Howmuchmoreproductivewouldyoube,howmuchlessstresswouldyou
feel,ifyourdayswereorganizedtomaximizeyoureffectiveness?
FREEBONUS
TodownloadyourFREEbonuses,
,visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#13
Don’tTouch!
(UntilYou’reReady)
Canonesmallchange inyourhabitsgainyoudozensofminuteseachday
andfreeupmentalenergy?
HowDoYouSortYourMail?
Youcantellalotaboutpeoplebyhowtheygothroughtheirdailymail.Here’s
howIusedtodoit…
Afteralongdayatwork,Icomehome,grabthemailfromtheboxand
walkback intomykitchen.Curiousandprocrastinating, I flip through the
stack. Junk mail, electric bill, junk, mortgage statement, junk, junk,
magazine, handwritten cardwith no return address, junk, junk, car loan,
junk,junk.
The small card certainly stands out, and I open it right away. It’s an
invitationformysontogotoabirthdaypartyinafewweeks.Ipullupthe
calendaronmyiPhone.Itlookslikehe’dbeabletogo.I’llhavetodouble
checktherearenootherplans.
Iputthecarddownandopentheelectricbill.I’vebeenblastingtheair
conditioningsomuchIwonderhowbig thebill is.Yikes!Idecide toopen
theotherbillstoglanceatwhenthey’redue.
IsetthebillsdownandpickupBusinessWeekandflipthroughthepages,
readingacoupleheadlinesandthinkingI’llhavetoremembertocomeback
andreadoneofthearticles.
Finally,Iputthemagazinedownontheislandandbegintocookdinner.
Laterthatnight,I’llreturntothemail,sortthroughit,andthrowoutallthe
junkmail.I’llleavethemagazineinthekitchen(clutteringmyenvironment)
andtosstherestonmydeskintheoffice.Inthedaysahead,I’llreopenthe
bills to pay them and, if I remember, reopen the invitation, glance at the
calendaragain,andsendbackanRSVP.
While this typeof“processing”ofmailmightnotseemlikeabigdeal, it’s
often a signofhowwedo everything:wecomeback to thingsoverandover
again.
Whenweprocessouremail,wemight respond toeach“ding”by scanning
who it’s from andwhat the subject line is.We then decidewhether or not to
openit.Ifweopenitandreadit,wethendecidetoleaveitinourinboxsowe
canrespondtoitlater…whenwe’llreaditalloveragain.
We might take off our dirty clothes and throw them on the floor in our
bedroom.Laterwepickthemupandthrowtheminapileinthecloset.Oncea
week—orwhenwecan’t actually close thedoor to the closet any longer—we
get a laundry basket and put the clothes in it and then take it to thewashing
machine.Laterwe’llcomebackandactuallystartaloadoflaundry.
‘TouchItOnce’Mentality
Highly successful people take immediate action on almost every item they
encounter.Theyknowthattobeefficient,theywanttoexpendtheleastpossible
amount of time andmental energy processing things. In short, they practice a
“touchitonce”mentality.
Here’showInowgothroughsnailmailusingthe“touchitonce”principle:
•Iwalkouttothemailboxandgrabthemail.
•AsIwalkbackupmydriveway,Ipickoutallthejunkmail.
• ItossthejunkmailintotherecyclebininmygaragebeforeI
evenwalkbackintothehouse.
•Ieasilypickoutthemagazinesandputtheminmymagazines-
to-be-readstackonthecoffeetable.
•Itaketheremainingbills—that’sallthereisleft,no-bodysends
lettersanymore—andsetthemonmybills-to-be-paidpilenexttomy
computer.
•BecauseI’vetimeblocked30minuteseveryFridaymorningfor
paying bills, I don’t even bother opening those envelopes until that
time.
I actually think the ‘touch it once’ rule is so important I recommend you
immediately take action on something if it will take five minutes or less to
complete. As long as it won’t interfere with a pre-scheduled task, you are
generallybetterofftakingimmediateactionthanhavingtocomebacktoitinthe
future.
InTheirOwnWords…
WheneverIhaveasmalltaskthatneedstobecompleted(thattakeslessthanfiveminutes),Ishould
completeitnow,ratherthanputtingitoff.ThisensuresthatIdonothavealonglistoftasksthatIhave
tocompletelaterattheendoftheday.
–NiharSutharisastraight-AstudentatCornellUniversity.
‘TouchItOnce’forEmail
Mostpeoplereadeachemailitemassoonasitappears,ortheyopentheirinbox,
see a bunchof newmessages, and immediately click eachmessage to open it
andreadit.
Unlessa reply requiresonlyacoupleofwords,mostpeopleclose themail
message to deal with later—when they’ll have to open it and read it all over
again!
Thebetterwayistoprocesseveryemailmessageimmediately.Here’showI
actually actioned my email this morning, along with the internal debate that
occurredinmymind.
11:00 a.m.Mymorning health rituals are complete,mykids are off to
school,and I’ve finished twohoursof focusedwriting time.Time toopen
myemailaccounts…deepbreath.
The first email is a Google alert that I’ve set up to monitor my own
name. It shows that my previously scheduled blog post went live this
morning.Ihopovertomyblogtomakesureit’sallgoodandnoticeatypo
rightinthetitleoftheblogpost.Damn,I’llhavetofixthatinafewminutes
afterIscantherestofmyemails.
No! Touch it once, my inner voice reminds me. I quickly open
WordPress,fixthetypo,andclickPublish.
Thenextemailisfromafreelancergivingmehisemployeridentification
number (EIN) somy accountant can prepare a tax document. I’ll have to
sendthatalongwithanotetomyaccountantlater.
No!Touchitonce.IhitForward,addafewlines,andoffitgoestomy
accountant.
Next email is from my lawyer, and an invoice is attached.What?! I
wasn’t expecting a bill. Double-click the PDF. Yep, it’s correct, I had
forgotten about his work on my trademark question.Ugh, I just finished
payingbillsyesterday.
I can print the invoice and place it in my bills-to-be-paid pile for
processing during my normal weekly bill-paying time block, or touch it
once.Do it now! Fortunately my lawyer takes credit cards. I fill out the
creditcardinformationonhiswebsiteandsenditback—ittookonlythree
minutes.
Nextemail...IrecentlyjoinedthePennsylvaniaSocietyandsentthemmy
dues.Somebodyneedstoknowifit’sanonprofitornot.HowtheheckdoI
know?Who can I pass this on to?Oh sheesh, let’s just dealwith it right
now.Iopenanewtabinmybrowserandgototheirwebpage.Quicklyscan
theirAboutpage.Nomentionof501(c)3nonprofit status.Reply toemail:
Don’tthinkso.Send.Done.
Nextemail…Someoneaskingaboutmyspeaking feeandavailability. I
forwardittomyvirtualadmin.Don’teventypeanythinginit;she’llknow
whattodo.
AfterIeitherclearoutalltheemailsorcometotheendofmy30-minutetime
block, I just closemy email completely and come back to it again late in the
afternoon.
‘TouchItOnce’andCalendarIt
Avery powerful tactic is if you can’t take immediate action on an email, just
calendaritforfutureaction.Remember,wewanttouseacalendar,notato-do
list.
Forexample,mysisterDebbiejustsentmeanemail.Insteadofreplyingtoit,
I’dliketocallhertohaveamoredetailedliveconversation.ButIdon’tadditas
ataskatthebottomofato-dolist.AndIdon’tleaveitinmyemailinbox,where
itmightgetburiedorneveractioned.Instead,Isetupatimeonmycalendarto
“CallSisterDebbie.”
IuseGmailandGoogleCalendar,sowhenanemailmessageisopenandI
wanttocreateacalendarappointmentforit,Ijust:
1. Clickthe“More”button(drop-down
,menu)nearthetopcenterof
thewindow.
2. Choosethe“Createevent”optionfromthedrop-downmenu.
3. A new tab opens up displaying a new event form in Google
calendar;itdefaultstothecurrentdayandtimeandputstheemail
subjectlineastheeventtitle.Thebodyoftheemailappearsinthe
Descriptionfield.
4. Adjustthedateandtimeasdesiredandclick“Save.”Voila!
If you’re using Microsoft Outlook as your email client, it’s even easier.
Whileyouremailisopen,justclickthe“Schedule”button,oryoucanevendrag
anemailontoacalendardateontherightsideofthescreen.
Formore informationor to find screenshotsofhow todo this, justGoogle
“howtocreateacalendarentryfromemail.”
‘TouchItOnce’toDeclutter
Amessyenvironmentcanbementallytaxing,increasethetimeit takestofind
stuff, and eventually demand scheduled time to “clean the house.”A touch-it-
oncementalitycangoalongwaytokeepingyourenvironmenttidyallthetime.
I’mteachingmythreekidstopractice‘touchitonce.’Theyusedtotaketheir
dirtydishesandputthemonthecounternearthesink.Iwouldeventuallyhave
to go to the sink again, pick them up again, and then place them in the
dishwasher.
Nowtheyknowwhenthey’redonewiththeirmealtopickuptheirplateand
glass,rinsetheminthesink,andputthemdirectlyinthedishwasher.
Same with their laundry. No more taking their shoes or socks off and
throwingthemonthesideofthecouchtobeforgotten.Iftheytaketheirshoes
off,theyimmediatelytakethemtotheirroomorputthembythedoor.
When it comes to laundry, I even put two laundry baskets in my walk-in
closet.One is fordarkcoloredclothes (coldwater)and theother is forwhites
(hotwater).Whypickupandsortall thedirtyclotheswhenthesortingcanbe
donewhenIthrowitinthecloset?
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Ifyou’reanentrepreneurorexecutive,would“touchitonce”helpyoutokeep
ontopofyouremailinbox?
Freelancer: Would “touch it once” help to keep your administrative
paperworkinorder?
Student:Would “touch it once” help you to power through each subject’s
assignment?
Stay-at-HomeParent:Would“touchitonce”helptokeepthehouseclean
andallthatpaperworkyourchild’sschoolsendshomecompleted?
SECRET#13
Ifataskcanbecompletedinlessthanfiveminutes,doit
immediately.
How much time will you gain when you aren’t returning over and over
againto“touch”thesameitems?Touchitonce,touchitonce,touchitonce.
FREEBONUS
TodownloadyourFREEbonuses,visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#14
ChangeYourMorning,
ChangeYourLife
Imagineifyoucouldhaveasolidhourofdaily“metime”thatcoulddrive
higherlevelsofhappiness,productivity,andcreativitythroughouttheday.
Itisfartooeasyforustowakeup,feelthepressureofournever-endingto-
dolist,andimmediatelybegintoreact.Reacttoovernightemailmessages,react
tosocialmedia,andreacttothefirstitemonourcalendar.
Evenifwehadintendedonhavingahealthybreakfastathomeorjumpingon
thetreadmill,whenwegointoreaction-modeit’seasytothink,I’llgrabcoffee
ontheroadandworkouttonight—bettergetintotheofficeandgetsomeofthis
stuffdone.
Highly successful people design an empowering and energizing morning
routineandstickwithit.
InTheirOwnWords…
Iwakeupfullyrested,spend30minutesinmeditationandthengotomyworkoutarea.Whileworking
outphysically,ItakeadvantageoftherichaudioprogramsavailablesothatIfillthat45minuteswith
physicalexertioncombinedwithmentalinputandexpansion.Inevercheckthenewsorlookatmy
iPhonefirstthinginthemorning,nomatterhowimportantitmayseemtoknowthelatestnews…I
carefullyprotectthatfirsthouroftheday,makingsurethatallinputispositive,clean,pure,creativeand
inspirational.Manyofmymostcreativeideashavecomefromthisprotectedtimeoftheday,oftenwhen
Iaminafullsweat.By9:00AMIaminvigorated,motivatedandreadytofaceanythingthedaymay
bring.
–DanMilleristheauthoroftheNewYorkTimesbestselling48DaystotheWorkYouLove,NoMore
DreadedMondays,andWisdomMeetsPassion.
Getup15minutesearlierthaneveryoneelseinyourhouseandgetintotheoffice15minutesbefore
everyoneelse.Youcansolveanyprobleminyourlifeifyoudevote15minutesoffocusedthinkingtoit
firstthinginthemorningeveryday.
–CraigBallantyneisthecreatorofTurbulenceTrainingandistheeditorofEarlyToRise.com.
My“Sacred60”MorningRoutine
Intheintroductionofthisbook,IsharedastoryfromatimewhenIwasyoung
anddumb,overworkedandoutofcontrol,andwould leapfrommybed to the
showertomycarinunder20minutes.ThatwaswhenIspedrightpastastate
trooperwithoutrealizinghewasthere,untilhepulledmeover.
Looking back, I can see that not only was I living dangerously, but that
lifestylewas impairingmy creativity, ability to think strategically, and overall
productivity.
Well,nomorebutteredrollsandflyingpastcopcarsforme!Thesedaysmy
morningslooksomethinglikethis:6:00–6:20a.m.—Getup,feedthecats,turn
oncoffeepot,prepkids’lunchorbreakfastitemswhiledrinkingcoffee,hugkids
outthedoortoschool.
6:20–6:21a.m.—Guzzleproteinshakeandwater.
6:21–6:22a.m.—Aminuteofgratitude.
6:22–6:27a.m.—Concentrativemeditation.
6:27–6:40a.m.—Turnonpodcast,doyogastretches.
6:40–6:50a.m.—Resistancetraining:onemusclegroup.
6:50–7:00a.m.—Shower,dress.
7:00a.m.—BeginworkonMITwithoutinterruptions.
Iconsiderthistobeaveryminimal“hourofpower.”Duringlessbusytimes,
Iadd30–60minutesofcardiowhilelisteningtoanaudiobookorpodcast.
It’sprettyamazinghowdifferentIfeelsinceI’vestartedthispractice:
I feel better as a parent knowing that I got a touch point of love
withmykids.
Ifeelfullbutnotsluggishwiththeproteinbreakfast,andthewater
seemstowakemeup.
My“attitudeofgratitude”increasesandextendsmyhappiness.
Ipersonallydon’tnoticeanybenefitsfrommeditation,butIbelieve
thescientificresearchbehindit,andI’dprobablygetmorefromit
ifmypracticewerelongerthanfiveminutes.
The simple yoga stretches have been a life changer; pushing 50
years old, I immediately feel pains and tightness throughout my
bodyifIforgettostretch.
Listening to audio books or podcasts while stretching or doing
cardiomeans nomatterwhat else happens later in the day, I feel
good knowing I already had some “me” time for learning or
entertainment.
TheMorningRoutinesofArnoldSchwarzenegger,Tony
Robbins,andOtherHighlySuccessfulPeople
Obviously, successful people don’t all follow the exact same routine, but it is
amazinghowyoucaneasilyidentifyconsistentthemes.
Mostwakeupearly—6a.m.orearlier.
Theyhydratebydrinkingalotofwater.
They eat a healthy breakfast, although each has a different
definition of healthy (e.g., fruit and oatmeal, green smoothie,
protein,slowcarb).
Theyexercise.
Manymeditate,journal,orread.
InavideospotrecordedforTimFerriss,ArnoldSchwarzeneggersharedhis
daily morning routine: My morning routine is very simple. I get up every
morningat5:00 in themorning,and then Igodownstairs to thekitchen, start
readingthevariousdifferentnewspapers,andthengoonmyiPad,doallmye-
mailsandstufflikethat…goupstairstothegymandworkout45minutestoan
hour,docardiovascular training…Thenafter that,havemybreakfast.Usually,
it's
,oatmeal,bananasandstrawberriesandsomeblueberriesinthere,Imixitall
up,withsomecoffee,eatthat,gotakemyshower,andthengotowork.
InhisaudioprogramTheUltimateEdge,TonyRobbinsshareshis“hourof
power.”Hebeginseachmorningwithaseriesofbreathingexercises,followed
bytenminutesofcontemplatingeverythingheisgratefulforandvisualizationof
everythinghewantsinhislife.Hethenspends15–30minutesdoingsomekind
ofexercisewhilerepeatingincantations.InarecentinterviewwithTimFerriss,
Robbinssharedthathenowpracticescryotherapyeachmorning,too,standingin
achamberthatdropstoaround-166F°foracoupleminutes.
ShawnStevenson isahealthandfitnessexpert,bestsellingauthor,andhost
of the podcastTheModelHealth Show. In an interview for this book, Shawn
sharedhismorningroutine:
Energy is everything. We have a certain amount of willpower allotted to us
everyday,andweburnthroughitquicklyifourenergyislow.Iliketodomost
ofmycreativeworkinthemorning,soImakesurethatIstacktheconditionsin
my life to ensure thatmy energy is highwhen I get tomy laptop. There are
threethingsthataremandatoryformewhenIwakeup.
First, I takewhat Icallan"InnerBath"bydrinkingabout30ouncesofhigh
quality water. This helps to jumpstart your metabolism by flushing out
metabolic waste products accumulated in your body while you were asleep.
Whether you realize this consciously or not, when you wake up you are
dehydrated.Thiswillhelptoinstantlybalanceyourbodyout.
Second,Idoashortsessionofexercise—20minutesor less—likerebounding
(usingamini-trampoline),goingforabriskwalk,ordoingTabata(whichonly
takes four minutes!) This is not done for the purpose of getting 6-pack abs
(although it couldn't hurt), it's done for the purpose of releasing endorphins
thatmakeyoufeelgoodandstresshormoneslikecortisolandepinephrinethat
help you to focus (and research shows that secreting these hormones in the
morningwillactuallyhelpyoutosleepbetteratnight).
Third,Ieatalowercarbohydrate,higherfat,moderateproteinbreakfast.
Business Insider ran a serieswhere they asked highly successful people to
revealtheirmorningroutines.
GaryVaynerchuk,co-founderandCEOofVaynerMedia,getsup
at6a.m.,doesanewsandsocialmediascan,and thenworksout
withatrainerfor45minutes.Hecallsfamilymembersonhisdrive
intotheoffice.
CartoonistScottAdamspracticesthesamemorningroutineevery
day,includingweekendsandholidays.Hewakesupat5a.m.,but
hetoldBusinessInsider,“…ifIwakeupanytimeafter3:30a.m.,I
call that close enough and pop out of bed with a hum and a
bounce.”Hismorningmealiscoffeeandaproteinbar.
EntrepreneurandSharkTankinvestorKevinO’Learywakesupat
5:45a.m.andwatchesthenewswhileridinganexercisebikefor45
minutes.
FOCUSBrandspresident,KatCole,wakesat5a.m.anddrinks24
ouncesofwaterwhilecheckingsocialmediaforabout20minutes.
Shedoes20minutesofexerciseandeatsahigh-proteinsnack.
AuthorandprofessorCalNewportrisesat6a.m.,drinksaglassof
water, and then walks with his dog.While in the park, Newport
stopsandbangsout25pull-ups.
HalElrod’s6-StepMorningRoutine
Hal Elrod (www.halelrod.com) is a professional speaker, success coach, and
author who credits his morning routine with turning his life around and
establishingasolidfoundationforhissuccess.Infact,hebelievessostronglyin
thepowerofmorningrituals,heevenwroteabookaboutit,calledTheMiracle
Morning.Inaninterview,Elrodtoldme:ThepremiseofTheMiracleMorningis
towakeupandstarteachdaywiththedisciplineofdedicatingtimetopersonal
development, so that you can become the person you need to be to create the
most extraordinary life you can imagine, and do so faster than you may
currently believe is possible. While most people focus on "doing" more to
achievemore,TheMiracleMorning isabout focusingon"becoming"more so
thatyoucanstartdoingless,toachievemore.
Through Elrod’s research and own experiences, he developed a system he
callsLifeS.A.V.E.R.S.
SisforSilence(quiet,gratitude,meditation,orprayer)
AisforAffirmations(purpose,goals,priorities)
VisforVisualization(ofgoalsorideallife)
EisforExercise
RisforReading(aself-improvementbook)
SisforScribing(journaling)
http://www.halelrod.com
Elrod makes a compelling case that no matter what level of success you
alreadyhave,usingyourfirstminutesofeachmorningtoinvestinyourselfwill
takeyoutoanevenhigherlevel.
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur: Would starting your morning with a “sacred 60” routine
facilitate ideation and keep you grounded through the inevitable challenges of
runningastartup?
Executive:Wouldstartingyourmorningwitha“sacred60”routinegiveyou
thephysicalandmentalhealthtohaveasuccessfulcareeroverthelonghaul?
Freelancer:Wouldstartingyourmorningwitha“sacred60”routineincrease
yourhourlyproductivitythroughouttheday?
Student:Wouldstartingyourmorningwitha“sacred60”routinehelpyouto
reducestressduringexamweeks?
Stay-at-Home Parent: Would starting your morning with a “sacred 60”
routineincreaseyourpatienceandhappiness?
InTheirOwnWords…
Themorningritualthathasbecomesacredtomeisa35-minutepowerwalkfirstthing.Gettingoutside,
breathingthefreshair,clearingmymindandresettingmyfocusallresultsinapowerfulstarttoan
amazingday.
–JohnLeeDumasisthefounderandhostofEntrepreneurOnFire,whichgeneratesover$250,000a
monthinrevenue.Dumasoffersafree15-daycourseonpodcastingatFreePodcastCourse.com.
Powermornings:makeeverythingyoudoforthefirst120minutesaritual,including30minutesforlight
exercise,stretchingandmeditation.
–JeffMooreispresidentoftwoseafoodcompaniesandthefounderofaglobalmastermindgroupcalled
ThursdayNightBoardroom.
Mybestproductivitytipistowakeupearly.Anearlystarttothedayprovidestimeforintrospectionand
preparation.Igenerallytrytogetintotheofficeby6:30am.
–ChrisMyersistheco-founderandCEOofBodeTreeandafrequentcontributortotheWallStreet
Journal,Forbes,EntrepreneurMagazine,andMSNBC.
SECRET#14
Investthefirst60minutesofeachdayinritualsthatstrengthen
yourmind,body,andspirit.
What timewill you set your alarmclock, for tomorrowmorning, so you’ll
havetimeforyourmorningritual?
FREEBONUS
Todownloadyour“ChangeYourMorning,ChangeYourLifeWorksheet”and
otherFREEbonuses,visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#15
EnergyIsEverything
Wouldyouliketherealsecrettocompletingtwelvehoursofworkinjustan
eight-hourday?
YouCan’tGetMoreTime,OnlyMoreEnergy
Whatif theultimatetimemanagementsecretisn’tabouttimeatall?Youcan’t
“manage” time—no matter what you do, you will have the same 24 hours
tomorrowthatyouhadtoday.Whenpeopletalkabout“timemanagement,”what
they reallywant is togetmore stuffdonewith less stress.And the real secret
behindthisisthatyouneedtomaximizeyourenergy.
IsavedthissecretfortheendbecauseIdidn’tthinkyou’devenreaditorcare
aboutitifIputitupfront.Butit’sthemostimportantsecretofall.
RedBullNation
Haveyoueverbeen readingabook,butyoukeep reading thesameparagraph
overandover,andit’sstillnotsinkingin?
Haveyoueverbeenworkingonanimportantreport,and
,youkeepzoningoff
intospace—wastinghowmanyminutesdoingnothing?
Doyougetsleepyanhourortwoafterlunch?Howproductiveareyouthen?
Have you ever actually fallen asleep at your desk?How about right in the
middleofameeting?
Haveyoueverbeeninabrainstormingsession,butyoujustcouldn’tcomeup
withanygoodideas?
Ifyousaidyestomostofthosequestions,youcanpersonallyunderstandthat
our physical andmental energy varies—and that it has a direct effect on our
productivity.
InTheirOwnWords…
Don'tsacrificeyoursleep.Soonerorlater,itwillcatchupwithyou.Youwon'tperformatyourbest,and
youwillgetsick.
–WillDean,anOlympicrowerforCanada,competedintheLondon2012games.Heiscurrently
training
forRio2016.
Didyouknow that consumers buyover four billion cans ofRedBull each
year?Thecompanybehind5-HourEnergypowershotsreportedlymakesmore
than$600millioninrevenueannually.
People everywhere are fatigued and looking for a quick fix. But while an
energydrinkmightbringshort-termalertness,it’snowaytohandlethechronic
brainfatiguesomanyofushavecometoviewasnormal.
HowMonicaLeonelle6x’dHerProductivity
Iamawriter.
Iwriteslowly.Thisisaproblem.Because…Iamawriter.
About a year ago I tracked my productivity and learned that I write on
average 500words per hour.Most professionalwriters produce at least twice
thatamount.
Soinordertomakebetterprogressonmynextbook—thisbookactually—
mynaturalinclinationwasto“timemanage”mywriting.Icouldmakealistof
all the things I needed to write. I could prioritize them andmake sure I was
spendingtimewritingthisbookeachday.Iminimizeddistractionsandsaidno
moreoften.Itriedto“find”morehoursineachday,eachweek,andeachmonth.
Ievenoutsourcedsomeresearch,likethetimemanagementquotesyou’llfindat
theendofthisbook.
Andallofthathelpedtoadegree.
ButthenInoticedthatwritingcameeasilyaroundeightinthemorning.Kids
offtoschool,I’mfeelingfresh,andmycoffeeiskickingin.Ichecked,andmy
averagewordsperhourinthemorningwasabout750–1,000.ButthenIchecked
my productivity in the afternoon—getting a little tired and already thinking
aboutthenightlyactivities—Idiscoveredthatmywordcountwasabout250per
hour.Yes,myoverallaveragewas500words,but thesamechunkof time,60
minutes, produced dramatically different results based on how I felt in the
moment.
InTheirOwnWords…
IhavetoknowwhenI'matmybestformymostimportantwork(morning,forwritingfiction),whenI
tendtoslackoff(aftermeetingsorpodcasts),andwhenIcangetbywithrelativelymindlesswork
(afternoons).It'snotaboutgettingmaximalamountsdone;it'saboutideallymatchingmycapacitiesvs.
myoccasionalneedtoscrewaroundwithwhatneedstobedoneatwhattime.
–JohnnyB.Truantisaco-hostofthetop-ratedSelf-PublishingPodcast,co-authorofWrite.Publish.
Repeat:TheNo-Luck-RequiredGuidetoSelf-PublishingSuccess,andtheauthorofwellover2.5million
wordsofpopularfiction.
InWrite Better Faster, authorMonicaLeonelle shares how shewent from
beinga600-word-per-hourwriter toa3,500-word-per-hourwriter.Shelearned
that:•Whensherepeatedcyclesofa25-minutewritingsprintfollowedbya
5-minute break, she achieved a 50 percent improvement in productivity.With
theseshortrechargingbreaks,Leonellewasabletomaintainanearstateofflow
forlongerperiodsoftimethroughouttheday.
•Herailingwristsandfingerscausedhertorethinkhertools.She
switchedfromkeyboard typing todictationandgainedanadditional
33percentinwordcount.
• Once freed from the keyboard, Leonelle gained a final 25
percent improvement in word count when she began to dictate her
novelswhilewalkingoutside.
Leonelledidn’thavemorehourstogive,soshefiguredouthowtoincrease
her energy instead, and her productivity gains were the same as if she had
“found”sixtimesmorehours!
InTheirOwnWords…
Itisimportanttoscheduletimeforyourself,torest,ortorefocus.
–KatieUhlaenderisanOlympicskeletonracerfortheUnitedStatesandcompetedintheOlympicsin
2006,2010,and2014.
Getyourbloodpumpingforatleastaminuteortwoeveryday.Quickworkoutsgiveahugeboostto
energyandfeedthebrainwiththeoxygenyouneedtotakeovertheworld.
–AbelJamesisabestsellingauthor,musician,andhostofthe#1-ratedhealthpodcastFat-BurningMan.
Don'tsacrificesleepforproductivity.Manyyoungentrepreneursbelievetheycanfunctiononlittlesleep
whiletheybuildtheirbusiness.Butlackofsleep(and,moreimportantly,lackofbrainrewiringfrom
adequaterest)cancauseyoutoloseyouredgeandsharpness.
–MarkSissonistheauthorofthebestsellingbookThePrimalBlueprintandownerofPrimalNutrition,
Inc.
TheMostProductivePeopleTakeMoreBreaks
TonySchwartz, founderofTheEnergyProject, teaches thathumanbeingsare
designed to “pulse” between expending energy and renewing energy. His
research shows that humans naturally move from full focus and energy to
physiological fatigue every 90minutes.Our body sends us signals to rest and
renew, butwe override themwith coffee, energy drinks, and sugar or just by
tappingourownreservesuntilthey’redepleted.
Schwartz suggests that we need to purposely take short breaks every 90
minutes throughout theday todrinkwater,walk,or toeathealthy snacks.His
mantrais,“Pulseandpause.”
The idea of pulsing energy is behind the increasingly popular Pomodoro
TechniquedevelopedbyFrancescoCirillo(andusedbyLeonelle,asmentioned
earlierinthischapter).
With thePomodoromethod, you set a timer for 25minutes,work on a
single task with your full focus, then take a 5-minute break to get up,
movearound,maybedrinksomewater.Thenrepeatthecycle.
TheDraugiemGroupinstalledsoftwarethattrackedthetimeandproductivity
of all their employees. They discovered that their top ten percent most
productiveemployeesdidn’tactuallyworkanymorehoursthananybodyelse.In
fact,theytookmorebreaks.Onaverage,thishigh-productivitygroupworkedfor
52minutesandthentooka17-minutelongbreak.
Intheexamplesabove,weseerecommendationstosprintfor25minutes,52
minutes, or 90minutes, all followed by breaks. The important point isn’t the
exactlengthofthesprintorthebreak,it’stofigureoutwhat“pulseandpause”
cycleworks best for you.Our cognitive capacity declines throughout the day;
youmustbuildinfrequentmentalbreakstorechargeandmaintainproductivity.
InTheirOwnWords…
Workinshortburstsofproductivework,insteadoflong,unproductivesessions(inwhich80%ofthe
timeisspentonFacebook).StrategieslikethePomodoroTechnique…reducedistractionsandincrease
productivity.
–JohnRamosisastraight-AstudentattheUniversityofCoimbrainPortugalandisawriterat
TheStudentPower.com.
Setatimerforeverythingyoudo.Whenyouhaveadeadlineyouaremoreproductive.Iusethe
Pomodorotechnique…
–IanClearyisfounderofRazorsocial,anaward-winningmarketingtechnologyblog.
IbelievethatIcangetanytaskcompleted(evenhatedones)in25minutes...opentomato-timer.com(it's
afreewebsite),hitstartonatomato,andthendiveintowhatevertaskIfindmyselfprocrastinatingon.
–ChristieMimsisthefounderoftheForbesTop100WebsiteforCareers,TheRevolutionaryClub.
EnergyStartswithHealth
Thebiggestwaytoincreaseyouroverallenergylevels
,isofcoursetotakecare
ofyourhealth.Youalreadyknowthis,butkeystoproductivityinclude:•
Gettingenoughsleep• Minimizingalcohol• Minimizingcaffeine,
especiallylateintheday• Eatingmorewholefoodsandfewerprocessed
foods• Maintainingahealthyweight• Drinkingalotofwater•
Exercisingdaily(a20-minutepowerwalkcounts!)
InTheirOwnWords…
Forme,it’sadailyworkoutduringmylunchhourthatkeepsmesane.Onmostdays,by1:00p.m.Ihave
alreadyputinaboutsevenhoursofwork.Atthattime,it’sano-brainerthatIneedtorechargeand
refreshsothatIcanhandlethesecondhalfofmydaywiththesamefocusandenergyasIdidthefirst
half.
–MohammedDewjiistheCEOofTanzania-basedMeTLGroup.ForbeshasnamedDewjitheyoungest
billionaireinAfrica.
Makeintenseexerciseadailyhabit.ThemorefitIfeel,theclearermyheadis,thebetterdecisionsImake,
andthemoresuccessIseemtoattract.
–J.T.O’DonnellistheCEOofCareerHMO&Careerealism.HerworkhasbeencitedintheWallStreet
Journal,USAToday,NewYorkTimes,TheBostonGlobe,andothers.
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur:Couldincreasingenergyandalertness(enablingyoutoachieve
moreinthesameamountoftime)helpyoutogetmorebalanceinyourlife?
Executive:Wouldincreasingenergyandalertness(enablingyoutodomore
inthesameamountoftime)helpyoutogethomefordinnerwithyourfamily?
Freelancer: Would increasing energy and alertness help you to be more
productiveduringsleepyafternoons?
Student:Wouldincreasingenergyandalertness(enablingyoutodomorein
the same amount of time) reduce the number of your all-night cramming
sessions?
Stay-at-HomeParent:Wouldincreasingenergyandalertnessgiveyoumore
patiencewithfamilymembers?
SECRET#15
Productivityisaboutenergyandfocus,nottime.
Howwillyouincreaseyourenergytomorrow?
FREEBONUS
TodownloadyourFREEbonuses,visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER16
TheE-3CSystem:PuttingItAllTogether
Howcanyoucondensethe15secretsoftimeandproductivityintoaneasy-
to-implementsystem?
InTheirOwnWords…
IstayproductivebydevelopingandmaintainingwhatIcallapersonal"operatingsystem,"whichisaset
ofprocesses,toolsandcheckpointsthatdefinehowIgetworkdoneeveryday.Thespecificsofan
operatingsystemdifferfrompersontoperson,buttheimportantthingisthatyouhaveone.
–CorbettBarrisco-founderandCEOofFizzle,acommunityandtrainingplatformforentrepreneurs.
Remember,thereisnoonesystemthatuniversallyworksforeveryone;you
don’tneedtoincorporateall15secretstoseeimprovementsinproductivity.The
most important thing is to learn from the habits shared by highly successful
peopleandadopttheminawaythatworksforyouandyoursituation.
In order to help you to take immediate action, I’ve simplified the findings
fromalloftheresearchintoasimplesystemthatIcallE-3C.TheEstandsfor
Energy,andthethreeC’sareCapture,Calendar,andConcentrate.
Energy
Thefirststep—themostimportantpartofmyE-3Csystem—is“E”forEnergy.
You can’t make more time, but you can increase your productivity.
Increasingyourenergyandfocusisthemostimportantsecrettoachieving10x
productivityinthesameamountoftime.
Highlysuccessfulpeoplegetenoughsleep.
Highlysuccessfulpeopleeatenergizingfoodsandexerciseconsistently.
Highly successful people maintain morning rituals—like meditating,
journaling, hydrating, practicing yoga—that establish a foundation of energy,
clarity,andalertnessfortheentireday.
Highly successful people pulse and pause throughout the day to maintain
peakperformance.
Capture
Thefirst“C”inmyE-3CsystemstandsforCapture.
You must “capture” everything and anything into a notebook instead of
trying tokeep things inyourhead. Inabest-casescenario, trying toremember
to-dos, to-calls, and to-buys leads to a higher cognitive load and unnecessary
stress—worse,itcanleadtoincompletetasks.
Highlysuccessfulpeoplekeepanotebookwith thematall timesandwrite
downeverything theywant to remember. In addition to capturing to-do items,
they also record notes from calls and meetings, new ideas, lessons learned,
favoritequotes,andotherthingsthatmightneedtobereferencedinthefuture.
Thinkofyournotebookasyourexternalbrain.Themoreyouputintoit,the
lessfilledyourbiologicalbrainwillbe!
I believe paper-based notebooks (like Moleskine or similar designs) work
best;youcanalwaysscanyourwrittennotesintoEvernotelater—orevenbetter,
haveyouradminorvirtualassistantdoitforyou!
Additionally, this practice improves your effectiveness, as you no longer
forgetimportantthingstodo,canholdotherpeopleaccountable,andcanlearn
fromyouraccumulatedwrittenexperiences.
Ifyouarewritingthingsdownthatyouneed“todo,”remember:asquickly
aspossible,youwillwanttoscheduleitasanappointmentonyour…
Calendar
Thesecond“C”inmyE-3CsystemstandsforCalendar.
Whatisimpliedwiththisstepisdon’tuseato-dolist!Ifyouwant“todo”
something,immediatelyscheduleitonyourcalendar.
Highly successful people have clearly identified values which lead to top
prioritiesandtheirMostImportantTask(MIT).YoumusttimeblockMITtime
on your calendar. Time for other activities that support your top values (e.g.,
health,relationships,givingback)shouldalsogetblockedonyourcalendarona
recurringbasis.
Highly successful people theme days on their calendar, too. At work,
Mondaymightbethedayforone-on-onemeetingsorforaweeklyteamhuddle.
Wednesdaymightbe themedas“nomeetings”or“afternoonofficehours.”At
home,Sundaysmightbe thedayforgroceryshopping, laundry,andcookinga
fullweek’sworthofhealthymealsinadvance.
Highly successful people protect their calendar, knowing and feeling the
reality that nothing ismore important than time.They say no to anything and
everyone who does not align with their priorities and are especially wary of
“distant elephants.” They do something only if they aren’t able to drop it,
delegate it, or redesign it. They spend time on the 20 percent of things that
contribute80percentofthevalue—andtheydroptherest.
Concentrate
Thethird“C”inmy3CsystemstandsforConcentrate.
Highly successful people proactively work from their calendar; they don’t
react tostimuli like incomingemail, socialmediamessages,or“gotaminute”
meetings.
Highly successfulpeopledon’tmultitask; theyconcentrateonone taskat a
time.
HighlysuccessfulpeopleconcentrateontheirMITandotherprioritiesduring
timesofpeakenergy,typicallyinthemorning.
Highly successful people pulse and pause to maintain concentration and
productivity throughout the day. Most take 5-minute breaks every 30 to 60
minutes.
InTheirOwnWords…
Doonethingatonce.Stopmultitasking!
–MikeCannon-Brookesistheco-founderofAtlassian,anAustraliansoftwarecompany.
Thebasicprincipleoftimemanagementisasfollows:doonething,andonethingonlyuntilitis
finished,thenmoveon.Thismeansputyourphoneawaysotexting,Snapchat,Twitter,andInstagram
aren'tdistractingyouwhiledoinghomework.
–ElizabethPobleteisastraight-AstudentwhoattendsXavierCollegePreparatory.
Yourmobiledevice?TurnoffALLnotifications.Onlylook
,whenyouhavetimeorwhenyouhave
scheduledtimetodealwithit.Granted,Ihaveauniquetoneformywife,butthat'saboutit.Don'tlet
technologycontrolyou...youcontrolyourtechnology.
–MitchJoelispresidentofMirum,aglobaldigitalmarketingagency.HeistheauthorofSixPixelsof
SeparationandCTRLALTDelete.
TheTimeIsAlwaysNow
Idon’tcollectart.ButwhenIaccidentallystumbledonamixed-mediapainting
byartistPeterTunney,Ihadtobuyitatanycost.Itssimplemessage:thetimeis
alwaysnow.
Bemindful.
Livewithintention.
Remember,thereareonly1,440minutesinaday.
WantMoreTrainingontheE-3CSystem?
FREEONLINETRAINING
Ipersonallyrecordedaseriesofvideotrainingmodulesthatyoucanaccess
FREEasareaderofthisbook.Justvisitthelinkbelowtoaccessthetraining
andotherbonusmaterial:
www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER17
20MoreTime&ProductivityHacks
The 15 secrets shared above are the principles that aremost likely to get you
massivegainsinproductivity.Belowareevenmoretipsandtricksyoucanuse
tosavetime.
1. Always cookmore than onemeal at a time. There is a lot of
inefficient time in cooking. The planning, shopping, prep work,
cooking,cleaning. If Icookdinner,which isoften,sinceIenjoy
cooking,I’llmakesureIgettwoorthreedifferentmealsoutofit.
I personally don’t mind eating the same healthy dinner three
nights in a row—I mainly eat for health during the week, not
pleasure.
2. Off-load your memory with your camera phone. I have a
horriblememory,butI’velearnedtooff-loadshort-termmemory
items tomyphone.Someof the things Imight takepicturesof:
myhotel roomnumber,where Iparkedmycar, the label froma
good bottle of wine, a book cover that a friend shows me, a
whiteboardfilledwithgreatnotes,orthevaletparkingticket.It’s
aneasywaytorelievestressandsaveafewminutesofwandering
aroundlookingforyourroomorcar.
3. Mute your phone and shut off all notifications. Working
distractionfreehasalreadybeenathemethroughoutthisbook,but
itisabsolutelycrazytoletyourcomputer,phone,orotherdevices
“shout” at you with notifications. My phone is on silent at all
times,unlessmykidsareoutatnightandIwant tomakesure I
can respond in an emergency. There is no need to be notified
everytimesomeoneDMsyouonTwitter,PMsyouonFacebook,
oremailsyou.
4. Drink a healthy protein shake for breakfast. Right now, you
areprobablyskippingbreakfasttosavetime,oryouarestopping
ataStarbucksorDunkinDonutstograbcoffeeandadonut.Both
are bad ideas. Remember it’s about productivity, not time, and
drinking a protein shake gives you energy and alertness all
morning,boostingyourmetabolismsoyou’llactuallyburnmore
caloriesthanifyouskipbreakfast.Andasfastasyourdashintoa
donutshopis,makingashakeisfaster thanparking,walkingin,
waitinginline,waitingforyourcoffee,andwalkingbackout.
5. Never watch live TV.Why? Because of the commercials. Just
DVReveryshowyouwanttowatchsoyoucanskipthroughthe
commercials. Unless it’s a real-time sporting event or the
Bachelorisgivinghisfinalrose,doyoureallyneedtowatchaTV
showthemomentit’sbroadcast?
6. Don’twatchTVatall!DavidMeermanScott isamarketing&
sales strategist, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of 10
books including The New Rules of Marketing & PR and
Newsjacking.Inaninterviewforthisbookhetoldme:
According to Nielsen, the average American spends 158 hours each
month watching television! That's 1,896 hours per year. Damn. That
wouldbeenoughtimetowriteanawesomebookorstartacompany.You
wantasix-pack?ExerciseinsteadofwatchTV.Eliminatetelevisionand
yougainnearlytwothousandhoursayear.ImaginewhatYOUcoulddo!
7. Useyourdrivetimewisely.Thinkabouthowmanyhoursayear
you spenddriving in thecar.Commute times,driving to clients,
long trips to your parents’ house. Even if you just drive 30
minuteseachwaytowork,thatisover200hoursayear,oralmost
10 days of time.We often reflexively just think of this as dead
timeonourcalendarandcrankupourfavoritemusicandtuneout
the world. Instead, think of phone calls you need to make—
whetherworkrelatedortofriendsandfamilymembers.Consider
listeningtopodcasts(whichcancoverthedailynews)or“howto”
programsorevenlearningaforeignlanguage.Ofcourseyoucan
use podcast apps likeStitcher (www.Stitcher.com) to easily find
great programs and listen to them at 2x the speed to save even
moretime!
8. Never call people without setting an appointment ahead of
time (unless it’s social, of course). How often do you call
unannounced and get someone’s voicemail? “Hey Jane, just
wanted to catchup tohear how the salesmeetingwent; callme
back.”AndthenJanecallsyou,andyou’rebusysoshegetsyour
voicemail,“Hey,it’sJane,justreturningyourcall.Callmeback.”
Andonandon,likeavoicemailpingponggame.Instead,senda
calendar invite or email that just says, “Jane, let’s connect on
phone so I can get debriefed on sales meeting. Is tomorrow at
11:00a.m.ETgood?Ifnot,suggestafewopeningsonyourday.”
Notice“afew”soyoudon’tendupwithemailpingpongtryingto
findtimeoneachother’scalendars.
9. Avoidbusy timesout in therealworld ifatallpossible.This
secretwillsavemanyminutesaweekandmanyhoursintheyear.
It’s as simple as shifting when you do things you have to do.
InsteadofshoppingforgroceriesonbusySaturdaymorning,doit
lateFridaynightorearlySundaymorninginstead.Don’tschedule
trips to clients close to rush hour drive times.Don’t go into the
bankduringlunchhours.
10. Usedualmonitors.Addinga secondmonitor toyourcomputer
setup is one of the easiest ways to gain massive efficiency for
yourcomputertasks.Itcompletelyeliminatesthatneedtotoggle
betweentwodifferentwindows.Iactuallyworkwithonemonitor
on one computer and two monitors on another computer, so
technically I have three monitors going at the same time. But
even with just two, you can then easily type in your word
processor while reviewing research material on the Internet,
previewcodeinonewindowwhiledebuggingin theother,or if
youaren’tonafocussprint,yesyoucanmonitoremailtrafficor
viewyourcalendarinonewindowwhilebeingconstructiveinthe
other.
11. Have a stop doing list. The great business thinker JimCollins
hasoften said that your “stopdoing” list is just as important, if
not more important, than your to-do list. In his 2003 article
(http://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/best-new-
years.html),hetalksabouthowgreatcompaniespracticethis,and
hehimselfusesNewYear’s resolution time toworkonhisstop
doinglist.Simplicityandminimalismcanfreethemind,freeyour
schedule,andenableyoutodogreatwork.
12. Remind people of the “end time.” There was a time when I
reportedtotheCEOofalargecompanyandhadassumedmajor
new responsibilities. I quickly started drowning. My CEO’s
http://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/best-new-years.html
assistantofferedtofollowmearoundtohelp.At theendof two
weeks,shesaid,“Onethingthatyouneedtodoisreallycommit
totheendtime.Don’tletpeoplekeepyoulongerthantheywere
scheduled for.” Great advice. Ever since, I start every
,meeting,
and especially every phone call,with, “Beforewe get started, I
seeweare scheduled for30minutes, and Idohaveahard stop
3:00...”Thiswayeveryoneknows inadvance that itwon’tbea
casual,leisurelymeetingthatjustrunsitsowncourse.Thistipis
especiallycriticalifyouschedulecallsforonly10or15minutes.
13. Hangoutwithproductivepeople.Seemssilly,butsopowerful.
Ifyourbestfriendsatworkaretheonestaking90-minutelunches
all the time, you’re likely to do the same. If your social circle
routinelydoeshappyhouranddiscusseswhathappenedonreality
TV the night before, you’re likely to continue doing the same.
Considerupgradingyourworkfriendsandyourother friends. If
forsomereasonyoucan’tfindproductivetimeninjasaroundyou,
hang out with them online. I’ve joined Facebook groups for
entrepreneurs,writers,runners,andonandon.It’sagreatwayto
“hang”withpeoplewhoaremotivatingeachother,sharingtheir
productivitytips,andkeepingeachotheronthepathtosuccess.
14. Tellpeoplearoundyouto leaveyoualone.As theWallStreet
JournalreportedintheirSeptember11,2013,edition,thebiggest
distractiontoworkisn’temailorinstantmessenger—it’sface-to-
faceinterruptions.Ifyouworkfromhome,makeitcleartoyour
familythatworkiswork,andtheycan’t interruptyou.Ifyou’re
in the office, consider hanging a “DoNotDisturb” or “Back at
[time]”signonyourdooror runningyellowcaution tapeacross
yourcubeentrance.Andifyou’retheboss,considersettingaside
acouplehoursofdaythroughouttheofficeforquiettime.
15. Buybirthdaycardsbythedozen.Doyougooutandbuyacard
everytimeafriendorfamilymember’sbirthdaycomesup?Ordo
yourushout tobuyacondolencecardeachtimeyouneedone?
The next time just go out and buy 10–20 cards—whatever a
year’sworthis—andarollofstampsandkeeptheminyourdesk
drawer so they’re ready to go. Think of how many 15-minute
tripstothestoreyouwillsaveinagivenyear.
16. Paybillselectronically.Doyoupaybillseveryweekortwothe
oldfashionedway,withchecksandstamps?Bigtimewaster.Just
sign up for automatic bill pay—using a credit card whenever
possiblesoyoucanearnpoints.Youdoneedtoleavealittleextra
money in your checking account to make sure you never run
short, but it’sworth the slight cash inefficiency to save all that
time.
17. Neveransweracallfromanunknownnumber.Ifthey’renot
inyourcontact list, it’shighlyunlikelythecall isfromafriend,
familymember,orbigclient.Theoddsarehighit’sasalescallor
afriendofafriendwhowasgivenyournumber.Andevenifthe
callisfromsomeoneyouknow,it’salwaysbesttohavecalltime
scheduledonyourcalendar.
18. Getabusinesscoach,mentor,ormastermindgroup.Thismay
soundunusual as timemanagement advice, but connectingwith
someonewhohasalreadywalkedthepathyou’reoncansaveyou
alotoftime(nottomentionmoneyandfrustration).
19. Release your content throughmultiple channels. Joe Pulizzi,
authorofEpicContentMarketing,offersthisadvice,“Planyour
contentcreationinadvance.Mostpeoplethinkincontenttactics,
like publishing a blog or a Facebook post. It's best to think in
stories,andhowmanywaysyoucantellthatstory—anarticle,a
blog,abook,awebinar,multiplesocialmediaposts,anebook,a
podcastandmore.Thetimesavingsareimmenseifyouonlyplan
inadvance.”
20. Knowthatdoneisbetterthanperfect.Softwaredeveloperswill
often say, “Shipped is better than perfect.” And the release of
softwareversion1.0isquicklyfollowedbyversion1.1,1.2,and
on and on to fix the bugs inevitably contained in the initial
release.Asawriterit’stooeasytokeepworkingonmybook…
new material, new ideas, better ways of phrasing things. But
published imperfectly is ofmore value to theworld than never
publishedatall.
InTheirOwnWords…
Idon’taddtimetoactivities.Hell,IwearadifferentwatcheachdayandIdon’teventakethetimetoset
them.IgetasmuchdoneasIcanasquicklyasIcan,wastenotimeonthelittlethingsandifImessupI
willgobackandcleanitup.
–GrantCardoneisaNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthor,salesexpertandfounderoffourcompanies.
CHAPTER18
TimeSecretsof7Billionaires
“Billionaire.”Justsaythewordandyoucapturepeople’sattention.Sevenbillion
peopleontheplanet,andonly1,645billionaires(accordingtoForbes).
Doself-madebillionairesworkdifferentlythantherestofus?Doyouthink
theyknowsomethingabouttimeandproductivitythathelpedthemtobecomea
billionaire?
Ireachedoutto28billionaires,andtomysurprise,sevenofthemresponded,
albeitwithbriefmessages.This is thesameresponserate—oneinfour—that I
got from contacting 800 “regular old” millionaires and startup CEOs. Mark
Cuban actually responded tomy email only 61minutes after I sent it. (Yes, I
counted.)
Althoughthiscohort issmall innumber, itdoesseemremarkablethat three
of the seven billionaires’ advice relates to meetings. Whether it’s keep your
mornings clear of them, ban them from one day each week, or “never do
meetings unless someone is writing a check” (Cuban) these highly successful
peoplearemindfulofthescourgeofmeetings.
Other advice tailored for entrepreneurs included a warning against
multitasking,theneedforself-careandnotgettingdistractedbythingsthatare
criticaltoyoursuccess.
Thetimeandproductivityadviceintheirownwordsappearsbelow.
NATHANBLECHARCZYKistheco-founderofAirbnb.Inaninterviewfor
thisbookNathanreferredmetohisadvicethatoriginallyappearedon
Lifehacker.com:
Itrytofillmycalendarinreverse,fromtheend-of-daytoearlier;Itryto
reservethemorningfordoing"realwork."IfindIcanfocusmoreinthe
morningwhereasit'shardertogetfocusedafterhavingbeenbombarded
bymeetings,soItrytosavemeetingsforlaterintheday.
MIKECANNON-BROOKESistheco-founderofAtlassian,anAustralian
enterprisesoftwarecompany,withover35,000globalcustomers.His
productivityadvice:
Doonethingatonce.Stopmultitasking!
MARKCUBANistheowneroftheDallasMavericks,MagnoliaPictures,
LandmarkTheatres,chairmanofAXSTVandappearsontheTV-showShark
Tank.Hisproductivityadvicesubmittedforthisbook:
Neverdomeetingsunlesssomeoneiswritingacheck.
MOHAMMEDDEWJIistheCEOofTanzania-basedMeTLGroup.Forbes
hascalledhimtheyoungestbillionaireinAfrica.Inaninterviewforthisbook,
Mohammedprovidedthisproductivityadvice:
Makingtimeforyourselfisessentialtomaintainingmentalfitnessanditgoes
withoutsayingthatmentalfitnessisinextricablylinkedtoyoursuccess.Based
onpersonalexperience,Ihavefoundthatmaintainingoptimumenergylevels
andfocusbecomesincreasinglychallengingasoneembarksonnewendeavors
andclimbstheranks.Particularlywhenyourdayconsistsofswitchinggears
between sifting through hundreds of emails and attending one meet after
another, it’s only natural for your eyes to get tired and your brain to slow
downasthedayprogresses.
Forme, it’s a dailyworkout duringmy lunch hour that keepsme sane.On
mostdays,by1:00p.m.Ihavealreadyput inaboutsevenhoursofwork.At
that time, it’sanobrainer that Ineed torechargeandrefreshso that Ican
handlethesecondhalfofmydaywiththesamefocusandenergyasIdidthe
first half. Every person has a different way of staying invigorated and
recharginghisorherbatteries.
,Itdoesn’tmatterwhat it is,you justhave to
identifyitandmaketimeforit.Iwouldstronglyencouragenewentrepreneurs
toheedthisadvicebecauseafreshmindholdsthekeytotheirsuccess.
ANDREWMASONistheco-founderofDetourandformerco-founderand
CEOofGroupon.Inaninterviewforthisbook,Andrewprovidedthis
productivityadvice:
Ratherthangiveaspecificpieceofadvice(Ihavetonsbutnoneofitisrocket
science), I'll just say that actually being disciplined about adopting these
habitsis,inmyexperience,ahugedifferentiatorofsuccessfulpeople.
Ioftenmeetpeoplewhoseemsmarter thanmeyetare lesscapablebecause
theydon'thavetheself-disciplineand/orself-confidencetointrospectontheir
ability todowhat they think they'regoing todoand findways to iteratively
improve.Amazingly,Ithinkit'sassimpleasthat.It'skindofasorespotforme
becauseIcan'tunderstandwhymorepeopledon'ttakeitseriously.
IfIwasbuildingacharacterinabusinessvideogameandIhadtencharacter
pointstodistributeI'dput3ofthemintointelligenceand7ofthemintoself-
discipline.
DUSTINMOSKOVITZisco-founderoftheteamproductivityappAsana
(www.Asana.com)andco-foundedFacebook.Inaninterviewforthisbook,
Dustinprovidedthisproductivityadvice:
Pick one day a week that you and your team can focus on getting
individualworkdonewithoutany interruptions likemeetings.AtAsana,
we have No Meeting Wednesdays established to encourage flow and
productivityacrossthecompany.
MARKPINCUSistheco-founderandCEOofZynga.Inaninterviewforthis
book,Markprovidedthisproductivityadvice
Ifyouwanttobuildgreatproducts,devotemorethan50percentofyour
workhours toproduct.Don'taccept speakingopportunities if youcan't
justifythemasbenefittingyourusersoryourcompany.
Nobodywouldarguethatstellartimemanagementisthekeytobecominga
billionaire,butthewisdomofthosewho’vequicklyclimbedtotheverypeakof
businesssuccesscertainlycanaccelerateourownprogress.
CHAPTER19
TimeSecretsof13OlympicAthletes
HowdoOlympicathletesmaintain their focus,disciplineandenergy?Howdo
the unsponsored athletes juggle their “day job”with their training and family
obligations?
Perhaps more than any other group, Olympic athletes are truly working
against a ticking clock.Fouryears inbetweenOlympicGames.Eachday that
passes takes the athletes closer and closer to their bigmoment. It’s amoment
whenwinningamedalornotcanliterallycomedowntofractionsofasecond.
SimilartotheotherhighlysuccessfulpeopleIinterviewed,Olympicathletes
stressed the importance of scheduling everything on the calendar and having
clearpriorities.
Whatwasuniquetothisgroupwashowoftentheybroughtuptheimportance
of sleep and the need to rejuvenate. Maximizing energy, not just time, is
paramounttoathletes.
Gymnast Shannon Miller mentioned, “Grabbing a power nap.” Olympic
rower,WillDean, said, “Tobeatyourbest,youneed somedown time.Don't
feel bad about napping.” Katie Uhlanender, a skeleton racer, advised, “It is
importanttoalsoscheduletimeforyourself,torest,ortorefocus.”Andcyclist,
Chris Carmichael, believes “Rest is perhaps the most overlooked and
undervaluedaspectoftimemanagement.”
TheadvicegivenbyalltheOlympicathletesIinterviewedisbelow.
SARAHENDERSHOT,anOlympicrowerfortheUnitedStates,competedin
the2012Olympics.SheiscurrentlytrainingforRio2016.Heradvice:
MyphilosophyisthatwhenIhavetheenergyandthefocustomakedecisions
likewhat Iwantmynextday to look like, that iswhenIhave tomake those
decisions.IwillbasicallyplotoutwhatIknowadayneeds to looklike,and
howI'mgoingtoworkthroughmyto-dolistandhowmuchtimeI'mgoingto
allowmyselftospendoneachoneofthesetaskssothatwhenIactuallyamin
thatmomentgettingitdone,therearefarlessdecisionstobemade.
I use this Moleskine notebook that I'll just carry around with me. I make
trainingnotesinit.Imakeworknotesinit.Ihaveawholebookshelffullofold
onesathome,becauseI'llgobackandrefertooldthingsinitallthetime.
I don't actually use a calendar; itwill be a page inmynotebook that Iwill
write…sowhenIgethomeat7:30am,Ineedtouse7:30to8:00towritethis
email.Thenfrom8:00to8:15Ineedtoupdatethisdocument.That'sthekind
ofplottingthatI'lldo.
Part of being anOlympic athlete is just that there are a lot of things that I
havetomiss,andmomentsoreventsthatIhavetoskip.I'vealmostjustgotten
to thepointwhere I'mused tohaving to say "No" to things. It's just getting
goodatknowingyourlimitsandnottryingtooverstretchthoselimitsbecause
whenIdo,that'sthetimesthatIgetinjuredorIgetsick.
SHANNONMILLER,amemberofthe1992and1996UnitedStatesOlympic
women’sgymnastics team,wonacombinedsevenOlympicmedals.She is the
mostdecoratedgymnastinAmericanhistory.Heradvice:
During training, I balanced family time, chores, schoolwork, Olympic
training,appearances,andotherobligationsbyoutliningaveryspecific
schedule.Iwasforcedtoprioritize.Therewerecertainthingsthathadto
be done at very specific times, like training 7-8am and 3:30-8:30pm.
School was 8am-2:30pm. Those times did not waiver. Then I built in
everything else around those timesgivingweight to themost critical to
achievingmygoal.Most importantly,WRITE ITDOWN.To this day, I
keepaschedule that isalmostminutebyminute.Whenyoudo this,you
find that thereareoftenpocketsof time thatyouaren’tmaximizing, for
exampledoinghomeworkonplanesandbuses.Grabbingapowernapto
facilitate recovery instead of wasting an hour online. Focus on those
things that bring you further to your goal each and every day. Every
momentcounts!
WILLDEAN, anOlympicRower forCanada, competed in theLondon2012
Olympics.HeiscurrentlytrainingforRio2016.Hisadvice:
Getoneofthosebigbluecalendars.Planningyourlifeonyourphoneisfine,
butitdoesn'tgiveyouthesameperspective.
Don'tfeelbadaboutsayingnotopeopleifyou'retoobusy.Peoplewillalways
want your time, and while many things might seem small, they can add up
quickly.Youhavetoprioritizeyoursportandyourhealth,onlyaddtothatifit
doesn'tcompromisethosetwothings.
Realize that good timemanagement doesn'tmean filling your daywith non-
stopproductivity.Tobeatyourbest,youneedsomedowntime.Don'tfeelbad
aboutnapping,watchingsomeTV,orgoingforawalk.
Don'tsacrificeyoursleep.Soonerorlater,itwillcatchupwithyou.Youwon't
performatyourbest,andyouwillgetsick.
BRIANA SCURRY won two gold medals as the starting goalkeeper for the
UnitedStateswomen’ssoccerteamin1996and2004.Heradvice:
Focusisabsolutelyessentialtoachievinganythingworthwhile.Atthehighest
levelsofachievementwhether itbeathletic,academic,orbusinessonemust
havewhitehot,obsessivenessandthebeliefthatnomatterwhat,theobjective
will be achieved. All great achievement in our society was realized in this
essence.
About6monthsbeforeanOlympics,IwouldrelateallthedecisionsImadeto
theultimatevisionofwinninggold.Thesimplequestion Iwouldaskseveral
timesadaywas"Willthisactivityhelpmeperformbetterandthereforehelp
uswingold"
Thisquestionguidedmeintherightdirection.Eveniftheactivitywastaking
thedayofforsteppingbackforabittogetbetter
,perspective,beingmindfulof
thatvisionhelpedmechoosethebestcourseofactioninordertoachievethe
goal. It becameclear tome the rightdecision tomakeand in turnprovided
sharperfocusandmadeiteasiertobedisciplined
ROY-ALLANBURCH, anOlympic swimmer forBermuda, competed in the
2008and2012games.HeiscurrentlytrainingforRio2016.Hisadvice:
Astrongdiscipline is required to reach thepinnacleofour sport.Each
day is dedicated toward a vigorous amount of training and when not
training, it's important to maximize recovery for the next workout…
Havingadetailedscheduletofollowmakesmaximizingeachdayeasier.
Ratherthanthinkingaboutwhatneedstohappeninanallottedtime,one
canjustexecutethetrainingorrecoverythatneedstotakeplace.Asthere
are thousands of athletes around the world training very hard, time
maximizationbecomesthemainrace.Thequestionofwhocangetinthe
bestworkforthemselveseachdaybecomesamajorfactortothesuccess
ofeachindividualathlete.
KATIE UHLAENDER, an Olympic skeleton racer for the United States,
competedintheOlympicsin2006,2010and2014.Heradvice:
One of the most important parts to managing your time well is having an
agenda,meaningyouhaveafocuseachdayandagoaleachweek.Whenyou
are an athlete and constantly training and competing, rest is incredibly
importantsothatyouareabletobeatyourverybestphysicallyandmentally.
Itisimportanttoalsoscheduletimeforyourself,torest,ortorefocus.
Also,whenyouare ina competitive sport youhave tobeable toadaptand
overcome the obstacles you face. At the end of the day it's how well you
accomplishtheprocessasawhole,notthelongtermgoal,andhowadaptable
youaretochangebecauseprocessesevolvesandisneverperfect.Thekeyto
disciplineisstrivingforperfectionbutunderstandingperfect isn'tattainable.
To strive for it means you’re willing to learn and overcome challenges;
thereforecreatingsolutions. It'saday-by-dayprocessand ifyouwalk in the
lightandfocusoneachstep,youcanseetheimprintyourfootstepmakes.
ANDREW WEIBRECHT, an Olympic skier for the United States, won a
bronzemedalin2010,andthesilvermedalinthe2014Olympics.Hisadvice:
To me it has more to do with sacrifice and taking advantage of
opportunitywhenopportunity ispresented thanmanagement inasense.
ThesportthatIdoissoallconsumingintermsoftravelandcommitment
thatwhenIamtrainingandcompetingthatisallIfocuson,andwhenI
am off sport I am totally detached. It is more about productive
compartmentalizingandmaking themostof themomentwhether that is
timeoff/restorsport.
ERINHAMLIN,anOlympiclugerfortheUnitedStates,competedinthe2006
and2010Olympics,andwonabronzemedalin2014.Heradvice:
When itcomes to training, Iguess Ihave justalwaysprioritized it so it
waseasytomaketimefor.Ithasalsoallowedmetoputotherthingsoff
becausetrainingismoreimportantatthetime.
CHRISCARMICHAEL,acyclistfortheUnitedStates,competedinthe1984
Olympics.Hisadvice:
Rest is perhaps the most overlooked and undervalued aspect of time
management.Intrainingwehavetoteachathletestofocusonprioritizing
quality over quantity, and to achieve higher training quality an athlete
has to be properly rested and recovered between hard efforts. Rest,
therefore,becomespartoftrainingratherthantheabsenceoftraining.
TOBY JENKINS, a water polo player for Australia, competed in the 2004
Olympics. Today he is CEO of Bluewire Media, a web strategy and digital
marketingfirm.Hisadvice:
Find someonewhosework you trust and admire andwho has already done
specificallywhatyouwanttodo.Askthemforhelpandthenfiltertheiradvice
foryourownsituation.It'snotaboutsavinganhourorthere.It'saboutsaving
youpotentiallyyearstogettogoal.
I had some great water polo coaches throughout my career. Each had
strengthsandweaknesses.Myrealizationthough,wasthatifIhadaspecific
challenge,thenIneededaspecificanswer.
WhenIwantedtoputonmuscle,Ididn'tspeaktomywaterpolocoach.Ispoke
tomystrengthcoach,adiscusandshotputguywhohadputonmoreweight,
fasterthananyoneelseIknew.
When I was nervous before games, I'd speak to my captain who'd played
hundredsofinternationalsandlearnfromhispre-gameroutines.
When I wanted to improvemy swimming speed and endurance, I went to a
swimming coachwhowas coaching some of Australia's fastest swimmers at
thetime.
Itallseemsprettyobviousbutbeingspecificaboutthechallengeyoufaceand
thenfindingthespecificpersonbestinapositiontohelpyouacceleratedmy
learning enormously. It would be nearly impossible to quantify how many
hoursthissavedmeovermycareerasanathlete,studentandnowinbusiness.
JULIEMCDONALD,a long-distancefreestyleswimmerforAustralia,wona
bronzemedalatthe1988Olympics.Heradvice:
Forme, it'sabout schedulingmy time. If Idon't schedulemy time Iget
distractedandamnotproductive.SoIallocatetimeforexercise,charity,
workandfun!ThatwayIstayorganised.
SCOTTDANBERGhasappearedinfiveParalympicsrepresentingAmericain
track and field, swimming and powerlifting. He is a Fitness Director at the
PritikinLongevityCenter.Hisadvice:
As a 5-time Paralympian, a way I have found successful to balance sport
training and “life” is to envision my training demands and the multiple
responsibilities and obligations of “life” and place it all on an imaginary
shelf.Mindyou, it’sa longshelfwithmultiple,moveable,dividers thatIcan
compartmentalizeandprioritizetasksandchangetheirdistributionovertime.
Tasks such as work and school have fixed dividers of time as these are
responsibilitiesthathaveknownhoursanddaysandneedtobemetforone’s
livelihood and future.Other tasks, such as family and leisure pursuits, have
flexibledividersoftimethatalthoughoccupya“somewhat”fixedareaonthe
shelfareflexibleinthehoursanddaysorblocksoftimeinwhichtheyoccur.
Likewise, training for sportalsohasdividers thatare“somewhat” fixedbut
most also remain flexible, most importantly, to balance against family and
leisurepursuits.Asmuchasonemaybelievetheyneedto“liveandbreathe”
theirsport, lifebalance,specifically interestsoutsideof thesport itself, isas
importantaqualityforathleticsuccessasthesporttrainingitself.
Oncethe“shelf”isinitiallyorganizeditdoesn’tstaythatwayforlongasthe
priorityandtimedemandsofsporttrainingincreaseasthecompetitiveseason
andcompetitionnears.Thefixedareasontheshelfgenerallystaythesame,so
it’stheflexibleareasontheshelfthatchange.Unfortunately,anathletehasto
cut into time for family and/or leisure pursuits in order to train to be
competitive. It’s the unfortunate life of an athletewho, at times, spends less
timewithfamilyandleisure,butthefamilywhoissupportiveofthis,inreturn,
greatly aids in the success of the athlete. The athlete is willing to sacrifice
family and leisure time to stay focused on training as it is the passion and
drivetobeathleticallysuccessfulthatjustifiesthecompromise.
VINCE POSCENTE, a speed skier for Canada, competed in the 1992
Olympics.TodayheisCEOofBigGoalsFastInstitute,andtheNewYorkTimes
bestsellingauthorofTheAgeofSpeed.Hisadvice:
Start every day listing
,ever saw them? Yes,
friendsareprized,yetwelosethemandmakenewonesallthetime.
Yes,yourspousemeanstheworldtoyou.And50percentofmarriedpeople
get a divorce, and many divorced people get a new husband or wife that is
suddenlytheloveoftheirlife.
Buttime…
Youcanneverlosetimeandgetitbackagain.
You can’t spend time and go earnmore of it.You can’t buy it, rent it, or
borrowit.
TimeIstheMostImportantAsset
Time isuniquebecause it’s theone trueequalizer.Somepeopleareborn rich,
othersbornpoor.SomehaveIvyLeaguedegrees,whileothersarehighschool
dropouts.Somearegeneticallygiftedathletes,othersphysicallychallenged.
But we all have the same minutes in a day. Time is the lowest common
denominator.
Holdyourhandtoyourheart.
Again,Ineedyoutoreallydoit.Holdyourhandtoyourchestandfeelyour
heart.Beat,beat,beat.
Becomeconsciousofyourbreathing.In.Out.In.Out.
Youwillnevergetthosebeatsback.Youwillnevergetthosebreathsback.
Infact,Ijusttookthreebeatsawayfromyourlife.Ijusttooktwobreathsfrom
you.
Butitwasworthitifithelpedyoutotrulyfeeltimeslippingaway.
You might be thinking, “Yeah, yeah, the importance of time. Of course,
that’swhyI’mreadingthis.Igetit!”
Butareyoulivingit?
Thinkabouthowmuchattentionyougive toyourmoney.Workinghard to
makemoney, tracking yourmoney in your bank account, researching the best
waystoinvestyourmoney,readingaboutwaystomakemoremoney,worrying
thatsomebodymightstealyourmoney.
Youwouldneverleaveyourwalletsittingoutintheopen.You’dnevergive
yourATMcardandpasswordtoabunchofstrangers.
Andyetwetypicallythinklittleaboutourtime.Weroutinelyletpeoplesteal
ourtime,eventhoughit’sourmostvaluablepossession.
Themagicnumberthatcanchangeyourlifeis1,440.
Iencourageyoutotryityourself.Justdrawabig“1,440”onapieceofpaper
andtapeitonyourofficedoor,underyourTV,nexttoyourcomputermonitor—
whereveritwillbestserveasaconstantreminderoftheverylimitedandohso
precioustimeyouhaveeachday.
WhyMinutes,NotSeconds?
Thereare86,400secondsinaday.Andifthatnumberismorepowerfultoyou,
byallmeans,putupa“86,400”signtoremindyouoftime.
Butpersonally,Ifindfocusingonminutestobemorepowerful.Secondscan
slipawayfairlyeasily.Butminutes!Justthinkofallthewaysyoucanspendjust
oneminute.
I asked the members of my Facebook page
(www.facebook.com/KruseAuthor) how they could use a singleminute. Their
responsesincluded:•Do30sit-ups•Tellsomeonehowmuchyoulove
them•DoayogaBreathofFire•Writeathankyounote•Introduce
yourselftoastranger•Readapoem•Haveagreatidea•Watera
plant•Petyourcat•Haveyourheartbrokenorbreakaheart•Singa
song•Writeinajournal•Eatanapple•Drinkaglassofwater•
Sendatexttosomeoneyouarethinkingabout•Standinthesun•Write
threethingsyou’regratefulfor•Makeadecisiontogiveupsmoking•
Givefeedback•Giveadonation•Apologize•Boilwaterfortea
•Sendapositivetweet•Daydream•Smile•Takeaphotothat
willturnintoamemory•Plank•Breath…inwithabundance,outwith
gratitude•Journal•Hugyourmom•Haveonereally,reallygood
kiss•Recallahappymoment•Meditate•PrayHighlysuccessful
people feel the passage of time. They know the potential that every minute
holds.
InTheirOwnWords…
http://www.facebook.com/KruseAuthor
I'lljustsaythatactuallybeingdisciplinedaboutadoptingthesehabitsis,inmyexperience,ahuge
differentiatorofsuccessfulpeople...IfIwasbuildingacharacterinabusinessvideogameandIhadten
characterpointstodistribute,I'dputthreeofthemintointelligenceandsevenofthemintoself-
discipline.
–AndrewMasonistheco-founderofDetourandco-founderandformerCEOofGroupon.
When you wake up and subconsciously start the countdown—1440, 1439,
1438—adoptingthehabitsofhighlysuccessfulpeoplebecomesveryeasy.
SECRET#1
Timeisyourmostvaluableandscarcestresource.
Howwouldyourlifechangeifeachandeverydayyoutrulyfeltyour1,440
minutes?
FREEBONUS
Todownloadaready-to-print“1440”posterandotherFREEbonuses,visit:
www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#2
ThePowerofProperPriorities
Howwouldyouliketobetotallyclearonyour“onething”?
WhoseDreamsAreYouChasingAnyway?
If youaren’tbusyworkingonyourowngoals, you’ll beworking toachieve
somebodyelse’sgoals.
What’sYourOneThing?
Inthehilarious1991movieCitySlickers,theoldcowboyCurly(playedbyJack
Palance)givesasecrettoMitch(playedbyBillyCrystal).Holdinguphisindex
finger,Curlyexplainsthatyouneedtofigureoutyouronethingandsticktoit.
But the “one thing” concept goes back a lot further than a Billy Crystal
comedy.Considerthisadvicefromtheages:•“Todotwothingsatonceisto
doneither.”–PubliliusSyrus• “Ifyouchase tworabbits,youwillcatch
neitherone.”–Russianproverb•“Thingswhichmattermostmustneverbe
at themercy of thingswhichmatter least.” –Goethe • “It is thosewho
concentrateonbutonethingatatimewhoadvanceinthisworld.”–OgMandino
• “Drivefortheonethingonwhichyouhavedecided.”–GeneralGeorge
Patton•“Efficiencyisdoingthethingright.Effectivenessisdoingtheright
thing.”–PeterDrucker• “Successdemandssinglenessofpurpose.”–Vince
LombardiIdentifyYourMostImportantTask(MIT)
ThereseMacan,aprofessorat theUniversityofMissouri-St.Louis, conducted
groundbreaking research into time management, productivity, and stress,
discoveringthatthetwomostimportantkeysareprioritiesandmechanics(i.e.,
themechanicsofimplementingtimemanagementtechniquesandtactics).
Putsimply,themostimportantthingsaretoknowwhattofocusonandhow
you are going to get it done. I call this always knowing yourmost important
task,orMIT.
ResearchSays…
Inadditiontoincreasedproductivity,havingadailyMITcorrelatestohigherlevelsofhappinessand
energy.
(Source:TheKruseGroup,2015)
Entirebookshavebeenwrittenongoalsetting,andImaywriteonemyself
someday,butitallcomesdowntounderstandingwhatismostimportanttoyou
andwhatactivityrightnowwillprovidethegreatestleveragetogettingthere.
InTheirOwnWords…
AboutsixmonthsbeforeanOlympics,IwouldrelateallthedecisionsImadetotheultimatevisionof
winninggold.ThesimplequestionIwouldaskseveraltimesadaywas,"Willthisactivityhelpme
performbetterandthereforehelpuswingold?"
–BrianaScurrywontwogoldmedalsasthestartinggoalkeeperfortheUnitedStateswomen’ssoccer
teamin1996and2004.
Iworkmoreontimealignment.Isthispartofmymission?Doesthisserveothersorstrengthenmy
abilitytoserveothers?Thosetwoquestionskeepmetighttomymap.That'showIbestmanagemytime
andpriorities.
–ChrisBroganisabestsellingauthorandCEOofOwnerMediaGroup.
Ialwaysstartwiththemostimportantthingonmyprioritylist.Ifyoudidn'tspendyourweekworkingon
themostimportantthing,itwasaweekwasted.
,off your five MITs (Most Important Things) and get
thosedonefirst.
Thebiggesttimewaster,especiallyinacompetitivelandscapeistotrytodoit
all.Theheroesofsportaretheoneswhospendextratimein thegymor the
battingcageorattherink.Buttheycanbemoreefficient.Whatgotmetothe
Olympicswasdoingwhatthecompetitionwasnotwillingtodo.Theseweren’t
necessarilybigthings.Examplesinclude:readbooksonaerodynamics,learn
howskisweremade,interviewaPhDinthepoliticsofsport,usevisualization
and imagery over twohours per daywith bio feedback, sensory deprivation
float tanks, hypnosis programs,meditation and read a cutting-edge book on
mentaltrainingeverythreeweeks.
Although you might not be training for the 2016 Rio games, you are
definitelyincompetitionasyoufighttoachieveyourgoals.Howwillthesetime
andproductivitytipsgetyouclosertothefinishline?
CHAPTER20
TimeSecretsof29Straight-AStudents
WhatdoesittaketomaintainstraightA’satMITorHarvard?
What does it take to be a straight-A student in high school,while juggling
varsitysportsandnumerousactivities?
ThestudentsIinterviewedgaveawiderangeofadviceandI’mremindedin
myownhomethatthereisnoonewaytoachieveproductivityandsuccessasa
student.My two teenagedaughters are both straight-A students, yet theyhave
very different study habits. One listens to music while studying, the other
doesn’t. One checks social media as her “reward” for getting a piece of
homeworkdone,while theother leavesherphone inadifferent roomtoavoid
thetemptation.
Whatwasmostunique in this groupofhigh achieverswashowoften they
talked about social media. Almost everyone mentioned the siren call of
Snapchat,InstagramorFacebook,andmanysuggestedspecificappsasawayto
managethoseurges(e.g.,SelfControl,StayFocused).
Inaddition to thefamiliaradviceaboutusingacalendarandbeingclearon
priorities,straight-Astudentsalsoknowhowtosayno.Fromhavingnosocial
life, or limiting friends to study groups, these suggestions—while seemingly
extreme—might be the price to pay for excelling at the highest levels in
academics.ThefulladvicefromthestudentsIinterviewedappearsbelow.
ELIZABETHPOBLETEattendsXavierCollegePreparatoryinPhoenix,AZ.
Shewill be attending theUniversity of Arkansas as anHonors Fellow in the
SchoolofEngineering.Heradvice:
Thebasicprincipleof timemanagementisasfollows:doonething,andone
thingonlyuntilitisfinished,thenmoveon.Thismeans,putyourphoneaway
sotexting,Snapchat,Twitter,andInstagramaren'tdistractingyouwhiledoing
homeworkandthereforeaddingtothetimespentdoinghomework.
Themostimportantguidelinetotimemanagement,especiallywithhomework,
is a simple question: “What do I need to complete tonight sowhen I get to
classtomorrow,I’mnotkickingmyselffornotcompletinganassignment?”
Secondly,andalmostequallyimportant,“WhatcanIdonowsoIwon’thave
todoitonmymostbusyday,whenIhavework,practice,volunteering,etc?”
Understandingyourscheduleisessentialfortimemanagementbecausethere
mightbedaysinwhichtherearesixhourstodohomeworkafterschool,and
somedayswhentheremightonlybeoneortwo.
Finally,makeaschedule. Itdoesn’tneed tobewrittendownorset instone,
butitisimportanttoknowthatonMondays,forexample,youwillgethomeat
acertaintime,eat,thendohomeworkforacertainamountoftime,thenhave
dinnerandrelaxfortherestofthenight.
CAITLINHALEearnedherassociatedegreefromCamdenCountyCollegein
2009 with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and is now in her third year of
medical school at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Her
advice:
Stayingfocusedonschoolworkcanbeaprettydauntingtask,especiallywith
all of the socialmediaappspinging in thebackground. I useanapp called
SelfControl,whichletsmesettheamountoftimeandspecificallywhichappsI
wanttoavoid—includingFacebookandInstagram.
Itsoundsoldschool,butwhatIfoundtobethemosteffectivewaytomanage
mytimewastobuyanagendawithabigcalendar.IhandwritewhattopicsI
need to cover and how long I need to be studying that topic each night. So
whenIgethomefromclass,IsetmySelfControlappfortheamountoftimeI
allottedandgettowork.
Something I find just as important to staying focused is scheduling in some
“metime.”ImakesurethateverynightIdedicateatleastonehourtomyself.
Whetherthatisjustwatchingatelevisionshoworgoingtothegym,itisakey
factorindecompressingeachday.Thiswasespeciallyimportantwhenitcame
time to study formy firstmedical licensing board exam. Iwould have been
burntoutwithin the first fewweeksof studyboot camp if I hadn't taken the
timeeachdaytogoforawalkoutsideorhit thegym.I thinkthisbalanceis
whatallowsstudentstosucceedinallaspectsoftheirlives.
ERIKFOGG isanMITgraduatewhoearned inonly fouryearsaBachelor’s
degree,Master’s degree, and2minors.He is also the author of the bestseller,
HowtoCrushCollege.Hisadvice:
Start by saving semesters before savingminutes. Clever students--especially
thoselookingfordouble-majors,minors,etc.--willfindthatmanyclasseswill
count towardsmultiplerequirements.Findingandplanning for theseclasses
meansdramaticallyreducingthetotalnumberofclassesneededforthedegree
youwant.
Stop working in groups. Seriously; they either waste time or give you the
answerssoyoulosetheopportunitytolearn.Youmayintimefindoneortwo
study-buddiesthatwillkeepyouaccountableforbeingontask,andtheseare
great.
Give yourself play rewards. Time management is mostly about staying
focused--when we're playing a game we like, we're not tempted to be
distracted. Knowing that we have a reward coming up, like video games, a
show,orsocialtime,isnotonlymotivating,butitgivesusaclearlightatthe
endofthetunnelthatkeepsusfromthemalaiseoffeelinglikewe'retrappedin
work.
LeanonWikipedia.Ifyou'retryingtolearnconceptsratherthanmemorizea
certainpartofatextbook,Wikipediaisusuallyamuchclearer,fasterwayof
getting 90%of theway there. Textbooks do a lousy job and there's a lot of
researchthatsaysyoujustgocross-eyedandlosefocuswhenyou'reburiedin
them.
MyfavoriteappisStayFocused.Thebestwaytobeatthetemptationsofsocial
media is to just block yourself from them, and not have to exert valuable,
limitedwillpower. I allowmyself 15minutes/day total forReddit,Facebook,
Twitter,news,usingthis.
AMANDA KRUSE attends Council Rock High School South in Holland,
Pennsylvania.Heradvice:
I make my own day-by-day calendar in a notebook and write down when
everything is due. Imademyown system…I circle any tests I have the next
day,soI’llknowtostudyforthemthenightbefore,IputanXoveranythingI
don’t have to worry about but I was just writing it down as a reminder, I
highlightthethingsIalreadydid,andIboxthingsthataren’thomeworkbut
thatIneedtorememberlater,likebringingmoneyinforaspecialevent.
When it comes to social media, I give myself goals, like if I do a certain
numberofmathproblems,I’llallowmyselffiveminutesofInstagram.Soit’s
aneasyandnicebreak.
ALEXANDRA LADOVE is a straight A student at the Grauer School in
Encinitas,California.She is
,alsooneof thenation's leading junior equestrians
competing in the national equitation medal finals. In the fall, Alexandra will
attendAuburn.Heradvice:
I set longandshort termgoals,and Imake sure that Ihaveenough time to
realize these. Forme, I had to give up going out at night. I spendmy time
studying,riding,trainingandcompeting.Iloveit;it’swhatIwanttodo.That
isn'ttosaythatitisalwaysfun,orthatIdon'tsometimeswishIcouldputiton
thebackburnerandjustgooutwithfriends.
I recommendmaking sure toplanyourdayaheadof time, thinkaboutwhat
needstogetdone,andthendoit.Leaveplentyoftimebeforeyougotobedto
make sure you accomplishwhat you need.One strategy that really helps is
havingasettimetostartdoingyourschoolworkandtosetanalarmtomake
sure you actually start then. Staying in a routine and trying to stick to a
consistentschedulearekey.
NIHARSUTHAR is currentlyanundergraduate studentatCornellUniversity
inIthaca,NY.Nihar’sadvice:
Prioritize!IalwaysprioritizethemostimportanttasksthatIhavetogetdone
for theday.Thefirstonthe list formeisalwaysschoolwork, thenwriting(I
writebooks),anyathleticpractices,andthenhangingoutwithfriends.Ifind
thatifyouprioritize,youwillalmostalwaysbeabletogetallyourworkdone
andhaveextratimetospendwithfriendsaswell.
Another tip I learned is that whenever I have a small task that needs to be
completed (that takes less than 5minutes), I should complete it now, rather
thanputting it off.This ensures that Idonothavea long list of tasks that I
havetocompletelaterattheendoftheday.
NATALIE KRUSE attends Council Rock High School South in Holland,
Pennsylvania.Heradvice:
Ihaveahomeworklog,whichisadailycalendar,andforeachclassIwrite
downwhenthehomeworkisdue.Evenif it’sdueat theendof theweek,I’ll
stillwriteitdownsoifIhaveextratimeatnightIcanstartearly.Igenerally
writedownwhenIhaveatesttwotothreedaysaheadoftimesoIremember
tospreadoutthestudyingoverafewdays,toreducethetimeandstressspent
thenightbefore.
When it comes to reducing distractions, I don’t listen to music or watch
television while I’m doing my homework. I find that this helps me push
throughmyhomeworkat amuchquickerpace.For socialmedia, I’ll spend
timeonmyphonewhen I firstgethome,but then I’llput itdownandwon’t
pickitupuntilmyhomeworkisdone,orI’llpickitupbetweensubjectsasa
littlereward—butIdon’tgivemyselfmorethanatenminutebreak,becauseit
will feel likeyouhavealotmorehomeworkthanyoudoifyoutakemultiple
breaks.
ItrytostartmyhomeworkprettyearlyafterIcomehomesoIcanbedoneby
nineortenatnight.AfterthatIstarttogettiredandlazyandworkatamuch
slowerpace.
JOHNRAMOSisamedicalstudentattheUniversityofCoimbrainPortugal,
andisawriteratTheStudentPower.com.Hisadvice:
Set realistic small goals. I call them daily quotas, a term that got some
attention on Quora. By daily quota I mean a small goal that seems
insignificant,butwhenrepeateddayafterdaygetsdaunting tasksdone.For
example,20wordsinaforeignlanguageaday(usingaflashcardsystem,for
instance)means3000wordsafter5months.That’salmostcompletefluency.
Likewise,10mathproblemsaday,everyday,mean300problemsdonebythe
endofamonth.Itwordsbecauseit’sasmalltimeinvestmentthatcompounds.
Work in short bursts of productive work, instead of long, unproductive
sessions(inwhich80%of thetimeisspentonFacebook).Strategieslikethe
PomodoroTechnique suggestworking in periods of 25-30minutes, taking a
small breakand then resuming for another 25-30minute session. It reduces
distractionsandincreasesproductivity.
Enforce self-discipline with the help of browser extensions like StayFocusd
(blockssocialmediaandothertime-wastersduringcertainperiodsoftheday)
andRescueTime(holdsyourselfaccountablebymeasuringexactlyhowmuch
timeyouspendworkingorwastingtimeonyourcomputer).
HALEYSILVAisasenioratSierraHighSchoolinManteca,CA.Sherecently
receivedascholarshiptotheUniversityofthePacificinStockton.Heradvice:
Tips for staying focused:Have a goal, a positivemind set, and no doubt in
overcominganyobstacles(likeactivitiesorpeople)thatmaycrossyourpath.
Time management: Have a daily/monthly planner and make a to-do list to
rememberwhatyourprioritiesare,andlimitdistractions.
Sayingnotofriends:Thinkoftheconsequencesandwhatthebestdecisionis
foryou;don'ttrytopleaseothers,thinkofyourselffirst.Becarefulofwhoyou
surround yourself with; if they're your friend, no will not be an issue, and
neitherwillnegativepeerpressure.
Howtoavoidthelureofsocialmedia:Ifyoufeelthenecessitytohavesocial
media,beawareandcautiousofwhoyoucontactandwhocontacts you,as
well as what you say and display. It is meant for interacting with friends,
which is why social media is not a necessity; you can easily contact your
friendsviatextorwithaphonecallinstead.
JOSHUAEICKMEIER isanonlinehybridMBAstudentatCarnegieMellon
University'sTepperSchoolofBusiness.Hisadvice:
You need to be a realist: it’s not possible to give 100% effort on every
assignment,exceedexpectationsatwork,spendtimewithfamily,andkeepup
withGameofThrones.Ifyoutry,you’lljuststressyourselfout.
Youneedtosetyourprioritiesearlyonandstick to them.Isuggest thatyou
maintaintimewithfamilyandfriends,butbequicktocutlow-valueactivities
likevideogamesorTVshows.Whenyouhavetomakemoredifficultchoices,
look at things from a long-term perspective.Don’twaste time feeling guilty
aboutyourchoices–thinkofthemaseffectivecompromisesthatwillleadto
yourlong-termsuccess.
I also suggest structuring your schedule to avoid these conflicts whenever
possible.Forexample,doingschoolworkinthemorningisagreatwaytokeep
eveningsfreefortimewithfamilyorcoworkers,andmakingweekendplansin
advancekeepsyoumotivatedtogetworkdoneduringtheweek.
CORAIMAMEDELLIN is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania who
graduated from Camden County College in 2014 as a member of Phi Theta
KappaInternationalHonorSociety,thetophonorsocietyforcommunitycollege
students.Heradvice:
I try to stay out of my dorm room because I tend to lie onmy bed, get on
Facebook, Instagram,Snapchat, etc. So I go to thequietest placeonPenn's
campus,FisherFineArtsLibrary,andstudythere.Thequiethelps,butIthink
seeingothersaroundmeworkingonassignmentsmotivatesmetodothesame.
Sure, IgoonFacebook,but theamountof timeIspendon it issignificantly
reduced.IthinkithastodowiththefactthatpeoplepassbyandI'mafraidof
being judged going to a library and doing something that I could do
somewhereelse!
When it comes to reducing my social media usage, I try to restrict myself,
especiallywhen I'mgetting ready foranexamorwritingapaper. Iwant to
stress theword 'try'because it'seasiersaid thandone.So, Ibribemyselfby
sayingsomethingalongthe linesof, 'Ifyoureadthisentirechapter,youcan
takeahalf-hourbreakanduseFacebookduringthattime.'
Managing my time was something that I struggled with a lot when I first
startedatPenn,soIvisitedtheWeingartenCenteroncampustoget
,somehelp
withtimemanagement.It'sbeensuggestedthatforeveryhourofclasslecture
you attend, you should study for two to three hours. So when I spoke to a
counselor atWeingarten, Iwas given aweekly schedule that I putmywork
scheduleandmyclassscheduleinandthenwrotethetimesthatIplannedto
study for each class. I found that it works when I have an exam or a huge
papercominguptokeepmemotivatedandfocused.
RANAELMAKADEMwill graduatewith an associate degree fromCamden
CountyCollegeasthestudentcommencementspeaker(valedictorian)thisMay
and is theNewJerseyStatepresidentofPhiThetaKappa InternationalHonor
Society.Heradvice:
I recommenda large 'monthview'calendar. Iusebothpaperandelectronic
versions(onmyphoneandlaptop),andIenterallassignmentduedatesfrom
mysyllabiat thebeginningof thesemester.But Ienter themasdue three to
four days before the actual due date. I also recommend entering yourwork
scheduleandanyotherobligationstohelpyouvisualizeeverythingyouneed
todoandwhenyoucanallocateyourtime.
Settingincrementalremindersofupcomingduedatesandwhendifferentparts
ofyourprojectorassignmentshouldbedonehelpstokeepyouontrackand
minimizeprocrastinating.
Whenstudying,dependingonthesubject,Ibreakupmytimewithone15-to-
30-minute break for every 90 minutes to two hours of studying. During my
breaks,Ileavemystudyareaandwalkaround,grabasnackandusuallyjust
checksocialmediaforfiveminutes.Doingsomethingfunthattakesyourmind
offstudyinghelpsyoustayrefreshedandrefocuswhenyourbreakisover.
IhaveaPost-itNoteapponmylaptopwhereIputdeadlinesormyto-dolist.I
like it because I'monmy laptop a lot, and I have this constant reminder of
what I need to get done. It always feels goodwhen I delete the notes that I
completedanddecluttermyscreen.
We'reallstucktoourphones24/7,sovisityourappstoreandtryoutdifferent
time-managementandstudy/homeworkappstoseewhichworksbestforyou.I
stuckwithMyHomeworkappforsometime,butfoundthatplacingeverything
onalargevisualcalendarworkedbestforme.
Regarding friends: If you know you have to get something done, then get it
done.Saying'no'toyourfriendsisactuallyverysimpleinpractice.Justsay,
'No,Ihaveanassignmenttogetdone.'Butdosetasidesometimetohangout
withyour friendsanddosomething funorrelaxing. Itcouldbeassimpleas
having lunch or going to themovies. You still need awork/play balance in
yourlife.Itdoesn'thavetobefrequent,butmakingplansgivesyousomething
funtolookforwardtoandkeepseveryonefocusedatthetasksathand.
VICTORIASHOCKLEYwasastraight-A,honorsstudentatWakefieldHigh
School and recentlygraduated summacum laude fromNCStateUniversity in
onlythreeyears.Heradvice:
Combine multiple tasks together. Sometimes, there literally aren't enough
hours in the day to do everything. Find an opportunity to combine several
things at once -maybe youdo homework or studywhile on the bus, or you
listentoanaudiobookforclasswhilecleaningyourroom.Youhavetodoall
four things eventually, but this way you can maximize time that you might
otherwisehavespentbeingidle(suchasabusride).Thatway,youcrosstwo
thingsoffthelistatonce!
Learn to say no. I know it can be hard to turn down social events or
extracurriculars,butit's importanttoknowyourlimitssoyoudon'toverload
yourself.Ifyouknowyouhaveabusyweekendwithfriendscomingup,tryto
limit your social calendar during the week so you can get the next week's
homework/reading done early (if it's available in advance).While itmay be
disappointing to stay in on theweeknights, you'll have a stress-free, school-
freeweekendtolookforwardto.Ifyou'reworkingwhileinschool,seeifyou
cantakeonfewerhoursduringbusyweeks,likemidtermsandfinals.
Stayorganized!!Ican'temphasisenoughhowstayingorganizedhelpspeople
manage their time. Prioritize your tasks bywhat's themost important / due
first,anddon'tjusthavealong-termTo-Dolist-createasmalloneeachday
togiveyourselfaconcrete ideaofwhatneeds togetdone.Maintainaclean
workspace, which eliminates constantly having to sift through papers and
binderslookingforyourwork.Takenotesinaplanner,whetheronyourphone
or hard copy (I use both!). It's especially helpful to write down important
dates,liketestsandpaperduedates,assoonasyougetthesyllabus.Also,for
very important reminders that you absolutely cannot miss, I'd suggest the
RemindersappontheiPhonesoyoucanimmediatelybenotifiedevenifyou
haven'tyetcheckedyourhardcopyplanner.
LimityourtimeonsocialmediauntilAFTERyourworkisfinished.Thisisa
big one - it's so easy to get distracted scrolling through our Facebook
newsfeedsorcheckingoutphotosonInstagram.Wecanstartchattingwitha
friendorsurfingthroughTwitterandbeforeweknowit,halfthenightisgone.
Not only that, but if you're trying to write a paper and stopping every five
minutestocheckanotification,thatpaperisgoingtotakesomuchlongerto
write...and the longer it takes and the later it gets, the more sleepy you
become. In between classes or lunch time are great opportunities to check
yourprofiles,butotherwisewaittologinuntilafteryourhomework/studying
andotherresponsibilitiesarecomplete!
AKRAMALASHARI,MDwasthetopstudentinmedicalschoolandtodayis
atraumasurgeonandsurgicalintensivistattheUniversityofFlorida.Akramis
alsotheauthorof,ThePowerofPeakState.Hisadvice:
First,rememberthattherearetwoformsofresources:internalandexternal.
Too much focus is placed on external resources, such as computers, the
internet, other people, etc. Oftentimes, the importance of inner resources is
overlooked. This entails mental strength, courage, perseverance, grit, etc.
Cultivating this resourcefulness will allow the individual to excel despite
challenges.
Second,thereisanextraordinaryamountofidletimeinourlives.Insteadof
letting that time pass underutilized, it is best to maximize productivity by
takingadvantageofit.ThisincludesANYwaitingtime.Forexample,waiting
for thebus, in theairport, inbetweenclasses,etc.Use that timetocomplete
short tasks that would otherwise accumulate and become a larger burden,
suchasrespondingtoemailsorstudying.Anotheroptionwouldbetousethat
timetobecomeproductiveinshortburstsonalargerproject.Thiswillallow
the project to be completed sooner, with less perceived pain and stress. In
addition,shortburstsaremoreeffectivethansloggingatsomethingforhours.
Third,performtasksthatrequirealotofcognitiveenergyduringtimesofthe
daythatyouaremostproductive.Thistimewillvaryforeachperson,butuse
that time toward creative tasks, and tasks that require problem-solving.
Perform tasks that don’t require a lot of mental energy during times of
diminished energy. These tasks include things like cleaning, organizing,
respondingtoemails(thingsthatcanbedoneonautopilot).
KESHAWNBOSTICisasophomoreatNorthfieldMountHermon.Heisalso
a student atBreakthroughNewYork, a nonprofit organization that transforms
the lives ofmotivated, low-income students by preparing them for college so
thattheycansucceedintheworld.Keshawn’sadvice:
Timemanagement
,isabigpartofbeingagoodstudent,andtoputitbluntly,it
isnoteasy.It isallaboutmotivationandself-discipline.Sometimes,youjust
need to tell yourself thatwork ismore important thanasocial life.Thebest
waytodothatistomaketimeworkforyou.
Learn how you work, what time you work best, and where you work best;
whetheryouworkbestrightafterschooloratmidnight,dowhatyouneedto
dotodothebestwork.PersonallyIpreferalamplitroombetweenthehours
of7-10pmforoptimalperformance,butthatisjustme.
There will be times when you will have to ignore friends or that special
girl/guyyou’vebeenSnapchattingeveryday—thisisjusttherealityoflifeasa
student.Butbyhavingthatinitialworktimealone,youcanthenmakethemost
ofyourtimeelsewhere.
JOHNPAULENGELgraduatedfromtheUniversityofIowaandwasnameda
CollegiateScholar.HeearnedanMBAfromtheUniversityofChicago.Today
heisExecutiveDirector,ProjectBetheChange(www.projectbethechange.com).
Hisadvice:
Alwaysgetatleast1weekaheadinyourreadingatthestartofthesemesterin
firstweekofclasses.Thatwayyoucankeeptheworkloadmoreeventhrough
the semester and you will always have read the material the professor or
teacherwillcoverinclass.
Takenotesbyhandmarkingtheimportantpoints.Thenatnighttypethenotes
intoyourcomputer.Thisisgoodreviewanditmakessureyouhaveabackup
ofyournotes.
Makeaonepagestudysheetoftheitemsyouthinkarethemostimportantin
http://www.projectbethechange.com
theclass.Inotherwordsguesswhatisgoingtobeonthetest-hintifitwasin
thebookandtheteachertalkedaboutitinclassthereisagoodchanceitwill
beonthe test.Carryyouronepagestudysheetaroundwithyoueverywhere
yougoandcheckitwhenyouhavefreetime.IT'seasiertolearnalittleata
timethenitistotrytocramthenightbefore.InevergotlessthananAina
classImadeaonepagestudysheet.
Convinceyourselfwhateveryouarestudying is funandwillbe important to
youinlife.IFyouthinkit’shardthenitwillbehard.Ifyoumakeagameofit
creating songsand little gameswith flash cards then youaremore likely to
rememberit.
Whenyoustudyyouneedtostudy.Nocellphone,Facebook,etc.Youneedto
unplugandfocus.Gosomeplacetostudyorstudyatthekitchentable.Ifyou
studyinyourroomyouwillsleeporgetinterruptedbyyourfriends.
Study on Friday nights. Seriously if youwant to bemore than average you
have to do what the average won't do. Most students start the weekend on
Thursdaynight.IfyouworkthroughFridaythenyoucanbesuretogetyour
workdone.Ifnot,thenyoustillhavetwodaysbeforetheworkisdue.
Surroundyourselfbythe5smartestpeopleyoucanfind.Theywillchallenge
you to be better.My friends and I used to compete on who could earn the
highestscoreonatest.Makeitagamewithbraggingrights.
JONATHANFARLEY graduated second in his class at Harvard University,
with29A'sandthreeA-'s.Hisadvice:
First,choosetherightcourses:(a)Don'ttakecoursesyouknownothingabout
just because they look interesting, unless Russian roulette is one of your
favoritegames.(b)Donottaketoomanycourseseachterm.
Second, prepare before each course: learn the subject beforehand; find the
readinglistforthecourseandread.
Third,Joinstudygroups.
Fourth,donotbringa television tocollege.Go tosophisticatedmovieswith
friendsifyouaregoingtowatchascreen:thatwayyouarealwaysimproving
yourself.
KRISTIN GMUNDER is a senior at Villa Walsh Academy in Morristown,
NewJersey.Heradvice:
Every high school and college student loves to watch TV; we're not
fooling anyone.However,we all knowwe don't have time towatchTV
every night of theweek aswewould like to.As students,we know that
eachweektheworkloadisdifferentinweight--someweekswehavevery
littleworkandotherweekswehavesomuchthatwearedrowning.The
way to combat this issue of our TV addictions is to binge watch. Yes,
manypeoplewouldlookatmeweirdlyforsuggestingthatstudentsbinge
watchusingprogramslikeNetflixorHulu,butthisreallyisthebestway
forustoenjoyTVwhenthoseworkloadsarelessandwehavemorefree
time.Thiswaywhenwe'resufferingunderthosetextbooksandthepapers
wehave towrite,we'renot tempted to typenetflix.com into theGoogle
searchbar.
JASON KHOO is part of the President Scholar Program at California State
UniversityFullertonandontheDean’sListfortheMihayloCollegeofBusiness
andEconomics.Hisadvice:
Maintaininggoodgradesishavingagoodunderstandingoftheconstruct
ofyourgrade.Mostclassesareweightedandthusdifferentassignments
and tests have a larger impact on your grade. Know when the most
importantassignments, tests,andprojectsoccur, thenmakesureat that
time you are ready to work. I've seen many people who are excellent
planners and never procrastinate only receive B's and C's. This is
becausetheydon'tproperlyweight theireffort.Knowwhentoput inall
youreffortandknowwhentoeaseback.Thiswillhelpyoustayenergized
butalsonotwasteexcessivetimeonacademics.
ANGELAHANSONwasvaledictorianofherhighschoolgraduatingclassand
isatopstudentatRose-HulmanInstituteofTechnology.Heradvice:
Ihave founditmosthelpful todosomethingrather thannothing.Ifyou
aren't sure what to work on first, just pick something and get started.
Once you get tired of one assignment, either finish it out or move to
somethingelse.Alotoftimeiswasteddecidingwheretostartoravoiding
anassignmentyoudon'tlike.Also,achangeofscenerycanbehelpful.I
now associate my apartment with socializing, so I try to find another
placethatisjustforhomework.Thismakesiteasiertobeproductive.
MARIAM OLADIPO is ranked number one in her senior class at Milton
HersheySchool,inHershey,Pennsylvania.Heradvice:
Duringtheday,ItrytogetasmuchhomeworkdoneaspossiblesothatI'mnot
as swamped at night. It seems towork because I get a good seven to eight
hoursofsleepeverynight.
Forme,it'smorebalancingfriendswithactivities.Withschool,Icanjustplan
astudysessionwherewecangetworkdoneandhangout.Activitiespresenta
differentproblem.ManytimesIhavetoscheduletimejusttohangoutwithmy
friends.It'snotspontaneous,butitisstillfun.
AlotofmyfriendshavesocialmediabutIprefernottobecauseIknowthatit
cantakeupalotoftime.Iprefertotext,call,ortalktopeopleinperson.
Iwouldsaypickthethingstogetinvolvedwiththatyoutrulylove.Youdon't
have tobe involved ina lotofdifferent thingsbecauseyouwon'tbeable to
manageitallwithyourfriends,yourgrades,andyourhealth.Makesurethat
youtaketimeforyourselfsothatyoucanbethebestpersonthatyoucanbe.
JANENINIVAGGIisasenioratUniversityLiggettSchoolandplanstoattend
BarnardCollege.Heradvice:
Thereisnothingwrongwithsocialmedia,butitcantakeoverastudent’slife
iftheyarenotabletodisconnectfromit.Duringexamweeks,IdeleteTwitter
andInstagramoffmyphone.Ialsomakesuretoleavemyphoneathomewhen
thereissomethingthatIknowIneedtoputallofmyfocusinto.
Akeypartofstayingfocusediskeepingyourstandardshigh.AtLiggett,Iplay
severalsportsandamontheStudentCommission,sothathelpstogiveusan
inherent sense of time management. You quickly learn that your time is so
invaluableandyouwant
,tospenditinthemostproductiveway.
Ialsofindwaysontheweekendtocombinemysocialandacademiclife—I
hangoutwith friendswhohavesimilarstandardsandwedo things together
ontheweekendssuchasstudyingforexams.
JACQUELINEKOPICKIisasenioratUniversityLiggettSchoolandplansto
attendMiamiUniversityinOhio.Heradvice:
Iputeverything inmycalendaronmyphone,andIcolorcodemyactivities
and appointments. For example, I will code athletics one color, the school
musicalpracticesanothercolorandmyassignmentsanothercolor.
I think setting your own priorities and figuring out what is most important
helpsyoumanageyourtimeandstayfocused.Forme,schoolcomesfirst,soI
makeitaprioritytofinishmyhomeworkandtalktomyteachersaboutallof
my school-related issues before anything else. At the school, the most
important thing is tohavea close relationshipwith your teachersandother
studentswho are focused. This helps you gain themindset towork on your
schoolworkfirstbeforeyoutackleanythingelse.
GRACELEBRONattendsEastlakeHighSchool.Heradvice:
Ithinkaboutmyfutureconstantlyandit'swhatkeepsmeinline.IknowIwant
to leadahappy,successful lifeandthatgettingmyworkdoneandbeingthe
bestIcanbeinmyeducationalenvironmentisastepintherightdirection.
SayingNo toFriends:You really need to prioritize and consider everything
that'sgoingon.Ifyouknowyouhavetestscomingupyou'renotpreparedfor
orhaveunfinishedassignmentsduethenextday,goingtothemoviesshouldn't
beatthetopofyourlist.
ResistingSocialMedia:PersonallyIsetminigoalsandcheckingsocialmedia
is kindof like I'm rewardingmyself.For example I'd tellmyself thatwhen I
finish two assignments I can check one socialmedia. It's worked out pretty
wellforme.
Time Management: If it's important, then you'll find time for it. School is
important to me so I make time to have all school related things in order
beforeanythingelse.LacrosseandfieldhockeyareimportanttomesoImake
time to put in the necessary work for that as well. Family is also very
importantsoIalwaysmaketimetobewiththemandhelparoundthehouse.
We teenagers do need some downtime though so no matter what, ALWAYS
carveouttimetoenjoyahobbyorjustrelax.It'llkeepyoufromgoingcrazy.
ALIWARSHAYisasenioratWestwoodHighSchoolandisenteringHarvard
College.Ali’sadvice:
A piece of advice Iwould give to helpmanage time is that before anything
else,knowyourorganizationalstrengthsandweaknessesaswellashowmuch
youcanrealisticallycompletewellinagivenday.Ibecomedistractedeasilyif
I don't set a detailed schedule for myself; however, once I've allocated a
specific amount of time for everything onmy to-do list, tasks becomemuch
more manageable. I religiously use the Schedule Planner app, which syncs
withmycalendarandhelpsmevisuallymanagemytime.
I'malsoabigfanoftheStayFocusedapponmycomputer,whichblocksthe
amount of time I can spend each day on specificwebsites (especially social
media).
MORGANMUNSEY isasenioratSullivanEastHighSchoolandwillattend
EastTennesseeStateUniversity.Morgan’sadvice:
Iuseaplannerwithamonthviewandaweeklyview.Iputallclubmeetings,
planned time with friends and family, sport activities, and big tests on the
monthview.DailyitemsIneedtoaccomplishsuchashomeworkandreadingI
keepintheweeklyviewsections.EachnightIspend5-10minutesfocusingon
whatIaccomplished,whatIneedtobetter,andwhatistocomethenextday.
Thishelpskeepmepreparedandlessforgetful.
Iamaprocrastinator.Ialwayshavebeen,andIalwayswillbe.It'ssoeasyto
say,Icandoitlater,andthenforgettodoit.Soratherthanmakinglaterthe
nextdayorinafewhoursIusethetimerfunctiononmyphone.Ifthetimeis
11:13 and I need to study but want to put it off, I give myself 17 minutes.
Although it doesn't seem like much time, this routine satisfies my
procrastinatorpersonality.
Whenever Ihaveamomentof free time ImakeStudyBluenotecards.Rather
thantakingthetimetotypeoutfulldefinitions,Iusethetalktotextoptionon
myiPad.Imaylookalittlesillytothosewatching,butthismakestheprocess
gomuchfaster.SinceImadethenotecardsonStudyBlueIcanstudybasically
anywhereatany time.Thisallowsme to studyevenwhen Ionlyhavea few
minutessuchasbetweenclassesorduringlunch.Theabilitytodothisisgreat
whenyouhaveabusyweek.
I don't have the best handwriting which can make studying more difficult.
When allowed, I love to take notes on Google Docs. The program is
convenientbecause itupdatesasyou typeononedevice toallofyourother
devices.Theprogramalsoallowsforeasycolorchangesandgraphing,which
canmakenotesseemalittlemoreenjoyable.
NATHANREYNOLDSattendsReynoldsburgHighSchool.Hisadvice:
Doyourschoolworkinschool,whenyouhavefreetime.Itgreatlyhelps
at homewhen you have a lot of otherwork to do. If you can't do it in
school, divvy up your work and time so that you have a schedule that
readslike,8-8:30Math,andsoon.Itmakesyoufeeltheneedtogetthe
workdonewithinyourtimelimit,andmakesforfreetimeinyourday.
KRYSTIESEESEisagraduatestudentatPostUniversity.Heradvice:
Ihave found that Iworkbestwhen Iuseaplanner to track theassignments
I’vecompletedanddenotetheassignmentsIstillowe.Thisprocesshasyetto
failme.At thebeginningofeachweek Iplanwhat Iwillcompleteeachday
specifically. This helps alleviate the overwhelming feeling of seeing 10-12
assignmentsthatneedtobedone.AsIcompletethem,Icheckthemoff.Simple
asthat!Inaddition,thissystemhashelpedmeensurethatallworkdueeach
weekiscompletedontime.
Onthatsamenote,itisbesttoplantocompleteassignmentswhenyouknow
youhavetime.Forexample,IsetasideeverySundayformyschoolwork.Iget
as much done as I can on Sundays, and spread out completing unfinished
assignmentsthroughouttheremainderoftheweek.Thistakesthestressoffof
cominghomefromalongdayatworkandstillhavingatonofschoolworkto
do. I’ve found thekey tosuccess inanonlineprogram is toplanaheadand
havethedisciplinetofollowthrough.
SHANEWOLFisacandidateforvaledictorianofBridgewayAcademy’s2015
graduating class and plans to attend the College of Southern Maryland. His
advice:
Asahomeschoolstudentthedemandsonmytimecanbealittledifferentthan
thatofmypeers.Nevertheless,Iwouldarguetimemanagementskillsareeven
more imperative for homeschooling students than traditional students. As a
homeschooler,Iamtaskeddailytowritemyownschedule,sticktodeadlines,
and balance my schoolwork with extracurricular activities, without the
watchfuleyeofateacher.
One thing I learned early on is that scheduling is so important. Having a
scheduleistheeasiestwaytoknowwhatyouhavegoingonandwhatneedsto
becompleted.IuseMicrosoftExceltowriteoutmyschedule,whereIinclude
information likemy extracurricular activities, job, and current coursework.
My parents taughtmemy education is very important and comes first, so I
prioritize my academics. To ensure I keep my grades up, I identify which
projects need to be completed first and foremost. If I’m struggling in a
particularsubject,Itrytoallowmyselfmore
,timetofocusandconcentratemy
energiesthere.Thishelpsmekeepmygradesupacrosstheboard,andnotjust
inthesubjectsImayhaveastrongerinterestin.
CHAPTER21
TimeSecretsof239Entrepreneurs
Innovators, risk takers, dream chasers, business moguls, self-made
millionaires…inotherwords,entrepreneurs.Arguablynoothergroupfeels the
pressure ofmultiple obligations.Most are overseeing sales aswell as product
development.Customer service and raising capital. Podcasting,writing books,
speakingatconferences.Howdoentrepreneursmanagetobesoproductive?
Icollectedover25,000wordsfromentrepreneursinresponsetomyquestions
about time management and productivity. With such diversity in people and
answersthereisofcoursenooneconsistentanswertoincreasingproductivity.
However,astheanswersstartedcomingbackwhatdidsurprisemewashow
many entrepreneurs brought up the importance of a morning routine. These
responseswere totallyunaided—Ididn’taskabout their routine,or if theyhad
one,andwasactuallystartledbyhowmanybroughtitup.
Otherthemesthatemergedincludedtheimportanceofschedulingeverything
youwanttoaccomplishonyourcalendar,thedangersofunmanagedemail,and
theneedforfocus.Nomulti-taskingforthisgroup.
Thefulluneditedcommentsreceivedfromentrepreneursappearbelow.
StephanAarstol(Twitter:@stephansarstol)
www.towerpaddleboards.com
Freetimedoesn'tmaterializebyitself.Youhavetomanufacturerit.Steponeis
totrytostripdownyourcurrentresponsibilitiestothebareminimum.It'sa
managementbyabsencepractice.Youbasicallyjuststopdoingcertainthings
thatyoupreviouslythoughtwerenonnegotiable...thenyouseewhatbreaks.
Maybestopansweringthephone.MaybestopcomingtoworkonWednesdays.
Maybeonlydoemailatacoffeeshopwithyourlaptopthathasabatterylifeof
90minutes.Thenseewhatbreaks.You'llbesurprisedathowmuchdoesn't
break.Itwillalsoforceyoutocleanupyourprocessesbecauseyouwill
basicallybeoperatingatthelevelofproductivity,butwithasignificantly
reducedinputoftime.Then,youtakethefreetimeanddevoteitentirelytoyour
nextproject,orsomesortofbusinessdevelopmentfunction,100%.Ididthis
whenItransitionedfrommypokerchipcompanyBuyPokerChips.comto
TowerPaddleBoards.com.IgotmytimecommitmentonBuyPokerChips.com
downtoabout12-15hoursperweek(from40-50).Iliterallyspendallof
TuesdayandThursdayexploringnewbusinessideas,aswellashalftheday
MWF.TheresultisIwentfromhavingabusinessdoing$500Kperyearwithno
growthprospects,toonenowwhereIdid$5Mlastyearandwasnamedthe
fastestgrowingprivatecompanyinSanDiego.Iattributethatleaptothisexact
process.
StephanAarstolistheCEOandFounderofTowerPaddleBoards,andapast
contributortoFastCompany,Entrepreneur,SearchEngineJournal,Inc.&
otherpublications.
AmandaAbella(Twitter:@amandaabella)
www.amandaabella.com
ThebesttimemanagementtipI'veimploredistostopobsessingovertime
managementtipsandinsteadworkwithmybody.Ihavedeadlines,ofcourse,
butonadailybasisIworkaccordingtohowmybodyisfeeling.Forexample,
I'mnotreallyamorningpersonsoinsteadofworkingIusuallyspendearly
morningexercisingorslowlygettingmyenergyup.
AmandaAbellaisabestsellingauthor,speaker,andcreatoroftheMakeMoney
YourHoneymethodology.
MikiAgrawal(Twitter:@twinmiki)
www.mikiagrawal.comandwww.docoolshit.org
IusedtheGmaillab"CannedResponses"tosendmultipleemailsthataresimilar
faster,IuseBoomerangtocueupemailstosendontheday/timethatIchoose,I
useRapportiveforGmailtogetbasicinfoaboutwhoisemailingme,IuseSlack
tocommunicatequicklywithmyteam,andexpensifyapptomanageallofmy
receiptssoIdon'thavetokeepanyreceipts.It'sallaboutusingthegreattools
thatexistforefficiencythroughouttheday.
MikiAgrawalisabestsellingauthorofDoCoolShitandaserialsocial
entrepreneur.SheistheCEOandco-founderofTHINX:ForWomenwith
Periodsandfounderofthegluten-freepizzaconceptWILD.Shewasnamedby
Forbes"Top20MillenialsOnaMission".
NellieR.Akalp
www.immad.me
First,establishadedicatedworkspace.Creatingboundariesbetweenyour‘work’
and‘personal’livesiscritical.Ifpossible,trytogiveyourselfadedicatedoffice,
withadoortoshutoutunwanteddistractions.Second,makegooduseofyour
productivetime.Productivityexpertswilltellyoutosetspecificofficehours
whenyouworkfromhome.However,it’simportanttorememberthatthese
hoursdon’thavetobe9-5(unless,ofcourse,yourscheduleisdictatedbya
clientoremployer).Third,endyourdaywithatasklistfortomorrow.When
creatingyourlist,trytomakeyourtaskitemsasconcreteaspossible;anabstract
taskitemlike‘findmoreclients’won’thelpyoufocus.
NellieR.Akalpisthefounder&CEOofCorpNetIncorporated.
ImmadAkhund(Twitter:@immad)
www.immad.me
Makeyourselfresponsiblefortwoorthreecorethingsandempower/trustother
peopletodoeverythingelse.Thismeansyouwilldoagreatjobwiththingsthat
youconsidercoreandwillempowerothersyouworkwithtotakeresponsibility
andgetthingsdone.
ImmadAkhundisCEOandfounderofHeyzap,aprofitableandVCfunded
leadingmobileadvertisingcompany.
GlenAllsopp(Twitter:@viperchill)
www.viperchill.com
Ifyourcurrentlifesituationhasnotyetreachedtheheightsyou'reaimingfor,
yourdaymustbedictatedtowardssuccess,byyou.Evenifyouhaveabossand
havecolleagueswhichrequireyoutohelpthemwithtasks,thefirstthingI
recommenddoingeachdayistowritedownwhichhoursyouwilldedicateto
whichtasks.Ifyougetanemailbeforeemailtimeisscheduledinyourday,
ignoreit.Asyoucrossoffeveryitem,you'llfeelempoweredthatyouplanned
somethingandmadeithappen—nomatterhowsmall—whichwillspuryouonto
thenextpoint.
Glenwasnamedan“SEOExpert”bytheGuardiannewspaperatage21and
runsthepopularmarketingbrand,ViperChill.
MaxAltschuler(Twitter:@maxalts)
www.saleshacker.com
FindavirtualassistantinthePhilippinesandoutsourceanythingthatyou
yourselfdonotneedtodo.Doitfirst,documenttheprocess,andthenhanditoff
tothem.Startyourdaywithagoodhabitthatmanydon'tdo,likemakingthe
bed.Thisgetsyourdayofftoaproductivestart.Putyouremailinboxonyour
phoneonthelastscreenallbyitself.Thiswaywhenyoulookatyourphoneyou
don'tseetheappiconunlessyou'reactuallytryingtocheckyouremail.This
keepsyoufromcheckingyouremailconstantly.Checkingemailtoomuchisa
hugeproductivitykiller.
MaxAltschuleristheCEOofSalesHackerInc,aglobalmediacompany
focusedonbringthenewesttactics,strategies,andtechnologiestosales
organizationseverywhere.Healsowrotethebestsellingbook,HackingSales.
JamesAltucher(Twitter:@jaltucher)
www.jamesaltucher.com
Ifsomethingisnota"hell,YEAH!"thenit'sa"no!"
JamesAltucherstartedandsoldseveralbusinesses,isabestsellingauthor,an
activeinvestorandadviser,andamediocrepodcaster.
RaoulAnderson(Twitter:@raoula)
www.andersonmorgan.com
Myphilosophyinrunningabusinessacrossmultiplecountriesandmultipletime
zonesistoempowerthelocalpeopletomakedecisionsthatbenefittheirlocal
area.Thisallowsquickdecisionstobemadewithoutimplementingalarge
systemlinedwithredtapethatnaturallyimpedesefficiencyandresponse
speeds.MyfavouriteappforkeepingmyscheduleorganizedisTempo.Itnot
onlypullsmycalendarsfrommultiplesources,butalsoprovidesasingle,simple
interfacetoalertmeofthingsImaybeinterestedinthathavebeenpostedon
social
,medialikeTwitter,LinkedInandFacebookwithoutinterruptingmyday.
RaoulAndersonisthefounderofAndersonMorgan,atechnologycompany
startedinasmallregionalareainTasmaniathatnowspanstheglobewith
operationsinAustralia,Canada,andtheUnitedStates.
DaveArnold(Twitter:@davejarnold16)
www.davearnoldspeaks.com
Writedownthethreethingsyouaremostpassionateaboutandkeepit
somewhereyoucanseeconstantly.Keepthosethreethingsbeforeyouandfocus
onworkingtowardthem;asaresult,thiswillhelpyoukeepfocusedandnotget
suckedintodoingthingswhichwillnothelpyouthrive.
DaveArnoldisaminister,speaker,coach,andbestsellingauthor.
NikhilArora&AlejandroVelez(Twitter:@BTTRventures)
www.backtotheroots.com
Focus—truefocusissayingnotothethingsYOUreallywanttodo.
Essentialism—starteachweekandeachmorningbyaskingyourselfwhatarethe
threemostessentialthingsthathavetobedonetoday/thisweektoimpactthe
businessmost.Keepthatlistinfrontofyouthroughoutthedaysotheblackhole
ofemaildoesn'tsuckyouup!Findpartnerswhodowhatyoucandobetterand
workwiththem!Don'ttrytodoeverythingyourself—westartedofftryingto
collectcoffeegrounds,growmushrooms,sellmushrooms,doourown
packagingdesign,ourownsales,etc.—itwasjusttoomuchandweweren't
doinganyofitverywell!We'vesincefoundpartnersthatletusfocuson
developingproducts,gettingthemoutthere,andbuildingacommunityaround
them!
NikhilArora&AlejandroVelezco-foundedBacktotheRootsin2009.Thetwo
havebeennamedoneofBusinessWeek’sTop25Entrepreneursunder25,Inc.’s
30Under30,Forbes’30Under30,andCNN’s10NextEntrepreneur’sto
watch.BacktotheRootswasnamedoneofMarthaStewart’sTop10American
Madecompanies,#373totheINC5000list,andhasbeenrecognizedforits
innovationbyPresidentObama.
ArjunArora(Twitter:@ArjunDArora)
www.immediatelyApp.com
First,beruthlessaboutyourcalendar—sticktoit,hellorhighwaterbutcreate
spaceforunstructuredtimeaswell.Second,forcingfunctions—usethemtoyour
advantagetogetthingsdone.Havepeopleshowupforeventsonthecalendar
thatyouhavetobeat—thatforceyoutodocertainthingsquickly.Work
expandstofillthetimeyougiveit.Third,takecareofyourself—createspace
andtimeinyourcalendarforthingsforyou.Youare100xmoreproductive
whenyouarewelltakencareof.Mypersonalexample:Iworkoutbeforelunch
MondaythroughFriday.That’smytime.Fourth,nevereatalone—yougethuge
leveragefromastrongnetwork,builditout.Knowingthepersonwhocanget
youwhatyouneedandwhoiswillingtohelpyouwillsaveyouhoursandhours
oftime.
ArjunAroraistheco-founderofImmediatelyandfounderandformerCEOof
ReTargeter.HehasbeenrecognizedattheWhiteHouse,attheUN,andatthe
GlobalSummitforentrepreneurshipforhissuccessandcommitmenttoavalues
centeredorganization.
YasmineArrington(Twitter:@yazziespeaks)
www.scholarchipsfund.com
Balanceineverythingyoudoiskeytosuccessfultimemanagement!Thereare
onlysomanyhoursinaday,soyoumustprioritizewhatneedstobedoneeach
day.Makealistweeklyordailyofwhatmustbedoneoncertaindaysandwhat
taskscanwaittilthenextday.Checkthemoffasyougo.Checkingoffitemson
your"ToDo"listwillhelpyouvisuallykeeptrackofyourprogressandgiveyou
aneededsenseofaccomplishment.Timemanagementdoesnotonlyinclude
prioritizingbusinesstasks,butalsoyourhealth(timeforexercisingandeating),
timeforasufficientamountofsleep,andrecreationaltime.Todaythereare
manymobileandonlineappsthatcanhelpyouwithtimemanagementand
schedulingsuchasGoogleCalendarandWunderlist,howevermyfavorite
remainstheold-fashionedwrittenplanner.IalsofindthatIammostproductive
earlyinthemorningorlateatnight,whenitisreallyquiet.Itallowsforbetter
concentration—thoughsomepeopledobetterconcentratinginaplacewith
backgroundnoise.Thefactofthematteris,youmustfindwhatworksbestfor
youandstickwithit.
YasmineArringtonisthefounderandexecutivedirectorofthenon-profit
ScholarCHIPS(forChildrenofIncarceratedParents).Yasminestarted
ScholarCHIPSasajuniorinhighschool.
JulieAustin(Twitter:SpeakerSponsor)
www.createforcash.comBecauseIworkanaverageofatleast12hoursaday,I
havetomakesureIdoallheavybrainworkinthemorning(likewriting),and
repetitivework(likefillingorders)laterintheday.
JulieAustinisaninventor,multiplebusinessowner,andinnovationkeynote
speaker.
AndreeaAyers(Twitter:@andreeaayers)
www.LaunchGrowJoy.comBeforeIsitdowntoworkeverymorning,Igofora
30minutewalktoclearmyheadandplanforthedayahead.Ialsoknowthatmy
mostcreativetimeisbeforelunch,soIhaveblockedoff9-12everydayforwork
-Idon'ttakeanyphonecallsordoanyinterviewsduringthattime.ThatwayI
canbeatmymostproductiveeverymorningwithoutanydistractions!
AndreeaAyersisthefounderofLaunchGrowJoy.com,whichisTHEgo-to
sourceforproductentrepreneurswhowantmorepress,moreexposure,more
success,andmoresales.
JustinBaeder(Twitter:@eduleadership)
www.eduleadership.orgWeknowthatwhatgetsscheduledtendstobewhatgets
done,andifsomethingdoesn'tmakeitontothecalendar,it'sfarmorelikelyto
remainonthe“to-do”listforever.Butmostofushavefarmoretodothanwe
canfitintoourschedules.Howcanwegetthemostimportantworkscheduled
andcompleted,withoutaddingmorehourstotheday?Threetoolscanwork
togethertohelpusaccomplishmoreofwhatmattersinthetimeavailabletous:
1)Anelectronicto-dolist.2)Aleadershipagenda,awrittensetofgoals,major
projects,andpriorities.3)Acalendar.Anelectronic“to-do”listisagreattool
fororganizing,prioritizing,andkeepingtrackoftasks,butitdoesn'tsolvethe
schedulingproblem.Sincewecan'tmaketimeinourscheduleforeverysingle
task,weneedafilter.Theagendaservesasthefilterbetweenyouroverflowing
andunrealistic“to-do”list,andtheharshrealityofyourcalendar.Asyouplan
yourweek,reviewyouragendaandyour“to-do”list,andscheduletheworkthat
appearsinboth.You'llfindthatyouneedtoaddtaskstoyour“to-do”listto
reflectyourpriorities,andeliminateothersthatdon'tfityouragenda.You'll
noticewhenyouragendaneedstobeupdated,andyou'llbeabletoseehowwell
youruseoftimelinesupwithyourpriorities.
JustinBaederisaspeaker,leadershipconsultant,anddirectorofThePrincipal
Center,aprofessionaldevelopmentfirmsupportingschoolleadersin34
countriesthroughvideo-basedonlineprograms.
JayBaer(Twitter:@jaybaer)
www.ConvinceAndConvert.orgEveryyear,audityourtimeandfindawayto
delegateatleast15%ofwhatyou'redoing.
JayBaeristhefounderofConvince&Convert,akeynotespeaker,andbest
sellingauthorofYoutility.
CraigBallantyne(Twitter:@craigballantyne)
www.EarlyToRise.comGetup15-minutesearlierthaneveryoneelseinyour
houseandgetintotheoffice15-minutesbeforeeveryoneelse.Youcansolve
anyprobleminyourlifeifyoudevote15-minutesoffocusedthinkingtoitfirst
thinginthemorningeveryday.
CraigBallantyneisthecreatorofTurbulenceTraining,theworld'sbest
metabolichomeworkout,andistheeditorofEarlyToRise.com.
ZviBand(Twitter:skeevis)
www.zviband.comEverySunday,Itake30minutestoidentifywhatmycore
goalsareforthecomingweek,andhavethatonmydeskatalltimes.Believeit
ornot,themosteffectivethingI'vefound,whichI'vepracticedforthepasteight
years,istohaveasmallpapernotepadonmydeskatalltimes.I'vepracticedthe
sameritual—thefirstthingIdointhemorning
,iswritedownthelistofactionsI
havetodo,carryingoveranythingfrompreviousdays.I'llcrossoffandadd
tasksduringtheday,aswellasrecordnotes.Despiteallthedigital“to-do”tools,
nothingI'vefoundbeatshavingapieceofpaperandseeingthingsgetcrossed
off.
Zviistheco-founderandCEOofContactually,acontactmanagementplatform
thathelpsprofessionalsturnrelationshipsintoresults.
EricBandholz(Twitter:@bandholz)
www.beardbrand.comInlife,thereisonlyonething—action.Whatareyou
currentlydoingatthismomentandhowisithelpingtoimproveyourlife?You
havethesameamountoftimeinadayaseveryoneelseontheplanet.Howyou
breakupthatdaywillultimatelydeterminethelegacyyoubuild.Thebeautiful
thingaboutthisiswhenyourecognizethatyouare100%incontrolofyour
actions,thenyoucandowhateverthehellyouwant.Ifyoureallywanttobe
betterattimemanagement,thenstartactingonit;everythingelsewillfallin
line.
EricBandholzisthefounderofBeardbrand,acompanythatischangingtheway
societyviewsbeardsmenthroughbeardcare.
JeetBanerjee(Twitter:@TheJeetBanerjee)
www.JeetBanerjee.comMybesttimemanagementorproductivitytipiswaking
upbrightandearlyeverymorningtocreatealistoftasksthatmustgetdone
eachday.IcreatealistofalltheitemsIwanttogetdoneinasingleday.After
that,Iordereachitembasedontheimportanceofit.Atthetop,Ihavealistof
thethingsthatmustgetdonebeforetheendofthedaytoallofthelowerlevel
stuff.Thathelpsmestayfocusedandtacklethemostimportantitemsatthe
beginningoftheday.
JeetBanerjeeisa22yearoldserialentrepreneur,digitalmarketingconsultant,
TEDxspeaker,andbestsellingauthor.
CorbettBarr(Twitter:@corbettbarr)
www.fizzle.coIstayproductivebydevelopingandmaintainingwhatIcalla
personal"operatingsystem,"whichisasetofprocesses,tools,andcheckpoints
thatdefinehowIgetworkdoneeveryday.Thespecificsofanoperatingsystem
differfrompersontoperson,buttheimportantthingisthatyouhaveone,and
youworktomakeitbetterasyoulearnmoreabouthowyouworkandwhat's
importanttoyou.
CorbettBarrisco-founderandCEOofFizzle,acommunityandtraining
platformforentrepreneurs.
MarniBattista(Twitter:@MarniBattista)
www.DatingWithDignity.comInadditiontoapersonalizeddailyplanner
tailoredtomyneeds,IalsousesomethingcalledtheCALMProsperityProcess.
AsthefounderofDatingwithDignityandwithmorethan25yearsofpersonal
relationshipanddatingexperience,MarniBattistahasdated,wasmarriedfor
17years,divorced,andthensuccessfullydatedagain(andmarried!)inthe21st
century.
SamanthaBell(Twitter:@SamBe11)
www.SamanthaBell.com.auGmailinboxpause—forwhenemailexplosions
happenduringbigworkloads,moveunimportantemailsintothehiddenpaused
folder.Boomerangapp—scheduleemailstoreturnwhenmorerelevant.Recruit
well,includetrialperiodstofindyourgreatcrew.Findpeoplewhoarefunand
easytocollaboratewithandwhocansensewhatyouneedtobeinflow.From
TimFerriss—nomeetingsonMonday(plantheweekthatday)andFridays
(life/workchores).Inboxzeroasoftenaspossible.
SamanthaBellistheco-founderofDoLecturesAustralia.
SophiaBera(Twitter:@sophiabera)
www.GenYPlanning.comIfI'mfeelingstuckandIdon'twanttostartaproject,I
setmyphonefor30minutesandtellmyselfthatIonlyhavetoworkforthat
amountoftime.Oncethetimeisup,Iusuallyjustspendafewminutesfinishing
theproject.OftentimesIsurprisemyselfbyhowmuchIcangetdonewithjust
30minutesoffocusedwork.IlovedoingyogaandeverySundayIlookatmy
calendarandplanoutmyyogascheduleforthenextweek.Byputtingitonmy
calendarwithmyotherappointments,Iactuallyendupgoingfourtofivetimes
perweekinsteadofonetotwotimeswhenIdidn'ttakethetimetoputitonmy
calendar.Myothertipistodowalkingmeetings.AnymeetingthatIdon'tneed
totakenotesfor,Itrytoturnintoawalkingmeetingandjustpopinmyearbuds
whileIgooutside.Ifindthatsittinginfrontofthecomputerformorethanafew
hoursmakesmestircrazysothisisagreatwaytousethetimewithintime.I'm
alsomorefocusedonwhattheotherpersonisactuallysayinginsteadofbeing
distractedbymycomputer.Ibelievethatfindingwaystoexerciseormove
throughoutthedayisoneofthebestthingswecandoforourproductivity.
SophiaBera,CFPisavirtualfinancialplannerformillennialsandthefounder
ofGenYPlanning.
LauraBerg(Twitter:@LauraBergInc)
www.LauraBergInc.comItrytousethe‘touchitonce’principlewhenchecking
emails.Ifyouopenanemail,youanswerit.BeforeIwouldwastesomuchtime
readingthroughemailsandthenmarkingthem‘unread’sothatIcouldcome
backtothemwhenIhadmoretime.Now,ifIdon’thavetimetoanswerthemI
don’topenthem.Thinkaboutit,evenifyoutake30secondstore-readanemail
thatyou’vealreadyreadoverthecourseofaweekyouarewastingvaluable
minutes,thoseminutesaddup.Whenyouareanentrepreneuryourtimeis
precioussodon’twasteitre-readingemails.Ofcourse,thereisanexception
whenyouneedtogiveanemailsomethoughtbutItrymybesttoalways‘touch
itonce’.
LauraBergisthepresidentofMySmartHandsandauthoroftheBabySigning
Bible.Sheisanexpertinvideomarketing,certifiedthroughGoogleasa
YouTubespecialist.ShesuccessfullyusedYouTubetogrowhercompanyintoan
internationallyrecognizablebrand.
JonahBerger(Twitter:@j1berger)
www.jonahberger.comMeetings,phonecalls,andemailscanbreakupyour
entiredayifyouletthem,leavingyoulittletimetogetanybigthinkingdone.
Makesuretoblockofftimetogetimportantthingsdone.Cancelmeetingsyou
don'tneed.Andonlycheckemailafewtimesaday.Youwon'tmissmuchbut
you'llsavealotoftime.
JonahBergerisamarketingprofessorattheWhartonSchoolattheUniversity
ofPennsylvania,andbestsellingauthorofContagious:WhyThingsCatchOn.
WarrenBobrow(Twitter:@warrenbobrow1)
www.cocktailwhisperer.comDon'tbeafraidtodream—tofindoutwhatisyour
passion!Ittookmetwentyyearstorealizemineandwhatarealizationitis!
WarrenBobrowreinventedhimselffromcook/pastamaker,totobankteller,to
privatebankingexecutiveassistantfortwentyyears,tooffshoring,tobecoming
athricepublishedauthoronthetopicofliquor/mixology.
NormBour(Twitter:@vapementors)
www.VapeMentors.comGooglecalendarhasbecomeagreatfriendfordaily
schedulingandAsana,forprojectmanagementwithmyteam.Schedulingphone
callsandhavingitloadtomyphoneisaGod-send!
Lifelongentrepreneur,developerofVapeMentorsandVAPEU,whichsupport
businessesinthevapingandelectroniccigarettespace.
FarnooshBrock(Twitter:@prolificliving)
www.prolificliving.comWatchwhatyouputinyourmouth:Eatahigh-energy
inducingdiet.Yourdietcouldn’tbemoreinstrumentaltoyourproductivity.
Trustinthisevenifit'saninvisiblelink.Ifyouliveonsodas,junksnacksand
fastfoods,youarewillinglyhandingoverhoursofpowerproductivityoverto
yourbodysoitcandigestanddealwiththe“food”ratherthanunleashyourown
creativegenius.Caseinpoint:howproductiveyoufeelafteraheavylunchora
dayofeatingpoorlyonaroadtrip?Thinkhowmuchmoreeffortittakestojust
focuswhenyouaretiredanddizzyfromahangover?Nowcomparethistohow
productiveandclearandenergeticyoufeelafteranutrientrichmeal,suchas
healthyproteins,agreenjuiceorarawsalad?Myfirstandbiggestadvicetoyou
istoradicallyimproveyourdietifyouwanttotoenjoymassiveproductivityand
creativityinyourdailylife.
FarnooshBrockisanex-corporate,
,publishedauthor,businesscoach,speaker,
andishopelesslydevotedtoyogaandworldtraveling.Afteralongcorporate
career,shestartedProlificLivingtohelpcareeristsintransitionwithbuilding
theirprofitableside-hustlesandfullonlinebusinesses.
ChrisBrogan(Twitter:@chrisbrogan)
www.chrisbrogan.comIworkmoreontimealignment.Isthispartofmy
mission?Doesthisserveothersorstrengthenmyabilitytoserveothers?Those
twoquestionskeepmetighttomymap.That'showIbestmanagemytimeand
priorities.
ChrisBrogan,CEOofOwnerMediaGroup,helpspeoplegrowtheir
capabilitiesandconnections.
RobertBrooks(Twitter:@drrobertbrooks)
www.drrobertbrooks.comMuchofmyprofessionaltimeinvolveswritingand
planningmypresentationsandworkshops.Ihavefoundthattousemytime
mosteffectivelyandbemostproductive,I(a)exercisefirstthinginthemorning
sinceexerciseissuchanimportantpartofouroverallhealthandcreativity,(b)
domostofmywritinginthemorningsincethatiswhenIammostalert,(c)
chooseandfocusasmuchaspossibleonthoseactivitiesandtopicsthatarenot
onlyofgreatinteresttomebutalsoaddmeaningandpurposetomylifeby
enrichingthelivesofothers(creatingmeaningandpurposehelpmetoremain
motivatedandfocusedandareimportantdimensionsofresilience),(d)avoid
self-blame,whichwastestimeandenergy,andrecognizethatsomedaysarejust
notgoingtobeasproductiveasotherdays,and(e)makecertainIengagewith
friendsandfamilyinactivitiesnotrelatedtomyprofessionallife.Idonotuse
anappfortimemanagementorproductivity.Idiscussthemainthemesofmy
approachinmybookThePowerofResilience:AchievingBalance,Confidence,
andPersonalStrengthinYourLife,publishedbyMcGraw-Hill.
Dr.RobertBrooksisaclinicalpsychologist,author,andkeynotespeakerwho
addressessuchtopicsasresilience,motivation,positiveworkenvironments,
familyrelationships,effectiveleadership,andbalancingourpersonaland
professionallives.
SunniBrown(Twitter:@sunnibrown)
www.sunnibrown.comAdvice:Outsourcetheproblemtoyoursubconscious.
Theverbal,consciousbrainformsprettystronghabitpatterns.Toalterthe
thinkingpaths,tosolvereallychallengingproblems,thebrainneedstodeployits
diversefunctionality—differentnetworks,differentparts,differentassociations.
Onceyouhavetheinformationyouneed,thefoundationforcreativethinkingis
established,thenyoucanoftentrustthesubconscioustouseitsuntapped
horsepowertoprovidesolutions.Walkawayfromtheproblemandtrustthat
yourdeepermindandbodywillshowupandofferaresponse.
SunniBrownisfounderofacreativeconsultancy,aninternationalspeaker,co-
authorofthebestsellingbookGamestorming,andauthorofOprah.com's"must-
read"TheDoodleRevolution.Shewasnamedoneofthe“100MostCreative
PeopleinBusiness”andoneofthe“10MostCreativePeopleonTwitter”by
FastCompany.
HowardBrown(Twitter:@HowardBrown)
www.RingDNA.comTome,thesecrettotimemanagementisactuallycreating
moretimethroughincreasedproductivity.Butthatdoesn’tmeanIhavetowork
harder.Isimplyinvestonehouramonthtoresearchandtestnewproductivity
toolsthatcanautomatemundanetasks.We’reluckytoliveinatimeof
remarkableinnovation,sothere’salwayssomethingnew,amazing(andoften
free)thatcanmakeyouatleast1%moreproductive.Theprocesshasbeenso
effectiveformethatitinspiredmetocreatemycompany,RingDNA,which
buildssalesaccelerationappsthatmakesalesteamsmoreproductive.
Whateveryourindustryis,Iencourageyoutoseekoutproductivityapps.Ifyou
haveroutine,repetitivetasksinyourlife,oddsarethatsomeonehasinventeda
shortcut.Ifyoucanfindjustoneortwosmallsolutionseachmonth,you’llsoon
findthatyouactuallyhavealotmoretimetomanage.
HowardBrownisathree-timeentrepreneurwithaproventrackrecordof
successandinnovationinmarketing,sales,andcloudcomputing.Hispassion
forrevenueperformanceoptimizationthroughtechnologywasthecatalystfor
creatingRingDNA.
WilliamBrown(Twitter:@williamdeanchoc)
www.williamdeanchocolates.comOneofmyfavoritequotesfrommydaysin
corporatethatItrulybelieveleadstosuccessis"Plantheworkthenworkthe
plan".CreativityiswhatmakesmewhoIambutlikeothercreativeminded
people...itcanbehardtostayontaskandwithoutablueprint,nothinggetsbuilt.
Wealsouseasystemwherewedevelopaplanforthenextdayandprioritize
fivetasksthatneedtobedonebyeachperson,someareindividualwhilesome
maybegrouptask.Wethenputallothertasksonanothersheetanddothem
whentheirpriorityistopsorafterfinishingthetop5tasksfortheday.It's
amazingtomehowproductivitybuildsoffthesuccessofcompletingtasksand
movingtothenext.Webegin/endeachdaythesameinthekitchenwithashort
huddleaboutwhatarethetopgoalsandattheendoftheday,everyoneworks
togethertocleanupsowearepreparedtohitthegroundrunningthenextday.I
findthatmakingchocolatesisnotunlikemydaysbackincorporateAmerica.
WhenIstartwithaplan,Iendwithproductivityandsatisfaction...withoutaplan
itcanseemaverylong,aimlessandunproductivedayandIlikethefeelingofa
dayofaccomplishmentoveroneofuncertainty.
WilliamBrownisfounder,PresidentandChiefChocolateOfficerofWilliam
DeanChocolates.WilliamDeanChocolatesisanartisanchocolatecompany
locatedinBelleairBluffsFloridawhoseproductshaveappearedinTheHunger
Gamesseriesandhavewonover100awardsnationally.Williamwasselected
asoneoftheTop10ChocolatiersinNorthAmericafor2014byDessert
Professional.
StephanieBurns(Twitter:@StephanieABurns)
www.stephanie-burns.comIhavealotofdifferenttoolsIusetokeepmyselfand
mytimeorganized.Firstly,Ialwaysscheduleonedayaweekwherethereareno
callsandnomeetings.Iamcompletelyunavailablethatday.Iusethosedaysto
powerthroughthingsIneedtogetdonewithoutthedistractions.Iuseatool
calledFollowupthen.comtohelpmeremembertofollowuponemailsor
reminders.IlovethistoolbecauseIcanhaveanemailsentbacktomeinone
minuteoroneyear.Finally,Ischeduleinallrecurringremindersinmycalendar
soIcanforgetthem.Forexample,IscheduleineverythreemonthsthatIneed
togetmyoilchanged,everysixmonths,togetmyteethcleaned,everyyearto
paymycarregistration.Ican'tkeepthosethingsinmyhead,soIputthemallon
thecalendarandforgetaboutit.
StephanieBurnsisanauthor,speaker,andfounderofChicCEO,aglobal
onlineresourceforfemaleentrepreneurs.
JulieBusha(Twitter:@julesbusha)
www.slawsa.comBecauseIwearmanyhatsandamatype-Apersonality,Ifind
thatlistskeepmeorganizedthemost.Attheendoftheday,Ire-createmylist
forthefollowingday,prioritizingtasksandmakingsurethatIhandleany
delegationearlierintheday.Whentheplanisset,youcansleepalittleeasierat
night.Ialsopurposefullyaddsometaskstothelistthataren'turgentorrequired
thatdaybecausethepossibilityofdoingitearlykeepsmeaheadofthegame
knowingunanticipatedprojectscanandwillariseinthefuture.Therealityisthat
Iknowthatmylistwilllikelytriplebydaysendandthereisasenseof
satisfactionandaccomplishmenttophysicallycrossoffthatgrowinglistthat
keepsyouenergizedthroughthefinish.
JulieBushaistheCEOofNicoleFoods,creatorofSlawsa,whichhasemerged
asoneofthemostinnovativecondimentsinthegroceryindustry.
GrantCardone(Twitter:@grantcardone)
www.GrantCardone.comIdon’taddtimetoactivities.Hell,Iwearadifferent
watcheachdayandIdon’teventakethetimetosetthem.
,Igetasmuchdoneas
IcanasquicklyasIcan,wastenotimeonthelittlethingsandifImessupIwill
gobackandcleanitup.Timeisthedrugofchoiceandthesideeffectisfear—
addtimeyoufeelfear.Myfirstbook,SellorBeSold,waswritteninthreehours
andhadtonsofgrammarissues.Bythetimewesoldoutthefirstrun,Ihad
peopletellingmeaboutthegrammarerrors.Itoldthem,“It’snotabestwritten
book,itsabestsellingbook.”Wecleanedthebookuponthenextrunandit
becameanaward-winningbookinbusiness.
Ileaveperfectionforothers.Anyonethattellsyoutogetitrightthefirsttime
isn’tdoingenough.Speedisthenewbig!Removethebrake,accelerateandget
yourideasoutaheadofeveryoneelse.Whileothersarefiguring,youcanbe
doing.Theoldfablesuggeststhatthetortoisewinsoverthehare.Therealityis,
intheneweconomyifyouwanttobeamillionaireyouhavetobethetortoise
andthehare.Ileaveperfectiontotheperfectionist;I,instead,haveelectedto
produce.
GrantCardoneistheNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorofThe10XRuleand
otherbooks,arealestateinvestor,andfounderandCEOoffourcompanies.
CardoneregularlyappearsonCNBC,CNN,andBloombergTV.
BobbyCasey(Twitter:@GWPro)
www.GlobalWealthProtection.comMymorningritualisalwaysthesame.Wake
uparound9am(clearlynotanearlyriser),stretchandexercisefor10-15
minutes,drink600-1000mLofcoldwater,makeproteinbreakfast(usuallyeggs)
andmorningcoffee.Thenreadingfor30-60minutes.Ikeepweeklylistsof"to-
do"itemsandcheckthemoffuponcompletion.Thishelpskeepmefocusedand
goaloriented,allowingmetocheckoffminorsuccessesalongtheway.Irely
heavilyonmygooglecalendarsyncedwithmyemailclient(Thunderbird),my
phoneandmyassistant.Everythinggoesinmycalendar.Thatkeepsmeon
pointtokeepatightschedule.Iusetimetrade.comtogiveclientstheabilityto
scheduleappointmentswithmedirectly.Ourmembers(www.GWPInsiders)can
bookappointmentsdirectlywithmeusingatimetradelinkinthemembersarea.
Non-memberscanpurchaseaconsultationappointmentonourwebsitewhich
redirectsafterpurchasetoatimetradelinkallowingthemtobooktheirown
appointment.Thisintegrateswithmygooglecalendaraswell.My#1
productivitytipthoughistohaveapersonalassistantthatmanagesyournon-
incomeproducingtasks.MyPAbooksmytravel(whichisalot)andmanages
myappointmentsaswellasafewadministrativetasks.Peoplesometimestellme
theycannotaffordaPA,ItellthemIcannotaffordtonothaveone.Shesaves
memoreintravelcostsalonethanherwage.
BobbyCaseyisalifelongentrepreneurandstudentoflife.Hehasstarted,
bought,andsoldadozenorsobusinessesandcurrentlyownsthreecompanies
intheoffshorefinancespace.Hehaslivedinmultiplecountries,traveledto
nearly100countriesonfivecontinents,andisconsideredaperpetualtraveler
runninghisbusinessesfromjustalaptopandcellphone.
AntonioCenteno(Twitter:@rmrstyle)
www.realmenrealstyle.comI’mallaboutefficiency.Insteadoftaking30
minutestoansweraquestionviae-mail,IoftentimescreateanarticlewhichI
thenblogpostansweringthequestionandsharewiththemtheansweralong
withmakingitpublicsoitcanhelpthousandsofothermen.Checklistsarealso
veryimportanttomydaytodayroutine.IusethemsoIdon'thavetothink,
thereforeIconservemyenergyforthefewhoursadayIneedtofocusinon
somethingnewandbecreative.
AntonioCentenoisthefounderofwww.RealMenRealStyle.comand
www.ATailoredSuit.com.Hehascreatedover1000articles&videosonmen's
style,blogsoveratthewww.ArtofManliness.com,andisthecreatorofthe
internet'sbeststylecourseforprofessionals-AMan'sGuideToStyle.Antonio
hasstudiedclothingdesigninLondon,HongKong,andBangkok.Heisaformer
USMarinewithanMBAfromUTAustinandaBAfromCornellCollege.He
lovestohearfromoldfriendsandmakenewones.
MisaChien(Twitter:@misachien)
www.fosubo.comIrecommendkeepingacalendar,suchasGoogleCalendar,to
organizeyourself.Wheneveryouthinkofsomethingthatmustbedone,
immediatelyrecorditinyourcalendar.
MisaChienisaserialentrepreneur,speaker,andco-founderofFosubo,a
leaderinimprovingthecustomerexperienceforTelecomProviders.
DorieClark(Twitter:@dorieclark)
www.dorieclark.comMyinboxisaconstantsourceofstressforme.Here'show
Idealwithit.First,followingonaprincipleIfirstreadaboutinFrancesFreiand
AnneMorriss'UncommonService,I'vemadeaconsciouschoiceabout“whatto
bebadat”.Therearetradeoffsthatmustbemadeifyou'regoingtoexcelinany
area—andforme,partofbeinggoodatthemostimportantworkIdo(suchas
writingbooksorconsulting)iscomingtotermswiththefactthatI'llbealittle
bitbadatemailresponsetimes.Ihatemakingpeoplewaittohearfromme,but
thattradeoffenablesmetodomyhighestvaluework.Second,Iworkwitha
virtualassistant,andhavebeenabletodelegatesomerepetitiveemailstasksto
him(likerespondingtoLinkedInfriendrequests).Third,I'lloftenundertake
emailbingesonweekends,whenIreceivefarfewermessagesandcanrespond
tomanyinashortburstoffocus.
IalsouseTripItProtoorganizeallmybusinesstravelintooneeasy-to-reference
location.I'mconstantlyontheroadandcan'tkeeptrackofwhichrentalcar
agencyI'musingorwhatterminalmyflightisdepartingoutof.It'sgreatto
knowthateverythingiscompiledinoneplacesoIdon'thavetorememberitor
printitout.Additionally,IusetheSunrisecalendarapp,whichhasamagnificent
feature—whenyouenterameetinglocation,itlinksdirectlytoaGooglemap.
Withoneclick,youcangetdirectionstothesiteandanestimateoftraveltime.
Ittakestheguessworkoutofyourschedule.
DorieClarkisaconsultantwhoteachesforDukeUniversity'sFuquaSchoolof
BusinessandistheauthorofStandOutandReinventingYou.
IanCleary(Twitter:@iancleary)
www.razorsocial.comSetatimerforeverythingyoudo.Whenyouhavea
deadlineyouaremoreproductive.IusethePomodorotechniquewhereIworkin
25minutetimeslotsandthentakeacoupleofminutesbreak.It'samazinghow
muchmoreyoucangetdoneifyoutimeit!
IanClearyisfounderofRazorsocial,anawardwinningmarketingtechnology
blog.
AmyClover(Twitter:@StrongInsideOut)
www.StrongInsideOut.comTostayatmymostproductive,Ineedtomovemy
body.Withoutmovement,ourbodiesholdontostresswhichcanmuckupthe
creativeprocess!IfI'mtooslammedtogetafullworkoutin,Idospurtsof
activitythroughouttheday.I'llalternate20squats,10pushups,and15
supermansonthehourorhalfhourtokeepmycreativejuicesflowingandgive
mymindabreak.Whileyoumove,coordinateyourbreathingwiththe
movement,andyou'llampupthebenefits!
AmyCloverisacelebrityfitnesstrainer,writer,andtheforcebehindStrong
InsideOut.
DerekCoburn(Twitter:@cadredc)
www.derekcoburn.comDon'teverconfusebeingbusywithbeingproductive,
anddon'teverconfusebeingproductivewithbeingintentionalabouthowyou
arespendingyourtime(i.e.spendingtimewithyourkidswithoutcheckingyour
phone).My#1productivityhackisBulletproofCoffee.
DerekCoburnisthebestsellingauthorofNetworkingIsNotWorkingandthe
co-founderofCADRE,anun-networkingcommunityforCEOsand
EntrepreneursinWashington,DC.
TimConley(Twitter:@TimConley)
www.TimConley.coBatchbig.Thereareamany"productivityhacks"thattell
youtobatchyouremail,phonecalls,andothersimilartaskssothatyou'renot
usingupyourmentalenergyswitchingbackandforththroughavarietyoftasks.
Iagreewiththose,butI'vebatchedbigger.I'vebatchedallmyclient
,–RandyGageistheauthorofninebooksincludingtheNewYorkTimesbestseller,RiskyIstheNew
Safe.
Mostpeoplesetgoalsforhealth,wealth,andrelationships.Othersaddthings
likespirituality,charity,andrecreation.
Regardlessofyourfocusareas,conventionalwisdomdictatesthatyourgoal
bespecificandmeasurable.Insteadofwritingagoalto“savemoney,”itshould
be something like “Save $5,000 by the end of the year.” Instead of “lose
weight,”youwouldspecify,“Losetenpoundsintenweeks.”
After identifying your most important goal, you need to identify which
activities will lead to goal achievement and which activity is most important
rightnow.
Don’tgetsidetrackedbythegoalsettingifyoudon’talreadyhaveidentified
goals.Infact,otherexperts,likeCEOcoachPeterBregman,suggestthatthereis
adownsidetogoals.Instead,Bregmansuggestspickingfocusareas.
Forexample,at thetimeI’mwritingthisbook,IknowthatIreallywantto
increasemypassiveincomethisyear.ButIdon’thaveaspecificdollaramount
inmind and because I have plenty ofmoney, I’m not feeling any pressure to
defineit.
But in order to growpassive income, I also know that I need tocreate all
kindsofthingslikebooks,assessments,andonlinetraining.Rightnow,whenI
askmyself:Whatisthesinglemostimportanttask(MIT)togetclosertomygoal
rightnow?
Iknowit’sworkingonthisbook.Oncethebookisdone,I’llcreatespin-off
content. And once I have more stuff to sell, my “one thing” will likely be
workingonmarketingmaterialorwebinars tospread theword.But fornow, I
knowthatmyMITiswritingthisbook.
YourownMITmaylookverydifferentbasedonyourjobandpersonalgoals.
Arookiesalesperson’sMITmightbecoldcallinginordertohitasalestarget.A
softwareengineer’sMITmightbetodebugaparticularmoduleinordertohita
launchdeadline.Asenior softwareexecutive’sMITmightbe recruitinganew
programmer inorder todevelopanewapp.AstartupCEO’sMITmightbe to
createaslidedeckinordertolandventurecapital.Astudent’sMITmightbeto
findatutorinordertodowellonanupcomingexam.Astay-at-homeparent’s
MIT might be to reserve a campground site at the state park to line up the
family’sfavoritesummervacation.
MarkPincusonHisMIT
Identifying your MIT makes your scheduling decisions much easier. Having
identifiedwhatismostimportanttoyou,you’llneedaverygoodreasonnotto
bespendingtimeonit.
The social gaming company Zynga is probably best known for its game
Farmville, which at its peak had over 265 million active users. Zynga CEO,
MarkPincus,clearlyhashisMITwelldefinedandbelievesinspendingatleast
halfofhistimeonit.
InTheirOwnWords…
Ifyouwanttobuildgreatproducts,devotemorethan50percentofyourworkhourstoproduct.Don't
acceptspeakingopportunitiesifyoucan'tjustifythemasbenefittingyourusersoryourcompany.
–MarkPincusistheco-founderandCEOofZynga.
TwoAwesomeHoursintheMorning
AfteridentifyingyourMIT,youneedtoturnitintoacalendaritemandbookit
asearlyinyourdayaspossible.
Dan Ariely, a Duke University professor of psychology and behavioral
economics,suggeststhatmostpeoplearemostproductiveandhavethehighest
cognitivefunctioninginthefirsttwohoursafterthey’refullyawake.InaReditt
Ask Me Anything, Ariely wrote: One of the saddest mistakes in time
managementisthepropensityofpeopletospendthetwomostproductivehours
of their day on things that don't require high cognitive capacity (like social
media). If we could salvage those precious hours, most of us would bemuch
moresuccessfulinaccomplishingwhatwetrulywant.
Whydowedothis?Whydowespendourbesthoursonourleastimportant
tasks?
Manyofus jump intoourday trying to takecareofall thequickandeasy
things. Responding to all those overnight emails, sorting our stack of mail,
signingoffonpurchaseorders…itallfeelssoproductive!Look,it’sonly11:00
inthemorning,andImusthavedoneatleast50things.
InTheirOwnWords…
Investthefirstpartofyourdayworkingonyournumberoneprioritythatwillhelpbuildyourbusiness.
Dothiswithoutinterruptions—noemailortext—andbeforetherestoftheworldisawake.
–TomZiglaristheCEOofZiglar,Inc.
Docreativeworkfirst.Reactiveworksecond.
–JonathanMilliganistheauthorofThe15SuccessTraitsofProBloggers.
Otherschoosetodothemostunpleasanttasksearlyinthemorninginwhat’s
known as the “eat the frog first” strategy. It’s a procrastination-fighting
techniquethatsaysifyouhavesomethingunpleasanttodo,justgetitoutofthe
wayfirstthing.Thisisgoodadviceifitdefeatsprocrastination,butitcanalsobe
counterproductiveifyouroutinelyuseupyourpeakhours.
InTheirOwnWords…
IprepareaMUSTDOlistthenightbefore…whenIgettomydesk,IdothoseitemsfirstbeforeIturnon
myemail.
–AndrewMcCauleyistheco-founderof
AutopilotYourBusiness.
Notonlyaremostpeopleattheircognitivebestearlierintheday,butit’sless
likely that unexpected items will jump onto the calendar or require urgent
attention.
InTheirOwnWords…
Itrytoreservethemorningfordoing"realwork."IfindIcanfocusmoreinthemorningwhereasit's
hardertogetfocusedafterhavingbeenbombardedbymeetings,soItrytosavemeetingsforlaterinthe
day.
–NathanBlecharczykistheco-founderofAirbnb.
Taking Dr. Ariely’s advice to heart, drink that first cup of coffee while
drivingintowork,butthenshutyourdoor,silenceyourphone,closeemailand
socialmedia,andworkonyourMIT.
InTheirOwnWords…
Ischeduleaseriesof90-minute"JamSessions"throughoutmyday/weekwhereIfocusexclusivelyon
onevitalpriorityandnothingelse.
–StephenWoessnerishostoftheOnwardNationpodcastandCEOofPredictiveROI.
IhavefoundthatIammostproductivefrom6:00a.m.tonoon.I'mup,fresh,creative,andthatisthe
timeImakecrazythingshappen.Idomoreinthosehoursthanpeopleprobablydoallweek.
–ChristinaDavesistheauthorofPRforAnyoneandtheCEOandfounderofPRforAnyone®.
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur: Would it be helpful to identify the one thing that is most
importanttoachievingyourquarterlygoals?
Executive: Would it be helpful to be crystal clear on the number one
objective you’ll be evaluated against when it comes time for your annual
performancereview?
Freelancer:Would it be helpful to identify the one thing thatwill lead to
moreclients?
Student:Wouldithelptopicktheoneclassthatismostimportantforyouto
raiseyourgradein?
Stay-at-HomeParent:Would itbehelpful to identify theone thing that is
currently most important for your child’s health and development (e.g.,
organizingaplaygroup,choosingasummercamp,findingamusictutor)?
SECRET#2
IdentifyyourMostImportantTask(MIT)andworkoniteach
daybeforedoinganythingelse.
So,what’syouronething?What’syourMIT?
FREEBONUS
TodownloadthePriorities&MITworksheetandotherFREEbonuses,visit:
www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#3
StopMakingTo-DoLists—DoThis
Instead
Doyoureallythinkmillionairesandbillionaireswalkaroundwithato-do
list?
Do you really thinkBillGates,DonaldTrump andWarrenBuffettwrite a
longto-dolistandprioritizeitemsasA1,A2,B1,B2,C1,andonandon?
Do you really think Steve Jobs kept a to-do list and asked himself several
timesaday,“What’s
,workintoa
totalofsixdayspermonth,mypromotionaleffortsintofivedayspermonthand
myvacationsintotwoone-monthsabbaticals.Bigbatchingcreatesa
frameworkofshortandintenseburstsofproductivityandalsogiveyou
significanttimetorecuperateandrechargeyourcreativity.
TimConleyhascoached,advised,andmentoredmorethan400entrepreneurs—
andcounting—helpingthemgainfinancialfreedomandlifefulfillmentwhile
becomingtheCEOoftheirownbusiness.Heisreleasinghisbook,Warofthe
Start,inthefallof2015.
CherylSnappConner(Twitter:@CherylSnapp)
www.snappconner.comThegreatestadviceI'vereceivedcomesfromfellow
CEOJasonGarner(nowalifebalanceandpersonalaccomplishmentcoach,
formerlyaCEOofLiveNation)istostarteverydaywiththetasksthatrepresent
myhighestpriority—healthandbalance.Exercise,alittlestretching,anda
healthybreakfast(hedrinksagreensmoothie;mychoiceisanoatbranpancake
withcoconutoilandherbaltea).Afterthat,therestofthedayisonagreattrack
andmyapproachtothechallengesofthedayismoreeffective.Ihavemyoffice
refrigeratorstockedwithhealthysnacks,mycalendarset,andIhavestopped
answeringcallsfromanynumberIdon'trecognizeuntilI(ormyassistant)have
determinedthatitisreallyacallthatrequiresme.Ialsoreadsomethingthat
enrichesmyspiritormypersonaldevelopmenteverysingleday.It'smadea
greatimpactonbothmeandmycompany,whichisgrowingrapidly.
CherylSnappConnerisanauthorandexpertinbusinessandcommunications
andthefounderofThoughtLeadershipandPRcompanySnappConnerPR.
CarrieContey,PhD(Twitter:@carrieconteyphd)
www.carriecontey.comI'mmostproductivewhenI'mfeelingtunedintoand
alignedwithmyhigherself/innerguidancesystem.IfindthatwhenItakethe
timeinthemorningtogettunedintoMEI'mfarmoreproductivetherestofthe
day.HowdoIdothis?ItrytocatchmyfirstthoughtsofthedayandIsteerthem
towardpositivity.AssoonasIcanthinkofitafterwakingupandwilltakea
minuteortwotoappreciatemycomfybed,myhealthyfamily,myamazing
friends,theteaIwilldrinkinafewminutes,etc.AfterthatIgoforawalkso
thatIcanbreatheinfreshairandmovemybody.UsuallywhenIgetbackI'm
readytositdownandgettowork.I'malsoahugefanoftheappHiFutureSelf.I
useittosendmyselfreminders,sometimeshourly,thatkeepmetunedinand
feelinggoodandintentional.
CarrieContey,PhDisainternationallyrecognizedcoach,author,speaker,and
educator.Currentlyshelives,works,andplaysinAustin,TX.Tolearnmore
pleasevisitcarriecontey.com.
BrantCooper(Twitter:@brantcooper)
www.movestheneedle.comFirstSundayeveningisthekeytotheweek.Without
alarmsringingandrandominterruptions,Icanfocusonwhatneedstobe
accomplished.Myformulaforprioritizingactivities:impact/time,whereimpact
meansmovingtheneedleofmybusinessandtimeisthelevelofeffortrequired.
Itrytofocusonremovingthenextbottleneckofgrowththatisundermy
control.
BrantCooperisaNYTbestsellingauthorandfounderofMovestheNeedle,
bringingLeanStartuppracticestocorporateinnovation.
PaulCopcutt(Twitter:@paulcopcutt)
www.paulcopcutt.comAlwayslooktotakethreeactionseachdaythatimpact
yourbusiness,youpersonally(canbeextendedtofamily),andsomeoneelse.
Impactmeansmakeadifferencethatwithoutyourinputitwouldnothave
happened.
PaulCopcuttisapersonalbrandarchitect,speaker,andcoachandhelpspeople
findtheirrebelvoice.
HonoréeCorder(Twitter:@Honoree)
www.honoreecorder.comIusetheBulletJournalasmygo-toorganization
system.Itkeepsideas,thoughts,andotherimportantagendaitemsatmy
fingertips.Ihighlyrecommendkeepingajournal,becausealifeworthlivingisa
lifeworthrecording.Evenbetterisusingasystemthatallowsyoutoaccess
whatyouneedand/orwantatexactlytherighttime.
HonoréeCorderisanauthor,speaker,andpersonaltransformationexpert.
ScottCramton(Twitter:@MurderMysteryCo)
www.grimprov.comIdentifyyourhighest-leveragetaskeachdayandconquerit
first.
ScottCramtonisthefounderandCEOofTheMurderMysteryCompany,the
mostpopularMurderMysteryEntertainmentCompanyinthenation.
DaveCrenshaw(Twitter:@DaveCrenshaw)
www.davecrenshaw.comYoushouldsetprioritiesandprioritizethosetasksthat
needimmediateattention.Thereareonly60minutesinanhour.Thereareonly
24hoursinaday.Thissimplisticstatementissomethingweknowacademically,
yetfightagainstinpractice.MosttrytofighttheTruthofTimeeveryday.Some
fightiteveryhour.Thesepeoplebecometimebankrupt,becausetheyare
constantlyoverspendingtimeandplayingacatch-upgame.Yetothershave
learnedtobeatpeacewiththeTruthofTime.Theyhavecometoacceptitasthe
immovabletruththatitis,andactuallyfeeltheyaretimewealthy.Thesepeople
haveputsystemsinplacethatallowthemtosmoothlymanageunexpected
emergencies.Allowmetoshareafewsystemstohelpyoubeatpeacewiththe
TruthofTime:1.Useacalendar.Thismayseemaridiculouslyobvious
suggestion.Thetruthismostpeopleattempttoscheduletasksandappointments
intheirmind.Thisresultsinmissedappointments,stress,confusion,andover-
scheduling.Notusingacalendarisabitliketryingtouseacreditcardforyour
time.2.Underspendtime.Makesurethatallofyourappointmentsarenotback
toback.Giveyourselfbreathingroomof15or30minutes;sometimesevenan
hour.Ifyoufindyourselfunabletoleavethesegapsinyourschedule,thenpush
thingsoff.Procrastinateasmuchaspossiblethethingsthatarenotnecessaryin
themoment.Doingthiswillleaveyoutheroomtohandletheunexpected.
Ultimately,beingatpeacewiththeTruthofTimeisamatterofyoubeing
truthfulwithyourself.Whileyouarelikelycapableofdoinganythingyouput
yourmindtodoing,youarenotcapableofdoingitallatonce.Finally,hereare
afewbrieftips:takecontrolovertechnology—yourcellphoneringer(evenon
vibrate)doesn’tneedtobeonallthetime.Youcanturnoffemailnotificationon
yourcomputeraswell.Becomemasteroverthenaggingbeepsandbuzzesby
creatingsomesilence.Schedulewhatyoucanschedule—setregulartimesinthe
dayandweektocheckyourvoicemailandemail.Letothersknowyouwillbe
usingthatschedulesotheyknowwhentoexpectareply.Focusontheperson—
whenyouswitchtaskwithacomputer,yousimplyloseefficiency.Butifyou
switchtaskonahumanbeing,youadditionallydamagearelationship.Be
present,listencarefully,andmakesureeverythinghasbeentakencareofbefore
movingon.
DaveCrenshawisthemasterofhelpingbusinessownerstriumphoverchaos.
Hisfirstbook,TheMythofMultitasking:How‘DoingItAll’GetsNothing
Done,hasbeenpublishedinsixlanguagesandisatimemanagementbestseller.
Hislatestbook,TheFocusedBusiness:HowEntrepreneursCanTriumphOver
Chaos,isalsoasmallbusinessbestseller.
HughCulver(Twitter:@hughculver)
www.hughculver.comEveryFridayIcreatemy"FlightPlan"forthefollowing
week.It'sashortlistofwhatImustgetdonebeforethenextFriday.Thevery
actofcreatingmyFlightPlanisagreatexerciseinprioritization,delegation,and
saying"no".ThenexttrickistokeepreturningtomyFlightPlanafterevery
interruption.AfterfiveyearsofusingandteachingthissystemI'mconvincedit's
themostpowerfuldisciplineforoverwhelmedhigh-achievers.
HughCulverresearches,writes,andspeaksabouthowtothinkbetter,plan
smarter,andactnowonwhatreallymatters.
LudwinaDautovic(Twitter:@LudwinaDautovic)
www.SwitchedOnMediaGroup.comIdon'tthinkaboutwhatneedstobedonein
thefuturetoday.Iblock
,outtimeinmycalendaradayortwopriortoitbeing
completedandfocusonitthen.Thismeansthatmymindisn'tfilledwithwhat's
aheadofme,allowingmetobemoreproductiveinthenow.Italsoputsastopto
overwhelmasI'mconfidentthatmytimehasbeenallocatedadequatelyforeach
projectsoIcanputitoutofmymind.It'saveryfreeingdiscipline.Ialsodoit
formypersonallife.Iftherearemajordecisionsthatneedtobemade,I'llbook
insome“thinking”timeforit.
LudwinaDautovicisthehostofthe#1iTunespodcast'SwitchedOn'andthe
founderofTheSwitchedOnMediaGroupwhichspecialisesinonline,digital,
andnewmedia.
BarrieDavenport(Twitter:@coachbarrie)
www.workfromhomeduo.comBeforeyougotobedatnight,definethethree
mostimportanttasksforthenextday.Thesedon'thavetobeyouronlytasks—
justthethreethatarenon-negotiable.Defineyourmostproductivetimeofday,
andknockoutthosetasksduringthattimeifpossible.Whenyouareworkingon
thetasks,removeallpossibledistractionsinordertofocusintentlyonthework.
Ifnecessary,breakthetasksdowntosmallerchunks,andsetatimertoworkfor
30minutestoanhour.Allowyourselfabreak,andthensetthetimeragain.
Repeatuntilyou'vecompletedtheseprimarytasksforyourday.
BarrieDavenportistheco-founderofLiveBoldandBloom.com.
ChristinaDaves(Twitter:@prforanyone)
www.PRforAnyone.comMybesttipistodeterminewhattimeofdayyouare
mostproductiveandkickbuttduringthattime.IhavefoundthatIammost
productivefrom6:00a.m.tonoon.I'mup,fresh,creative,andthatisthetimeI
makecrazythingshappen.Idomoreinthosehoursthanpeopleprobablydoall
week.Harnessyourproductivitytimeandfocusonthattomakethebestuseof
yourtime.
ChristinaDavesistheauthorofthebestsellingbook,PRforAnyone:100+
AffordableWaystoEasilyCreateBuzzforYourBusinessandtheCEOand
founderofPRforAnyone®.
RyanDelk(Twitter:@delk)
www.gumroad.comThedefaultlengthofameetingorcall—bothinternallyand
externally—shouldbe20minutes,anythinglongershouldbeanexception.It's
remarkablehowmuchyoucanaccomplishin20minutes,especiallyifallparties
gointothemeetingwiththeunderstandingthatyouonlyhave20minutes.Even
ifyou'rejustmovingfrom30-minutemeetingsto20-minutemeetings,youcan
fitinfourtosixmoremeetings,calls,orappointmentsinaday.Overthecourse
ofayear,that'smorethan1,000moreopportunitiesyouarebuyingyourself.
Huge!
RyanDelkleadsGrowthatGumroad,wherehehelpsempowercreatorsofall
shapesandsizes—fromEminemtoColdplaytoBonJovi—toselltheirwork
directlytotheiraudience,hewaspreviouslyatSquare,theiHubNairobi,and
SavannahFund.
DesireeDoubrox
www.AnEmpoweredWoman.comRemember,nomatterhowrichorhowpoor,
howsmartorhowdumb,whatreligion,color,creed,orsexyouare.Weall
ONLYhave24hoursinaday!Theonlydifferenceishowweusethatnon-
recurringassetcalledtime.Useitwiselyanditwillrewardyouhandsomely.
Founder,publisher,andproducerofAnEmpoweredWomanandLet'sTalk
Successmagazine.Speaker,author,radioandTVshowhost.Entrepreneurfor
life!
ElisaDoucette(Twitter:@elisadoucette)
www.craftyourcontent.comNoNightScreens—otherthanmyKindle,Itryto
instituteasternruleinmyhousehold,thatscreensshouldbeoffby9PM.No
games,noTV,nolaptops,nowork...everyoneeitherhastositthereandtalkto
eachotherorcurlupwithagoodbookandstartdecompressingtheirday.
Amazinghoweasyitistogettobedatareasonablehourwhenyourstart
relaxingearlyenoughatnight.Italsogivesyouadeadlinetofinishtheday's
tasks,forthoseofusnotbeingclockedforourtoo-manyhoursspentonwork.
ElisaDoucetteisaninternationallypublishedwriter,editortoacollectionofthe
internet'stopcreators,andfounderofCraftYourContent.
ChrisDucker(Twitter:@chrisducker)
www.chrisducker.comIhaveoneveryeasytofollowtimemanagementstrategy.
Itcouldalsobeclassedasaproductivitytip.Isimplyputeverythingonmy
schedule.That'sit.EverythingIdoonaday-to-daybasisgetsputonmy
schedule.30-minutesofsocialmedia—ontheschedule.45-minutesofemail
management—ontheschedule.Catchingupwithmyvirtualteam—onthe
schedule.Quiettimetocontemplateandplan—ontheschedule.Bottomline,ifit
doesn'tgetscheduleditdoesn'tgetdone.
ChrisDuckerisaserialentrepreneur,internationalkeynotespeaker,bestselling
author,aswellasapopularbusinessbloggerandpodcaster.
JohnLeeDumas(Twitter:@JohnLeeDumas)
www.EOFire.comThemorningritualthathasbecomesacredtomeisa35
minutepowerwalkfirstthing.Gettingoutside,breathingthefreshair,clearing
mymind,andresettingmyfocusallresultsinapowerfulstarttoanamazing
day.Also,thePomodoromethodhasbeenessentialinmyproductivityin2015.
Parkinson'slawexplainshow'workexpandssoastofillthetimeavailableforits
completion'andIhavefoundthat100%thetruth.BylimitingthetimeIhaveto
workonprojectsusingthePomodorotimer,Ihaveseenmyfocusandefficiency
skyrocket!
JohnLeeDumasisthefounderandhostofEntrepreneurOnFire,anaward
winningpodcastrevealingthejourneyoftoday'smostinspiringentrepreneurs
sevendaysaweek.EntrepreneurOnFiregeneratesover$250,000amonthin
revenue&offersafree15-daycourseonpodcastingat
FreePodcastCourse.com.
JessEkstrom(Twitter:@HeadbandsOfHope)
www.JessEkstrom.comAsanentrepreneur,it'ssoeasytogetoutofbedinthe
morningandgostraightintoyourlengthyto-dolist.ButI'vefoundthedaysI
jumpstraightintowork,I'mnotasproductiveandmyenergyburnsquickly.
InsteadIgetinsomekindofmorningworkout,evenifit'sonly30minutes.
DuringthedayIfeelmoreenergizedandthereforegetmoredone.IfIeverstart
tofeeltiredorunmotivated,insteadofpouringanothercupofcoffee,I'lltakea
shortwalkoutsideandgetsomefreshair.
JessEkstromisthefounderandCEOofHeadbandsofHope,acompanythat
givesheadbandstogirlsundergoingchemotherapyandalsofundschildhood
cancerresearch.She'salsotheauthorofTheFreshmanFabulous:TheGirl's
GuidetoCollegeandkeynotespeakeratcampusesandcompanies.
SeanEllis(Twitter:@seanellis)
www.growthhackers.comI'vealwaysworkedinstartupswherethereisnever
enoughtimetodoeverythingIwanttodo.Somyapproachtoproductivityisto
spendaboutahalfanhoureachmorningcreatinganewlistofthreekeyitemsto
completethatdaythatarebasedontheobjectivesthatareimportanttomeatthat
moment.IthenworkontheseitemsinadditiontoanycommitmentsI'vealready
madefortheday.Thisapproachcanbeabithaphazard,butkeepsmeadaptable
tonewlearningsthathappeneverydayinastartup.
Founder/CEOofGrowthHackers.com.WasfirstmarketeratDropbox,LogMeIn,
andLookout.
HalElrod(Twitter:@HalElrod)
www.MiracleMorningBook.comMy#1keytosimplifyingtimemanagement
andcreatingextraordinaryproductivity(intheareasthatmattermost)isstarting
eachdaywiththeultimatemorningsuccessritual(knownasTheMiracle
Morning).Thissimpledailyritualismadeupofthesixmosteffectiveand
provenpersonaldevelopmentpractices,memorablyorganizedintotheLife
S.A.V.E.R.S.(Silence,Affirmations,Visualization,Exercise,Reading,
Scribing).ThepremiseofTheMiracleMorningistowakeupandstarteachday
withthedisciplineofdedicatingtimetopersonaldevelopment,sothatyoucan
becomethepersonyouneedtobetocreatethemostextraordinarylifeyoucan
imagine,anddosofasterthanyoumaycurrentlybelieveispossible.Whilemost
peoplefocuson"doing"moretoachievemore,TheMiracleMorningisabout
focusingon"becoming"more
,sothatyoucanstartdoingless,toachievemore.
HalElrodisthe#1bestsellingauthorofwhat'sbeingwidelyregardedasoneof
themostlife-changingbookseverwritten,TheMiracleMorning:TheNot-So-
ObviousSecretGuaranteedtoTransformYourLife...Before8AM.
KyleEschenroeder(Twitter:@kyleschen)
www.StartupBros.comI'vetriedallthe"strategies",onlyonehasworked.My
philosophyisthatbeingproductiveforthesakeofbeingproductiveis
ridiculous.Icareaboutmovingmylifeforward,notmaximizingsomeabstract
levelofproductivity.SothefirstthingIdoisgetoutofbedandgoworkout.
WhileworkingoutIidentifythetwomostimportantthingsIcandothatday.I
writethemdownonanindexcard.Thatindexcardisusedtowritedownother
thingsIneedtoaccomplishduringtheday.Ican'tusemorespacethanthatone
card.Sotwothings:1.Getenergytoputintothething(workout).2.Identify
thething(s).Thissetsyouuptobeproactive.Andbeingproactivemakesyouthe
bestkindofproductive.
KyleEschenroeder,founderofStartupBros.com.
JasonFalls(Twitter:@JasonFalls)
www.jasonfalls.comThesingle-smartestthingI'veeverdonetomanagetimeis
actuallyput"Work"inmycalendarasameeting.Thattimeisbooked,itis
preciousandnoonegetstohijackit.WhetherIneedtowriteablogpost,a
strategyforaclient,orresearchatopicI'mwritingapresentationabout,itgoes
onthecalendarsoIhaveuninterruptedtimetodevotetothattask.
JasonFallsisstrategist,author,andspeakerwhoistheSVPofDigitalStrategy
atElasticity,amarketingagency.
JonFerrara(Twitter:@Jon_Ferrara)
www.nimble.comYoucanachiveanythingyouwantifyourememberthethree
P'sofSuccess.Passion,PlanandPurpose.FindyourPassion,CreateaPlanto
Achieveit,MakeitYourPurposeEveryday.
JonFerraraisthepioneerandcreatorof#CRMsolutions,CEO-Nimble,
FounderofGoldMine.Interests:#SocialSelling,SocialBusiness,Customer
Lifecycle,Acquisition&Retention.
EzraFirestone(Twitter:@ezrafirestone)
www.smartmarketer.comTimeisaconcept.Youhaveasmuchofitasyouneed
forthethingsyoudecideareimportantenoughtospendyourtimeon.Take
completeaction.Onceyoudecidetotakeaction,fullycommittothatactionand
don'tsecondguessyourselfduringtheprocess.
EzraisaneCommerceentrepreneur,businesseducator,andaloveroflife.
PatFlynn(Twitter:@PatFlynn)
www.smartpassiveincome.comIbatchprocessasmuchasIcan.Fromblog
poststopodcastepisodes,creatingvideostoansweringemails,Ifocuson
stayingproductivebymaximizingmyoutputononeparticulartypeofcontentin
longstretchesoftime.Thisreducestransitiontimebetweenvariousactivities
anditallowsmetocontinuetodripfeedcontentovertimetomyaudiencewhile
I'mbusycreatingnewcontent.
PatFlynnisaserialentrepreneurwhoismostwellknownforhisworkon
SmartPassiveIncome.com,awebsiteheusestodocumenthisvariousincome
generationexperimentsonlinesothatotherscanlearnfrombothhiswins,and
hisfailures.He'sfullytransparentwitheverything,includinghowmuchmoney
he'smakingfromeachofhisonlineventures.
AdamFranklin(Twitter:@Franklin_Adam)
www.bluewiremedia.com.auMybestadviceistoscheduletimeinyourdayfor
exercisingandthinking,ideallyatthesametime.Running,orwalking,isperfect
forthis.Listentopodcastsoraudiobookswhilstjoggingandmakesureyou've
gotEvernotesoyoucanstopandtakenoteswhenideasandinspirationstrike!
AdamFranklinistheco-authorofWebMarketingThatWorksandsocialmedia
speaker.
MattFrazier(Twitter:@NoMeatAthlete)
www.NoMeatAthlete.comWhenitcomestocontent,beaproducer,nota
consumer.IfyoucanquitwatchingTV,stopspendingtimeonnewssites,and
quitwasting"justafewseconds"20timesadayonFacebookandTwitter,you'll
beamazedathowmuchtimeyoufreeup.Nottomentionallthenegativityand
fear-mongeringyoumissouton.
MattFrazierisaveganultramarathonerandfounderoftheNoMeatAthlete
movement.
RandyGage(Twitter:@Randy_Gage)
www.randygage.comIalwaysstartwiththemostimportantthingonmypriority
list.Ifyoudidn'tspendyourweekworkingonthemostimportantthing,itwasa
weekwasted.
RandyGageistheauthorofninebooksonsuccess,includingtheNewYork
Timesbestseller,RiskyIstheNewSafe.
ToddGarland(Twitter:@toddo)
www.buysellads.comIhavetwofilesonmydesktop:today.txtandthis-
month.txt.Everyday,whileridinghomeonthetrain,Iupdatethecontentsof
bothfiles.WhenIstartworkthenextday,Ihaveanimmediatelyactionablelist
ofthingsIwouldliketoaccomplishforthedaywaitingformeintoday.txt.
ToddGarlandisthefounderofBuySellAds,themonetizationsolutionofchoice
forhigh-qualitycontentcreatorsVictoriaGibson(Twitter:
@VictoriaGibson1)
www.victoriagibson.comScheduleeverythingandaddalarmstoyourphone.If
it'snotscheduleditain'treal!Also,startwiththosethingsyouleastwanttodo,
butwillmakethemostdifference.GoogleCalendarismyappforthis.
VictoriaGibsonisasuccessmentortowomenwhowantcreatemassiveresults
online.
ErinGiles(Twitter:@erinmgiles)
www.eringiles.comIrecentlylearnedthebestwayformetoremainproductive
(andsane)asaworkfromhomemomoftwoistogivemyselfanhourofalone
timeeverymorning.It'sthebestgiftIcangivemyself,mywork,andmyfamily.
ErinGilesisthefounderofEndSexTraffickingDay,apublishedauthor,andan
entrepreneurialcoachthathelpswomenwithbigideasmakerealprogress.
CharlieGilkey(Twitter:@CharlieGilkey)
www.ProductiveFlourishing.comDefineyourprioritiesandtakeconsistent
actiononthem.Toomanypeoplehave17"priorities"(whichmeanstheyreally
havenone)thattheyerraticallytakeactionon,withtheendresultthattheyfeel
likethey'redoingalotbutgettingnowhere.Bettertodefinethethingsthattruly
matterandcommittotakingactiononthemregularlyandconsistentlythantobe
stuckinthebinge-crash-regret-recommitcycle.
CharlieGilkeyisabestsellingauthor,businessadvisor,andthefounderof
ProductiveFlourishing,oneofthetopwebsitesonplanning,productivity,and
strategyforcreativepeople.
DouglasGoldstein,CFP®(Twitter:@RichAsAKing)
www.RichAsAKing.comOnlyDoitTwice:Asanentrepreneur,investor,parent,
boss,orsomeonewhojustwantstosucceed,keepyoureyesoutfornewideas
andapproaches.Onceyoufindsomethingyoulike,stickwithit–
metaphorically,notliterally.Thekeytosuccessisnotforyoutodothesame
thing(nomatterhowsuccessfulitis)againandagain.Truesuccessiscreatinga
systemanddelegatingtheworktosomeoneelse,leavingyouthetimetofind
othergreatideas.Here’showitworks:Step1.Findanewidea.That’sall.Step
2.Onceyou’velatchedontosomethingnew,buildasystemtoallowsomeone
(orsomething)elsetodoit.Thesecond…andLASTtime…thatyouwilldo
thatprocesswillbewhenyouaremakingitintoasystemthateitherastaff
member,virtualassistant,orcomputercandofromthenon.
DouglasGoldstein,CFP®istheco-authorofthebestsellingbookRichAsA
King:HowtheWisdomofChessCanMakeYouaGrandmasterofInvesting,
andhe’sapersonalfinancialadvisorspecializinginpeoplelivingoutsidethe
UnitedStateswhowanttohaveU.S.brokerageaccounts.
MitchGordon(Twitter:@MitchGordonGo)
www.GoOverseas.com1)Onlycheckemailonce,twiceadaymaximum.You
needslowtimetothink,reflectandcomeupwithnewideas.Theswitchingcosts
ofgoingbackandforthbetweenemailandothertaskscanaffectfocusinvery
negativeways.Focusononethingatatime.Studiesshowthatmulti-taskingis
actuallycounterproductive.2)OnlydowhatonlyYOUcando.Everythingelse?
Delegate!
,It'stheonlywayyou'lltrulybeabletogrowyourbusiness.3)
Automateandcomeupwithsystemsasmuchasyoucan.Alwaysthink:Isthere
awaytoautomatewhatI'mdoingrightnow?4)HaveaDigitalDetox,techfree
day.Itwillhelpyoubemoreproductiveineverypossibleway.Youneedtimeto
recharge.
MitchGordonistheCEO/co-founderofGoOverseasandtheEntrepreneurin
ResidenceattheUCBerkeleyHaasSchoolofBusiness.Hismostrecent
company,GoOverseas,hasbecomethemosttrustedresourceforresearching
internationaleducationprogramsaroundtheworld.
CorrinaGordon-Barnes(Twitter:@CorrinaGB)
www.youinspireme.co.ukIdentifythestubborntaskonyourToDolist—theone
youkeepprocrastinatingabout.Now,identifytheBELIEFSthatareblocking
youfrommovingforward.Forexample,let'ssayyourtaskis"writenewAbout
page"youmightidentifyblockingbeliefslike"they'llthinkI'mboring"or"I
don'tknowwhattosay".Then,imagineyoucannotbelievethosethoughts.It's
likeyourbrainisnowwireddifferentlyanditwouldn'tevenoccurtoyouto
thinkthosethoughts.Whatwouldbeyournextactionstep,ifyouwerefreefrom
thosethoughts?Ifyournextactionseemscomplex,breakitdowninto10or30
minutechunksandnoticewhatit'sliketomoveaheadwithoutthestressful
thoughtsintheway.
CorrinaGordon-Barnessupportsself-employedmenandwomen.
JasonGracia(Twitter:)
www.TheExpertAgency.comMyproductivityphilosophyissimple:Dowhat
matters.Peopleareincrediblygiftedatstayingbusyallhoursofthedaydoing
thetrivial,doingthethingsthatkeepthemawayfromthethingstheyknowtruly
matter.Theproblem?Whatmattersisoftenwhatscaresus.It'sthoseideasthat
pushusbeyondourcomfortzonesthataresoimportant,ideasmostofusavoid
atallcosts.Butourbusinesseschange,ourliveschange,whenwestopavoiding
thediscomfortofprogressandbegintodowhatmatters.
JasonGraciaistheauthorofShiftingtheBalanceandfounderofTheExpert
Agency,theonlyfull-serviceagencyofitskindtoofferthetoolsandtraining
expertsneededtobuildprofitableonlinebusinessesaroundtheirunique
experienceandexpertise.
TimGrahl(Twitter:@timgrahl)
www.timgrahl.comIalwaysstartwiththe"why"fortheprojectI'mworkingon.
Ihavetohaveasolid,deeplyfeltreasonforwhythisprojectisimportanttome
andtotheworld.OnceIhavethat,alloftheothertimemanagementstuffIdo—
gettingupat4am,turningoffemail,avoidingsocialmedia,planningmyday,etc
—becomesmuch,mucheasier.
TimGrahlistheauthorofYourFirst1000Copies:TheStep-by-StepGuideto
MarketingYourBook.
DanGranger
www.OxfordRoad.comNozbeandEvernotehavebeengreattoolsforme.But
thesheeractofplacingthoughts,ideas,andplansinsomethingexternalhasbeen
critical.Evenifjustonpaper.Notjustbecauseitallowsmetoordermysteps,
butalsobecauseitservesasaventilationsystemformymind.Withbacktoback
meetingsallday,itisimpossibletokeepeverythinginmyheadandstillbe
strategic.Gettingoutallowsmetomakesureeverythingisdealtwith
appropriately.
DanGrangeristheCEOandfounderofOxfordRoad,aLosAngelesbasedAd
Agencyhelpingonlinetechcompaniesscaletheircustomeracquisitionefforts
throughadvertisingonchannelslikePodcast,Radio,andNationalTelevision.
JenGroover(Twitter:@jengroover)
www.jengroover.comThisisprobablycomingatadifferentanglethanmost,but
energymanagementismyfocusonhowIapproachtimemanagementand
productivity.Mymentalclarityismymostvaluableassettoincreasemy
productivity,IdothisbybeingmindfulofthefoodsthatIeat,thethoughtsI
think,thehoursIsleep,andhowIspendtimeoutsideoftheworkspace.I
consciouslychoosetosurroundmyselfbyotherpositiveandproductivepeople,I
refusetoallowdramainmylife(orpeoplethatcreateit).Iwatchverylittle
television,butwhenIdo,itispositiveandinspiringcontent.Iamalsoconscious
ofwhatIreadandlistento.Mostpeopleareoblivioustohowcritically
importanttheirhealthandemotionalwellnessistotheirproductivityand
efficiency.Yourbodyisamachine.Fuelitproperly(physically,mentally,
emotionallyandspiritually)andyouwillnaturallybemoreefficient.
JenGrooverisaserialentrepreneur,author,motivationalspeaker,TVhost,and
UNdelegate.
GarrettB.Gunderson(Twitter:@wealthfactory)
www.WealthFactory.comStartyourdaywiththethree“E”s:exercise,education
andenlightenment.Exercising,forfiveminutesor50minutes,willjumpstart
yourday.Next,readorlistentosomethinginyourareaofexpertise.Thencreate
spaceinyourmindthroughmeditation,gratitude,prayer,orwhateverwillhelp
youfocusandgivepurposetoyourday.Thisroutinewillhelpyoustayabundant
intimesthatfeelscarce,andcreativeintimesthatfeelconstrained.
GarrettGunderson,NYTimesBestsellingauthor,isachampionforfinding
cashforentrepreneurswithouthavingtoworkharder,takeanyadditionalrisk
orsacrificebyspendingless.
ChadHamzeh
www.dsv2.comMyfatherpassedawayattheageof64,backin2011,aftera
battlewithcancer.InhisfinaltwoyearsIhelpedhimwithagreatdealofwhat
hewasgoingthrough.However,Iwasalsoworkingabout12-14hoursperday
atthetime.Thedaysleadingup,thedayof,andthedaysafterhepassed,Iwas
answeringsupportemailsanddoingothertasksthat,really,someoneelsecould
havebeendoing.AndalthoughIwasbyhisside,thiswasawakeupcallthat
somethingneededtochange.So,theonetipIcangive,isapromiseImadeto
myselfatthattime.IpromisedtoneverdoanothertaskthatIdidn'tenjoy,and
thatsomeoneelsecoulddo.Whenyouputthosetwofiltersonyourto-dolist,
andyou'rehonestanddisciplinedaboutit,you'llrealizethatalmosteveryactual
taskcanbedonebysomeoneelse,andforcheaperthanwhatyourtimeand
energyareworth.Andthisisn'tjustreservedfor"$20/hourtasks".Ifindthatthe
morevaluabletasks,the"triple-digit-per-hour"things,oftengiveyouthebiggest
ROIwhenyouhirearealprotohandlethem.Doingthisfreesyourtimeand
energytoworkontheREALLYtrulyimportantthingsinyourbusiness,andof
course,yourlife.
ChadHamzehisfounderofDSV2Media,wherehemanagesover$20Millionin
onlineadspendperyear.Heisconsideredbymanyasthe"gotoguy"foronline
trafficgeneration.
CraigA.Handley(Twitter:@CraigAHandley)
www.ListenUpEspanol.comIreadalotofbooksand/orarticles,andI'mpartof
manyMastermindgroupswhereideasandinformationaresharedprettyfreely
amongstpeoplewhoalreadyaresuccessful.Ibelievetobetrulysuccessfulyou
cannotbeonthehamsterwheel.Youneedtimetothinkandexplore.Thisleads
toamultitudeofprojects.Weplanuptofourprojectsperquarterperproject
managertoselectivelyinvestinandplanastrategyaroundthoseprojects.This
meansthatnoonepersoncanbeinvolvedinmorethanfourprojectssowemay
beabletohavesixorsevengoinginasinglequarter.Otherideasmightbegreat
butaredelayed.Soonekeytobeingproductiveistofocus.Wethenpractice
committedactiontohittimelinesandgoalsoftheprojectandIcheckonthe
progressofthoseprojectswitha15minutecalleachdaywhereweshare
progress,challenges,areasweneedhelp,orareaswe'reavailabletogivehelp.
CraigHandleyisanentrepreneur,publicspeaker,andphilanthropist.Anexpert
inmarketing,sales,andbrandexpansion,HandleyistheCEOandfounderof
thehugelysuccessful“ListenUpEspanol,”whichwasnamed#1inBusiness
ProductsandService(#27overall)onInc.Magazine’s500/5000list.
JordanHarbinger(Twitter:@theartofcharm)
www.theartofcharm.comUseacalendarandscheduleyourentiredayinto15-
minute
,blocks.Itsoundslikeapain,butthiswillsetyouupinthe95th
percentileasfarasorganizationgoes.Ifit'snotonthecalendar,itdoesn'tget
done.Ifit'sonthecalendar,itgetsdonenomatterwhat.Usethisnotjustfor
appointments,butworkouts,calls,emailblocks,etc.Thisisthedifference
betweenpeoplewhoworkforeighthoursandgeteighthoursofworkdone,and
peoplewhoworkfor20hoursandgeteighthoursofworkdone.
JordanHarbingeristheco-founderofTheArtofCharmandhostofTheArtof
CharmPodcast,aschoolthatteachesnetworkingandrelationship-development
skills.
VerneHarnish(Twitter:@theGrowthGuy)
www.scalingup.com"Routinesetsyoufree"isthemantraunderpinningour
toolsandapproachinScalingUpcompanies,includingthe15minutedaily
huddlewithyourteam(andspouse!)thatwillsaveeveryonecollectivelyoveran
houreachdayandallowyoutoavoidminortrainwrecks(thatgrowintobigger
problems)andtakeadvantageofimmediateopportunities."Ifyouwanttomove
faster,pulsefaster".
VerneHarnishisfounderofEO;CEOofGazelles;andauthorofScalingUp
(RockefellerHabits2.0).
KevinHarrington(Twitter:@theGrowthGuy)
www.kevinharrington.tvBeforeIdecidetotakeonanewproject,Ianalyzeit…
Howmuchofmytimewillthistake,andwhatismyfinancialupsidepotential.I
createa“dollarperminute”analysis,hopefullyaMillionDollarperweek
upside.
KevinHarrington,theinventoroftheInfomercial,bestsellingauthor,original
investoronSharkTankandfounderandchairmanofAsSeenOnTV,Inc.
SherisseHawkins(Twitter:@gobeneaththeink)
www.beneaththeink.comDeterminethemostimportantthingagainstclear
criteriaofwhatyouwanttomeasure,thenmakesureyoufocusonthose
activitiesfirst.Favoriteapp:Assistant.to.Philosophy:"Ifyoucan'tbepositive
aboutitstartover."Personalritual:findtimefor10minute"mini"meditation
everyday.Exercisingmakesyou50%moreproductive.Notexercisingis-75%
(negative75%).
SherisseisaformerWaltDisneyImagineerandengineeringexecwhoseloveof
technologyandcreativityspurredhertobecomeanentrepreneurinthedigital
publishingspace.
DeaconHayes(Twitter:@deaconhayes)
www.WellKeptWallet.comIhavelearnedthatthebestwaytogetsomething
doneistohaveitonmyGoogleCalendar.IfIgetataskthatistimesensitive,I
assignittoafreeslotonmycalendar.Whenthattimeapproaches,Igeta
reminderonmysmartwatch(moto360),10minutesbeforeIneedtostartthe
task.IfIamdoingsomethingthatican’tbreakawayfrom,Ithenreassignthat
tasktoalatertime.Thishashelpedmebewaymoreproductiveaswellasithas
ensuredthattasksdon'tslipthroughthecracks.
DeaconHayesisthefounderandCEOofWellKeptWalletwhichprovides
financialcoachingandpersonalfinancecurriculum.
CarlDanielHeaton(Twitter:@webcoursesbkk)
www.webcoursesbangkok.comHavingalotofpeoplewantingmeetings,
consulting,orjusttomeetupputsalotofstrainonmyassistanttojugglemy
time.OneofthemostusefulpagesIhaveonmywebsiteisalivefeedtomy
schedule.Ithenaskpeoplewantingmytimetorecommendtwotothreetimes
thatsuitthemandwecanthenscheduletheminaccordingly.Asforproductivity
toolslooknofurtherthanTrello,itisanexcellentserviceandworkswellwith
anyindustryforprojectmanagement.
CarlisthefounderofWebCoursesInternationalDesignSchool,aUX
consultant,speaker,andauthor.
ToddHenry(Twitter:@toddhenry)
www.toddhenry.comNeversacrificelongtermeffectivenessonthealtarof
short-termefficiency.Dosomethingeverydaythatwillreaprewardsdownthe
road.
ToddHenryistheauthorofDieEmptyandTheAccidentalCreativeandthe
founderofAccidentalCreative.
GregHickman(Twitter:@gjhickman)
www.greghickman.meIlivebythephilosophythatifit'snotonthecalendar,it
doesn'texist.IplanmydaystheeveningbeforeandIwakeupandbeginmy
MiracleMorningwhichIlearnedfromHalElrod.TheMiracleMorninghas
beencriticaltostartingmydayonmyowntermsbutmycalendarissacred.I
makesuretoblockatleasttwotofourhoursperdaytospendonmyhighest
priorityfortheday.Ihavescheduledbreaksandtimeforemailandmeetings.
Managingyourcalendarandnotlettingitmanageyouallowsmetobeproactive
insteadofreactive.Ifyou'realwaysreactingyou'relikelynevertogetthemain
prioritiesaccomplished.
GregHickmanisthefounderofMobileMarketingEngine,amobilemarketing
agencyandeducationcompanyforsmallbusinesses.HeistheauthorofThe
SMSMarketingHandbookandwritesaboutentrepreneurshipandbuildingstuff
onhisblog.
RyanHolmes(Twitter:@invoker)
www.hootsuite.comKeepemailsshortandsweet.Overtheyears,I’vetrained
myselftowritethree-sentenceemails(aconceptexpoundedhere),leavingout
thefluffandkeepingonlythemostessentialpoints.Itsavesmytimeanditsaves
thereader’stime.WheneverIgetalongemailfromanewemployee,Iask
myselfifthingscouldhavebeenexpressedmoreconcisely.Heorshehasspent
alotoftheirowntimecomposingitandnowit’sconsumingalotofmytime,as
well,sinceIhavetoreadit.Andtimeisoftenaboss’smostvaluable
commodity.Ratherthansendlongemails,savemoresubstantialcommunication
foraphonecallormeeting.
RyanHolmesisthefounderandCEOofHootSuite,asocialmediamanagement
toolforbusinesses.
LewisHowes(Twitter:@lewishowes)
www.lewishowes.comFocusonwhatyouaregreatatandhireeveryoneelseto
dotherest.
LewisHowesisabestsellingauthor,entrepreneur,andformerprofessional
ArenaLeaguefootballplayer.HeisthehostofTheSchoolofGreatness,atalk
showdistributedasapodcast.
DannyIny(Twitter:@DannyIny)
www.FirepoleMarketing.comThebiglieoftimemanagementisthatyoucan't
managetime,butyoucanmanagefocusandenergy.Inotherwords,anhourwill
neverbeaminutelongerorshorterthananhour,butwhatyoucanaccomplishin
thathourisdependentonyourenergyandinspiration.Sohowdoyoucreatean
effectiveworkroutine?Simple:bychoosingwhatyouwantittobe,ratherthan
lettingothersdictateitforyou.Exceptthatmostpeopledoexactlytheopposite,
throughonesimple(terrible)habit:theychecktheiremailfirstthinginthe
morning,oftenbeforetheyevengetoutofbed.Thismeansthattheirfocusand
energyaregoingwhereothersaredirectingit,ratherthanwheretheystandto
makethegreatestimpact.Themuchbetterapproachistostayawayfromemail
untilyou'veaccomplishedatleastonethingthatyoufeelisworthwhile,andonly
thenturnyourattentiontowhateveryoneelseneedsfromyou.Ican'tsaythat
I'malways100%successfulatthis,butIdoitmostdays,andthosearethedays
whenIaccomplishthemost.
DannyIny,founderofmarketingeducationfirmFirepoleMarketing,isthe
bestsellingauthorofEngagementfromScratch!andTheAudienceRevolution.
JaredKleinert(Twitter:@jaredkleinert)
www.2billionunder20.comToomanypeoplesearchforquickfixes,timehacks,
andotherwaystosaveafewminuteshereandshaveoffameetingthere.
However,perhapsthebiggest"hack"ofthemallistoreallybeconsciousabout
allofyourdecisions,atamacrolevelandatamicrolevel.Personally,Idon't
watchTV,gotothemoviesmorethanonceaquarternormally,useSnapchator
Instagram,haveNetflix,andthere'sprobablyahalfdozenotherthingsmost
peoplewoulddothatIdon't.Intermsoftimemanagementspecifically,Isave
twotothreehourseasily,andmostlikelymore,perdayfromnotengagingin
theseactivities.Therefore,atamicrolevel,ifameetingrunsover,orIcheck
emailtoomuch(whichIdo),orgetlazyanddecidetotakeahalfdayoffevery
onceinawhile,althoughIfeelguiltyatthetime,
,IknowI'vealreadysavedaton
oftime.Thesameprincipleappliesinmydecisionsofwhetherornottogoto
university.Lastyear,Idecidedtotakeagapyearbetweenhighschooland
college,and"saved"40+hoursaweekthatwouldhavebeenallocatedto
studyingandclasses,andinsteadappliedittowardsgrowingmybusinesses.
WhenIgotintoNYUthisyear,IdecidedthatI'dtakeanothergapyearthis
upcomingyearbecause,atamacrolevel,Iwantedtobeefficientwithmytime
inscalingmywork.Icouldtrytobalanceschoolandgrowingmultiple
companies,butbytakinganothergapyear,I'vesavedthousandsofhoursmy
peerswon'tintermsofapplyingittomycareer.Forsome,thatinvestmentof
timemaybeagreatproductivity"hack"longtermbecausetheymaysaveyears
ofcorporateladderclimbingwithbetterdegrees,connections,andskillssome
universitiesprovide.However,formepersonally(andthismaychange...it'sall
aboutbeingdeliberateeachandeveryyear,andwitheverydecision),it'smore
productivetopostponeschool,savinglotsoftime(nottomentionmoney)for
measayoungentrepreneurspecifically.
JaredKleinertistheco-authorof2BillionUnder20,andco-founderofthenon-
profitofthesamename.
LukeLorio(Twitter:@lukeiorio)
www.iPECcoaching.comYoucan'tmanagetime—meaningminutesare60
secondslongandhoursare60minuteslong.That'snotgoingtochange.Butyou
canmanagechoices.Whenyou'reclearonyourchoices—prioritiesandstepsto
achievethosepriorities,thenyoubecomehighlyproductiveandsatisfiedwith
howyouspendyourtime.Topthreethings/scheduleblocking—everydayI
beginbylookingatthetopthreethingsIwanttoaccomplishthatday,inpriority
order.Foranythingthatisnonnegotiable,youneedtopracticeschedule
blocking—meaning,evenbeforeyoubeginyourweekreally,youshouldblock
offchunksoftimewhereyoucangetworkdone.Youshouldneverinterrupt
thoseblocksformeetingsordistractionsofanykindunlessit'sanurgentAND
importantissue,andeventhen,youshouldconsiderwhetheritcanreallywait
untilafteryoucomeupforair.HeadStart—atleastthreetimesaweek,think
aboutyournextday,thinkaboutwhatyouwilldofirst,andwhat'syourstarting
pointforthatactivity/task.Writethatstartingpointdown.Thefollowing
morning,insteadofwastingtimeonhowtobegin,youcanjustdivein.Youstart
thedaywithalittlemomentum.
LukeIorioisaperformancecoach,speaker,andtheCEOandpresidentofthe
InstituteforProfessionalExcellenceinCoaching(iPEC),thenation'sleading
coachtrainingorganization.
DaveJackson(Twitter:@learntopodcast)
www.schoolofpodcasting.comIuseanofficeawayfrommyhome.Thishelps
mefocuswhenI'mtheretodowork.Iuseasana.comtocreatea"todo"listandI
knowwhenI'minmyofficewhatIneedtodo.Iamlaserfocused.Thisalso
allowsmetofocusmoreonmyfamilywhenI'mhome.Iactuallyworkless
hours,butbecauseI'mmorefocused,Igetmoredone.
DaveJacksonhasbeenpodcastingsince2005whenhefoundedtheSchoolof
Podcasting.HeistheauthorofthebookMorePodcastMoney,aregular
contributortoPodertainmentmagazine.Youcanfindhimat
schoolofpodcasting.com.
AbelJames(Twitter:@fatburnman)
www.fatburningman.comGetyourbloodpumpingforatleastaminuteortwo
everyday.Quickworkoutsgiveahugeboosttoenergyandfeedthebrainwith
theoxygenyouneedtotakeovertheworld.
AbelJamesisabestsellingauthor,musician,andhostofthe#1-ratedhealth
podcast,FatBurningMan.
MitchJoel(Twitter:@mitchjoel)
www.mitchjoel.comYourmobiledevice?TurnoffALLnotifications.Onlylook
whenyouhavetimeorwhenyouhavescheduledtimetodealwithit.Granted,I
haveauniquetoneformywife,butthat'saboutit.Don'tlettechnologycontrol
you...youcontrolyourtechnology.
MitchJoelispresidentofMirum—aglobaldigitalmarketingagencyoperating
incloseto20countries.Hisfirstbook,SixPixelsofSeparation,namedafterhis
successfulblogandpodcastisabusinessandmarketingbestseller.Hissecond
book,CTRLALTDelete,wasnamedoneofthebestbusinessbooksof2013by
Amazon.com.
NicoleJolie(Twitter:@SkinByRadiance)
www.loveradianceskincare.comIchunkmyday,usingAsanaandEvernoteto
keepincontactwithmyassistantandkeeptrackofwhatI'maccomplishing.I
writedowneverythingI'vedonesothatI'mabletokeeptrackofmytime.Idon't
"plan"mydayunlessIhavesomethingthatisscheduled,butrather,Ilookatthe
endresultofwhatIwanttohappenfortheweek,month,quarter,andyearandI
focusoncompletingthatmilestone.I'mfindingtheless"todo"superfluous
blingblingIhavetodealwith,theeasiermybusinessruns.Ihavetogetoutof
myownwayandthewayofmybusinessforittorunefficientlyandeffectively.
IstayproductivebyhiringoutforprojectsIknowcangetdonefasterandwith
moreeasesothatIamabletocontinuallyfocusongrowingmybusiness.
Morningritual?Peefirst.Thendrinkwater.Peeagain.Drinkcoffee.Walk
FantasticScraptasic.Pee.:)Favoritemobileapp?LifetimeFitnessbecauseIcan
schedulemyworkoutsbasedontheinstructor.Verycoolapp.Forscheduling
thingstodo?AsanaandEvernote.Recommendedresource?Fiverr.Caffeine.
Meditation.Breathing.:)NicoleJolie,anentrepreneursincetheageof13when
shedecidedtobecomelegallyemancipatedandstartherowncookiecompany
calledCoupdeGracenowownsRadianceNaturallyAdvancedSkinCareher
ownlineofskincareforathletes.
ColbyB.Jubenville,Ph.D.(Twitter:@drjubenville)
www.redherringinc.comIworkwithCEO’s,COO’sandCFO’s,CMO’s,and
salespeoplethroughoutthecountry.ThefirstquestionIaskis,“Whatisthe
highestvalueofyourtime?”Mostofthetimetheypauseandsitbackintheir
chairandsay,“Idon’tknowifIcananswerthat.”Andit’swhatevery
entrepreneurshouldbeaskingthemselves.That’swhenthecoachingstarts.To
knowwhatthehighestvalueofyourtimeis,onemustfirstknowtheirdominant
focusortheonethingtheywanttoaccomplishinthebusinessorlife.Ithenask
iftheycandothreethingsaday,fiveaweek,60amonthtowardsadominant
focusintheirbusinessorlife.Whatyouwillfindisifyouknowyourdominant
focusandthehighestvalueofyourtimeandthenbuildasystemtobringthatto
action—itcanandwillhappen.
ColbyB.Jubenville,Ph.D.isprincipalofRedHerringInnovationandDesign
andanaccomplishedauthor,speaker,professor,entrepreneur,andinventor.
AuniaKahn(Twitter:@auniakahn)
www.auniakahn.comTimemanagementisaveryimportantaspectinhowour
livesarelivedeachday.Withsomanytransformationsintheworldtoday,such
astherelianceontechnologyadvancementsandhowquickeverythingmoves,
weneedtoworkdiligentlyinmanagingtimeeffectively,efficiently,andjoyfully
togetthemostoutoflife.Asapersonwho’sfast-pacedandenjoysherjob,I
finditessentialtoscheduletimetorecuperateandrelaxbecauseitmakesthe
wholecycleofworkandplaysomuchmoreproductive.Istartmydayswith
exercise,agoodhealthybreakfast,andIwalkmythreerescuedogstohelpme
wakeup,clearmymind,andprepareforthelongdayahead.Ischedulemyweek
onSundaysandcreateaplanfortheweekaheadbasedindeadlines,personal
interests,andwhilealsoleavingroomforchanges,andthingsthatmightcome
upunexpectedly.IalwaysgetoutofthewaythethingsIdon’tenjoydoing
beforeIjumpheadlongintothethingsIfindmorejoyful.Ibreakupmydayby
headingoutdoorsforafewmomentstotakeinsomefreshair—evenifrainingor
cold(butnotifwearehavingtornadoeswink).
AuniaKahnisinternallyawareandanexhibitedfigurativeartist,photographer,
publishedauthor,creativeentrepreneur,andinspirational
,speaker.Sheisthe
ownerofAuniaKahnLLC,AlexiEraGallery,LokreignPublishing,andthe
Create&InspirePodcast/Blog.
BradenKelley(Twitter:@innovate)
www.bradenkelley.comIachievemaximumproductivitybyutilizingasingle
input,multipleoutputcontentcreationapproach,andbyfocusingonexertingthe
minimaleffortpossibleformaximumeffectonthetasksbeforeme.Over-
deliveryononetaskusuallyleadstounder-deliveryonanotherwhenyou're
superbusy,andsoover-deliveryistobeavoided.
BradenKelleyisapopularauthor,innovationandchangemanagementkeynote
speaker,andco-founderofInnovationExcellence.com.
DaveKerpen(Twitter:@DaveKerpen)
www.LikeableLocal.comIfit'snotinmycalendar,itwon'tgetdone.Butifitis
inmycalendar,itwillgetdone.Ischeduleoutevery15minutesofeverydayto
conductmeetings,reviewmaterials,write,anddoanyactivitiesIneedtoget
done.AndwhileItakemeetingswithjustaboutanyonewhowantstomeetwith
me,Ireservejustonehouraweekforthese“officehours”.Peoplecanschedule
timeathttp://ScheduleDave.com,andIcangettheimportantthingsdone—the
restofmycalendar.
DaveKerpenistheNYTimesbestsellingauthorofthreebooks,theco-founder
&chairmanofLikeableMedia,andthefounder&CEOofLikeableLocal.
TravisKetchum(Twitter:@TravisKetchum)
www.ContestDomination.comIleveragemarketingautomationtools,aswellas
afewkeyphilosophiestomaximizemyproductivity.Tools:Infusionsoftand
ScheduleOnce.Beingabletocommunicatewithourcustomersandprospects
basedontheiractionsandthepaththeychoosetotakethroughourproductsand
servicesishuge.Bydesigningafunnelthataccountsforcontingencies,our
offersaresimultaneouslymorehumanandmoreeffective.Byusingascheduling
service,myhigherprofilecallsandmeetingsslotintomyavailabletimebased
onafewsimplebusinessrulesandtheavailabilityonmycalendar.Nomore
endless"whenareyouavailable?"emailloops.Tokeepmyselfsharp,I'vefound
thatbeingmorefocusedandactuallyspendinglesstimeinfrontofthecomputer
makesmemoreeffectivethanpouringendlesshoursintoemailetc.I'vefound
theretobediminishingreturnstorawscreentime,sobreakingupthattimeinto
smallersprintsandhavingaregularworkoutregimendoeswonderstoboost
productivity.
TravisKetchumisthefounder&CEOofContestDomination™,themost
powerfulandprovenleadgeneratorforsales.
PhyllisKhare(Twitter:@PhyllisKhare)
www.TimeBliss.MeIjusthadnochoice,yousee:Iwassimplyforcedinto
findingabetterwayofmanagingmyself,mytasks,andmytime.Itwaseither
thatorgocrazy,orcompletelygiveuponmycareer—orquitwritingmybooks.
Noneofthosewereanoption,soIwasforcedtoinventanewapproach,onethat
actuallyenabledmetotakecontrolovermyschedule,insteadofconstantly
beingcontrolledbyit.Youknowhowtheysay:evolveordie?Luckily,I
evolved.Withnootheroptionsandwithmybackagainstthewall,Idevelopeda
newwaytouseGoogleCalendartoschedulemyday…anditendedup
transformingmylife.
PhyllisKhareisco-founderofSocialMediaManagerSchool,creatorof
TimeBliss.ME,andauthorofSocialMediaMarketingeLearningKitfor
Dummiesandco-authorofFacebookMarketingAll-In-OneforDummies.
ShannonKinney(Twitter:@shannonkin)
www.dreamlocal.comRatherthanbeingdauntedbythesheervolumeofitems
onmy“todo”list,Ifocusonbite-sizedelements.Itracktasksinbiggroups(i.e.
ClientWork,CompanyNeeds,etc),andthenforeachIrevieweachweek
"What'sthenextaction?".Soratherthansay:"Buildnewtrainingdepartment"it
willsaysomethingmorelike"Interviewthreetopcandidatesfortrainingrole
Friday".ThiswayI'mabletoseewhereIcanhavethebestimpactandkeepall
ofmyprojectsmoving.Ialsospenttimeandthoughttocreatemysystemof
lists,taskassignments,andtrustthatitwillwork.Idon'tlosesleepwonderingif
I'verememberedeverything,becauseItrustmysystem.Focusingonthenext
actionhashelpedmegetmoredone,faster,andIbelievemyqualityofworkis
higherbecauseI'mnotdaunted.I'minspiredtotakethatstep!
FounderandClientSuccessOfficeratDreamLocalDigital,digitalmarketing
strategydevelopment,management,andimplementationforthousandsof
companies.
JakeKloberdanz(Twitter:@jakekloberdanz)
www.onehopewine.comFollowwhereyourenergytakesyouandputonefootin
frontoftheother.Beforeyouknowityou'llbelookingattheviewfromthetop
ofthemountain.It’slessabouthowbigthestepsarealongthewayandmore
aboutcontinuingtotakestepsintherightdirection.Toknowtherightdirection
youmustcontinuetolookuptowardthelongtermvisonandnotalwaysbeheads
downlookingattheshorttermsteps.Othershavemadethequestbeforeyou,so
benotafraid,butrespectwhatitwilltakeandbehumblealongtheway.
JakeKloberdanz,CEOandfounderofONEHOPE,creatorofandexpertin
Cause-entricCommerce.
DonnaKozik(Twitter:@DonnaKozik)
www.FreeBookPlanner.comPracticeputtinginthebigrocksfirst.Inother
words,doyourmostimportantandrevenue-generatingitemsassoonasyoucan.
Mybestpracticeistowritefor20minutesusingtheEvernoteapponmyiPadas
soonasIgetupwhenenergyandideasarefresh.ThesetoolsmakeitsoeasyI
don'tevenhavetogetoutofbedtobeproductive.
DonnaKozikisanaward-winningauthor,speaker,andcreatorofWriteaBook
inaWeekend.
VasaviKumar,LMSW(Twitter:@askvasavi)
www.vasavikumar.comGetclearonyourpriorities.Therestwillfollow.
VasaviKumarisanadvocateofliberty.Shecanbecontactedat
www.vasavikumar.com.
JessicaKupferman(Twitter:@jesskupferman)
www.ladybusiness.bizIdon'tthinkonetoolistheanswer.Ithinkthekeyto
stayingproductive,ontask,andorganizedisbeingDIGITAL.Whatevertool
youtendtouse,whateveryougravitateto,makesureit'sonlinesoyoucannever
loseit,soyoucanshareitwithothers,andsoyoucanreceivenotifications.
Digitalisthewaytogo.Anotebookcan'tremindyouofanythingandit'seasily
lost.IuseavarietyofthingsbutmostlyGoogleCalendarandaniPhone,andI
wouldbewanderingaroundlostwithoutboth.
JessicaKupfermanisthefounderofthepopularpodcastsLadyBusinessRadio
andShePodcasts,andthefounderofPodcastingSchoolforWomen.Shehas
beenadigitalbusinessconsultanthelpingotherentrepreneurswiththeironline
businessesforover15years.
BrianKurtz(Twitter:)
www.briankurtz.meFirst,IwritedownthreethingsIamgratefulforevery
morningandIalsowritedownthreethingsthatwillmakethedaygreat.Plus
twoorthreeaffirmations.Second,everypieceofpaperhasaplace...andmy
goalistoabletoputmyhandsonanypieceofpaper,idea,followupitemwithin
oneminute.Third,Iwritedown"threewins"everydaybeforeIgotobed...no
matterhowgoodorhowbadanydayis,therearealwaysthreewinsinevery
day.Toolsused:1)"FiveMinuteJournal"(bookorapp).2)Workflowy,
SwiftfileandIfollowtheprinciplesofBarbaraHemphill(keybooks:Taming
ThePaperTigeratWorkandLessClutter,MoreLife).3)"WinStreak"(app).
BrianKurtzisaserialdirectmarketerwhonevermetamediumhedidn'tlike.
Hespent34yearsbuildingoneoftheleadingdirectmarketing/publishing
companiesever(BoardroomInc.)andisnowdedicatedtodirectmarketing
education,teachingtheeternaltruthsofdirectresponsemarketingtomarketers
past,presentandfuture.
RogerLee(Twitter:@RogerLeap)
www.rogerleearts.comIequateproductivitywithvisioning.Ialwayslivebythe
motto"Ifyoucanseeit,youcanachieveit!".Istarteachdaywithaprayer
beforestartingmywork.Iprayforfocus,strength,andvision.Thevisionhelps
meseemygoals
,inreallifeform.Itmakesmygoalstangible.Iworkhardto
turnmyvisionsintospecificactionsteps.ThesestepsturnintotasksandTo-Do
Lists.Theselistshelpmestayproductiveeachday.Ialwayshavesomething
newandexcitingtoworktowards.Theultimatepayoffisseeingmyinitial
visionsturnintorealities.
RogerLeeisanaward-winningartist,educator,speaker,andentrepreneur.He
istheowneranddirectorofRogerLeeArtsAcademy,RogerLeeArts&
EntrepreneurshipConference,andRogerLeeDanceCompany.
LeeLeFever(Twitter:@leelefever)
www.commoncraft.comWe'vespentyearsatCommonCraftcreatingabusiness
thatscaleslikeastartup,butwithonlytwoemployees.Timemanagementand
planningarekey.Ourphilosophycomesdowntotheideathatyouplantthe
gardenyouwanttotend.Weareveryintentionalabouttheseedsweplant
becausesomeplantsmaysuckupallofyourtimewithoutprovidingany
nutrition.
LeeLeFeverisakeynotespeaker,founderofCommonCraft,andauthorofThe
ArtofExplanation.
TammyLevent(Twitter:@TammyLevent)
www.tammylevent.comAsCEOofEliteTravelmydaysarefilledwithseveral
thingsthatIneedtodo.AtthesametimeIalsohaveseveralprojectsontheside
suchastrainingtravelagentsthroughmyTravelAgentSuccessKit,speakingat
conferencesworldwideandcontributingtoanumberofpublications.Needless
tosay,it’sneveradullmoment.I’malwaysaskedhowIdoitallanditboils
downtotwosimplethings—First,ItextmyselfadailylistoftasksImust
completebeforemyworkdayisdoneandthenasIcompletethemIdeletethem
frommylist.Second,ifIdon’thavetimetofitsomethinginI’lleither
rescheduleitforthenextdayorifIcanI’lloutsourceit.Infact,outsourcing
freesupalotoftimeforme.Ihaveawriter,awebdesigner,agraphicartist,
otheragents,andmorethatIcancallontohandletasksforme.Ifyouneedto
freeuptimeinyourscheduleIwouldhighlyrecommendoutsourcing.Itdoesn’t
costasmuchasyoumightthinkanditwillopenupaworldofpossibilitiesfor
you.
Publicspeaker,renownedbusinesswoman,philanthropist,andmentor.Wantto
knowmore?GoogleMe!
DanielJ.Lewis(Twitter:@theRamenNoodle)
www.TheAudacitytoPodcast.comMakeappointmentswithyourself.Ioften
strugglewithgettingaroundtodothings.Igetwrappedupinoneprojectand
forgettheotherthingsIneedtodo.That'swheremakingandfollowingmyown
calendarhelps.Scheduletimetoworkonnothingbutthattaskthatneedstobe
done.Ievenhave"emailprocessing"and"social-networkparticipation"
scheduledintomyaveragedays.Thisgivesmededicatedtimetofocusonthese
tasks.Italsogivesmefreedomintherestofthedaytoavoidbeingdistractedby
thosetasksbecauseIknowIhaveasettimeforhandlingthem.
Danielcreatestrainingresourcesandpodcastingtools(likeMyPodcast
Reviews);offersone-on-oneconsultingandgrouptraining;isakeynotespeaker
onpodcastingandsocialmedia;andDanielhostsanetworkofaward-
nominatedshowscoveringhowtopodcast(TheAudacitytoPodcast),clean-
comedy(theRamenNoodle),andthe#1unofficialpodcastforABC'shitdrama
OnceUponaTime(ONCEpodcast).
TerryLin(Twitter:@itsmeterrylin)
www.buildmyonlinestore.comAnti-SocialisatoolI'vebeenusingsince2012to
blocksocialmediawebsitestoincreaseproductivity.Onceblocked,youmust
restartyourcomputerorwaitforthetimertoexpirebeforeyoucanaccessthe
sites.Youcanalsoincludecustomdomainslikenews,gossip,orforumsthatyou
frequentandknowareadistraction.
TerryLinisthefounderofBuildMyOnlineStore,apodcastdedicatedtohelp
E-Commerceentrepreneursgrowtheirsalesandtraffic.
RebeccaLivermore(Twitter:@rlivermore)
www.professionalcontentcreation.comIdesignedmyidealdayandweighout
commitmentsagainstit.Forexample,myprimewritingtimeisinthemornings,
soIavoidmakingappointmentsinthemorning,sincetheywouldcreatean"un-
ideal"dayforme.Ialsohaveathemeforthedayratherthandoingmultiple
thingseachday.Forinstance,todaythethememaybeclientwork,andthe
themetomorrowmaybewritingcontentformyownsite.Thiskeepsmefocused
andhelpsmegetmoredoneeachday.
RebeccaLivermoreisabestsellingauthor,contentmarketingconsultant,and
founderofProfessionalContentCreation.
JoshLondon(Twitter:@JoshLondonPPC)
www.ClickConvertProfit.comIhaveadedicatedTo-DolistthatIprintevery
morningwithjusttheessentialtasksIhavetocomplete(sortemails,complete
emails,completereminders,etc.).IalsouseanappcalledTeuxDeuxto
organizemyprojects.
JoshLondonisanonlineentrepreneurwhohelpsorganizationscreateand
manageremarkableSEOandPaidAdvertisingcampaigns.
DavidLong(Twitter:@Top10Manager)
www.MyEmployees.comGetupearly,andreadasmuchasyoucaneveryday.I
readthreetofourhourseveryday,andhaveforyears.Iattributethattomy
becomingamultimillionaire.Ifyoufailtolearnnewthings,youwillbecome
"roadkill"inthepathofyourcompetitors.
Founder/CEOofMyEmployees,a25year-oldfirmintheTop1%Worldwidein
theEmployeeEngagementandRecognitionindustry.Hisfirmspecializesin
helpingmanagersbuildstronger,moreengagingrelationshipswiththeirteam
members,whilelinkingtherewardsandrecognitionprogramtothedesired
goalsofthecompany.
GaryLoper(Twitter:@GaryLoper)
www.GaryLoper.comThemostimportantTimeManagementstrategyIhave
discoveredisinvesting1%ofyourdayinschedulingthenextday'sactivities.
Thatisonly14minutesaday.Surelyinvesting14minutesbeforebedisavery
beneficialhabit.Schedulingthenextday,justbeforegoingtobed,hasacouple
oftimesavingbenefits.1.Yournextday'sactivitieswillbeprioritized,knowing
whatneedstobeaccomplished.2.Yourmindisrelaxed,andyouaremuchless
apttotossandturntryingtogotosleep,thinkingaboutallthestuffyouneedto
do.3.Yoursubconsciousmindisworkingwhileyousleeponthebestmethods
toachievecompletionofyourtasks.4.It'sbeensaidthatinvesting14minutesin
scheduling,createsanextra56minutesofproductivityinyourday.Extra
productivity,extraandbettersleep,peaceofmind,andfocusedattentionareall
availableininvesting1%ofyourdayinprioritizingthenextday'srevenueand
goalaccomplishingactivities.
GaryLoperisarecognizedTwitterexpert,life,business,mindsetcoach,
motivationalspeaker,trainer,radiohost,andhighlyrespectedentrepreneur,
helpingpeoplemasterthebusinessoflifebyBuildingBetterRelationships.
NathalieLussier(Twitter:@NathLussier)
www.AmbitionAlly.comIsetfiveoverarchinggoalsperquarterformyselfand
myteam.Iwritethesedownonanotecardandkeepitbymycomputeror
workstationatalltimes.WheneverIfindmyselfwonderingwhattodonext,or
ifthethingI'mworkingonistherightthing...Ilookovermyfivegoalsand
priorities,andifit'snotcontributingtotheseprioritiesthenitdoesn'tneedto
happen.Thishelpsmeeliminatealotofthe"coolbutnotimportant"thingsthat
mightcomeupinthecourseofthedayorweek.
NathalieLussierisanaward-winningentrepreneur,keynotespeaker,andco-
founderofbusinesssoftwarecompanyAmbitionAlly.
NatalieMacNeil(Twitter:@nataliemacneil)
www.SheTakesOnTheWorld.comWhileappscanbewonderfulandhelpus
increaseproductivity,IprefertoplaninmyMoleskineExecutiveDaily.Ibreak
mydayintofourparts:Be,Do,Learn,Play.BE.Wespendsomuchtimebeing
busy,andverylittletimejustbeing.Istarteverydaygettingintoastateofflow,
movingmybodythroughyogaorexercise,journalingorreflectingonwhatI'm
gratefulfor,anddoingameditation.Iwilluseamudra(likeyogaforyour
hands)tosetanintentionforthe
,nextpartoftheday.DO.Thesearethetasks
thatmustbedonetomovemeforwardtowardsmyfivebiggoalsfortheyear.I
planmyyearina5x5,Isetfivemajorgoalsandcreatefivemilestonesforeach,
givingme25mainthingstofocusonfortheyear.Usuallytherearethreetofive
majorthingsIneedtodoeachdaytostayontopofdeadlinesforthose
milestones.Keepingmyeyeonthebiggerpictureinthiswayallowsmetostay
superproductiveandlaserfocused.Ionlyspendtimeonwhatmattersmost.
LEARN.Withthemajortasksoutoftheway,Ilovedivingintolearningnew
things.It'sourresponsibilityasleaderstocontinuallylearnandexpandour
knowledge.Ikeepontopofmyindustry,butIalsopicktopicstostudythattake
meoutofmyworkandintroducemetosomethingnew.Forexample,I've
studiedherbologyandhowtomakeherbaltonicsandmedicines.I'vealsotaken
Thaicookingclasses,Frenchlessons,andmeditationteachertraining.Even
whenwe'regrownup,weshouldneverstoplearningandtryingsomethingnew
mightintroduceyoutoapartofyourselfyouneverknewbefore.Andeveryday
wehavetoPLAY.Manyofusspendalotoftimeatadeskandworking.Ithink
stayingconnectedtoyourinneradventurerandfreespiritcanhelploweryour
stresslevels,increaseproductivity,andpreventburnout.
NatalieMacNeilisanEmmyaward-winningmediaentrepreneur,creatorof
SheTakesOnTheWorld.com,andauthorofTheConquerKit(Perigee2015).
AubreyMarcus(Twitter:@aubreymarcus)
www.AubreyMarcus.comThewayIbestutilizemytimeistoacknowledgeand
cultivatestretcheswhereIaminflow.WhenIaminthoseheightenedstates,itis
anall-outsprint.
AubreyMarcusisthefounderandCEOofOnnit.comandthehostofseveraltop
podcasts.
PhilipMasiello(Twitter:@philipmasiello)
www.800razors.comEverydayIorganizemyworkdaybytasksthatwillimpact
growthinrevenueandcustomersfirst.Nextareitemsthatwillimpactcostthen
itemsthatwillimpactourpeopleandfinallyitemsthatwillimpactthefutureof
ourbusiness.
PhilipMasielloistheco-founder,CEOof800razors.com.Priortoco-founding
800razors.com,Mr.Masiellowasco-founderandpresidentofRawEssentialsby
CarolAlt,apioneerintherawandnaturalskincareindustry.Asan
entrepreneur,Mr.Masiellohasbeendisruptingbusinesssupplychainstocreate
consumervalueinthefood,fashion,andpersonalcarechannels,foundingover
10businessessincetheearly1980’s.Mr.MasielloholdsanMBAinFinance
andMarketingfromtheUniversityofMaryland.
TracyMatthews(Twitter:@tracymatthewsny)
www.FlourishThriveAcademy.comandwww.TracyMatthews.comMybeliefis
thatcreativepeopleoftenstrugglewithstructure,eventhoughstructureisthe
keytoproductivityandcreativity.Itwasn’tuntilIstartedmappingoutmydays,
thatIwasabletoreachthelevelsofcreativityandthebusinesssuccessIcraved.
Mydaysstartwithtwohoursofselfcare(journaling,meditationandexercise)
followedbytime-blockedsectionswhicharefocusedonmymainobjectivesfor
theweekandmonth.Inadditiontotimeblocking,weareimplementing“Scrum”
inmybusinessesandIencouragemyteamtosingle-task(asIdomyself).Asa
resultsorientedpersonbutacreativeatthecore,time-blockingandefficiency
toolslike“Scrum”havechangedmylife!
TracyMatthewsisaFineJewelryDesignersandthefounderofFlourish&
ThriveAcademy,thepremiereresourceforjewelrybusinesseducation.
CarlMattiola(Twitter:@cmattiola)
www.carlmattiola.comWorkontheonemostimpactfulthingonyourbusiness,
firstthinginthemorning.Spendtimethinkingandanalyzingwhatismost
importanteachweek.
CarlMattiolaisanentrepreneurandthefounderofClinicMetrics,ClinicRise,
andBreakthroughPhysicalTherapyMarketing.
AndrewMcCauley(Twitter:@andymac71)
www.autopilotyourbusiness.comIprepareaMUSTDOlistthenightbefore…
whenIgettomydesk,IdothoseitemsfirstbeforeIturnonmyemail.Iuse
Trellotokeepmyinlinewithmyday'stasksandcelebrateallthatIachieveina
day.Ikeepoffsocialmediamostoftheday,unlessit'srelatedtomyspecific
work.
AndrewMcCauleyistheco-founderofAutopilotYourBusiness.Speaker,
author,podcaster,andrankedtop100mostInfluentialTwitterusersworldwide.
JohnMcGinn(Twitter:@builtbysouth)
www.south.ioHowdoyoustayproductive?Truthfully,beingcreativeand
productiveisaveryrareoccurrenceforme.Itrytofocusonasingleimportant
taskperday.Completingthisoneimportanttasklet'smefeelmoresuccessfulin
themidstofeverythingelsegoingon.Beingoverwhelmedcrushesmycreative
spark.Ialsogetupandwalkaroundfrequentlyduringtheday.Jokingwithour
teamandaskingabouttheirlives.Theselittlediversionsalmostalwaystrigger
mybestideas.Howdoyouplanyourday?MostweeksmywifeandIrun
throughtheweekaheadonSundaynight,sincewehaveasharedcalendarand
sheaddsthingsonherphone,it'smoreofacasualthing.Mondaysafterlunch
ourteamgetstogetherfora'speedread'whereeveryonesayswhatthey're
workingon,andiftheyneedanyhelponanything.Ourprojectmanagerwill
takenotesandupdateeveryone’scalendar(mywifecanseethisaswell).One
companypolicythatthathasreallyhelpedus—noclientmeetingsonMondays
orFridays(thereisaneternalrecurringblock).Thisreallyhelpspreventpeople
fromworkingontheirweekendsforaMondaydeadline,orstaylateonFriday
tryingtowrapupsomethingafterameetingateuptheirday.Doyouhaveany
morningrituals?Withthreekids,myritualisfrequentchaos.Myidealmorning
iscoffeewithmywifebeforekidswakeup,controlledchaosforthemtogetout
toschool,twomilewalkonthebeach,BEFOREIcheckmyemailforthelatest
overnightblowup.Favoritemobileapp?WeallusetheSlackmobileappfor
communicationbetweenourentireteam(fourtimezones).ThissavesSOmuch
timediggingthroughemailthreads.IalsorelyonFlipboardtokeeptrackof
newsrelatedwhatI'minterestedin.Recommendedresource?Ourprimary
applicationstackis:BaseProposifyBasecampLastpassAsanaAdobeCC
GithubVagrantDeployHQSlackGoogleApps.
JohnMcGinnisanaward-winningcreativedirectorandfoundingpartnerof
SOUTH,afullservicedigitalagencybasedinCharleston,SC.
JohnMcIntyre(Twitter:@johnmcintyre_)
www.themcmethod.comUsehttp://simplynoise.com/toblockoutnoises.Music
istoodisruptive,andtheambientsoundsofanofficeorcoffeeshopdistractme,
especiallywhenI'mwriting.http://simplynoise.com/createsawallofwhite
noisethatblocksoutalldistractingsounds,withoutbeingdistracting,soIcan
getintoaflowstatewhileworking.
JohnMcIntyreisabehaviouralreengagementspecialist,marketingstrategist,
andfounderofTheMcMethod.
BeckyMcKinnell(Twitter:@iBecCreative)
www.iBecCreative.comCreateathemeforeachdayoftheweeksoyoucansort
andfocusonyourprioritieseachday.Youwearalotofhatsasanentrepreneur
—breakingupyourweekwillhelpyoufindtimetomakeprogresstogrowand
improveeachkeypartofyourbusiness.
BeckyMcKinnell,presidentofiBecCreative,helpstraditionalbusinesseswho
areembarrassedandfrustratedabouttheirwebsitefeelproudanddiscover
whatapowerfultoolitcanbefortheirbusiness.
MattMcWilliams(Twitter:@MattMcWilliams2)
www.mattmcwilliams.comForme,therearethreekeystogettingmoredonein
lesstime.First,IdividemydayintosegmentswhereImustintenselyfocusand
thosewhereIcanbelessfocused.Checkingemaildoesnotgenerallyrequirea
lotoffocus,soIcandothatwhilelisteningtoapodcastoreatingasnack.
Writingablogpostorwritingcopyforaproductlaunchrequiresabsolutefocus,
though.Duringthosetimes,Iremovealldistractions,closeallwindows,
,puton
theheadphonesandlistentosomemeditationmusic.Second,meditation.
Speakingofmeditationmusic,meditationisnewtome,buthashelped
tremendouslyinhelpingmetofocus.Ihaveatendencytohaveanideaaminute
andbeeasilydistracted.Sincestartingmeditation,Icanmoreeasilyfocusfor
longerstretchesoftime.Third,Isetdeadlinesthroughoutthedayandseta
definitiveendtimetoeachday.Iworkbetteronadeadline,soIsetthem
throughouttheday.ImustcompleteprojectXbynoon,projectYbeforeIeat,
andImustfinishallworkby6:00pm.Thattimevariesasmyschedulevariesbut
thoseself-imposeddeadlineskeepmemovingquickly.Mygoalistogetthe
mostdone,doitaswellasIcan,butbecontentwithitbeing95%right,moving
tothenextthing,andspendingmybesttimewithmyfamily,notgivingthem
myleftovers.
MattMcWilliamsisthefounderandCEOofMattMcWilliamsConsulting,Inc.,
anaward-winningproviderofproductlaunchesandaffiliatemanagement.
AriMeisel(Twitter:@arimeisel)
www.lessdoing.comTheentiresystemofLessDoingwascreatedoutofmygoal
tohelppeoplefreeuptime,stressless,andreclaimtheirminds.Thenine
fundamentalsinclude,the80/20Rule,CreatinganExternalBrain,
Customization,StopRunningErrands,ChooseYourOwnWorkweek,Batching,
Organization,Finances,andWellness.Mynumberonetipisregardingemail.I
thinkthatthestateofyourinboxsaysalotaboutthebiggerpicturethatisyour
life.InboxZeromeansthatyouaretakingadvantageofthewonderfultoolthat
isemailsoyoucangetmoredone.Youshouldprocessallemailusingthethree
D's(youcanapplythistomostaspectsofyourlifewhereyouarereceiving
inputswhetherit'spaperorrequestsofyourtime).Onlydealwiththingsone
time.Delete—ifitdoesn'trequirearesponse,doesn'tneedfurtheraction,orisn't
relevanttoyou,deleteit.Dealwithit—ifyoucandoitinthenextfiveminutes,
DOITNOW,you'llaccomplishsomethingandjusttheactofaccomplishing
somethingwillmakeyoumotivatedtodomoreandgetmoredone.Thesubset
4thDisdelegate.Dealingwithitcouldmeanforwardingittoanassistant,a
teammember,oraspousetogetitdone.Defer—themostinteresting,youhave
torealizethattherearebettertimesandworsetimesforyoutodoeverything
andbeabletodealwithsomethingattherightteammeanyou'lldoitthemost
efficiently.ThebesttoolforthisisFollowUp.cc.Allyoudoisforwardanemail
tooraddanaddresstothebccfieldofemaillike3days@followup.ccor
Monday@followup.ccorApril15@followup.ccandtheemailwillcomebackto
yourinboxatthattimeandwillincludeasnoozefunctionalitysoifyouwere
wrongaboutthetiming,youcantryagain,butnowyou'llbefurtheralongand
havemoreinformation.
AriMeiselistheauthorofLessDoing,MoreLivingandthecreatoroftheLess
Doingsystemofproductivityandwellness.Ariisahumanperformancecoach,
speaker,andconsultant.
BryanMiles(Twitter:@bryanmiles)
www.eaHELP.comHireavirtualassistantfromeaHELPandstartdelegating
RESULTSnottasks.Giveyourvirtualassistantthe"why"behindtheresultand
empowerthemtoexecuteonyourbehalf.Thebestassistantsbecomean
extensionoftheleaderandmultiplytheresultoftheleader.Thisisdonethrough
thespeedoftrust.Whenthishappens—yourproductivityandresultswillgo
throughtheroof!
CEOandfounderofeaHELPVirtualAssistants.
DanMiller(Twitter:@48DaysTeam)
www.48Days.comTreatthe168hourswehaveeachweekasyouwould
carefullyearneddollars.Decideinadvancehowyouwillinvest,save,andspend
thosehours.
MybiggestproductivitytipisthatIworkinuninterrupted,focusedblocksof
time.Notgrabbing10minuteshereandtherebutdedicatingthreetofourhours
tooneimportanttaskinmyofficewherethereisnophone,noemailortext
messages,andnoopportunityforsomeonetopopintoseeme.
Ihavenotusedanalarmclockforthelast25years,becauseIgotobedata
reasonabletimeandhaveclearlyinmymindwhenIwanttostartthenextday.I
wakeupfullyrested,spend30minutesinmeditation,andthengotomyworkout
area.Whileworkingoutphysically,Itakeadvantageoftherichaudioprograms
availablesothatIfillthat45minuteswithphysicalexertioncombinedwith
mentalinputandexpansion.InevercheckthenewsorlookatmyiPhonefirst
thinginthemorning,nomatterhowimportantitmayseemtoknowthelatest
news.Thenewsisfilledwithrape,murder,pestilence,andheartache,andthatis
nottheinputIwantinmybrain.Laterintheday,Icanscanthenewsfor
anythingrelatedtomyareasofinterestandquicklysortthroughwhatIneed.
ButIcarefullyprotectthatfirsthouroftheday,makingsurethatallinputis
positive,clean,pure,creative,andinspirational.Manyofmymostcreativeideas
havecomefromthisprotectedtimeoftheday,oftenwhenIaminafullsweat.
By9:00AMIaminvigorated,motivated,andreadytofaceanythingtheday
maybring.
DanMilleristheauthoroftheNewYorkTimesbestselling48DaysToThe
WorkYouLove,NoMoreDreadedMondaysandWisdomMeetsPassion.Over
130,000peoplehavesubscribedtohisweeklynewsletter,his48DaysPodcast
consistentlyranksinthetop3underCareersoniTunes,andthe48Days.net
businesscommunityisviewedasanexamplearoundtheworldforthoseseeking
tofind—orcreate—worktheylove.
JonathanMilligan(Twitter:@JonMilligan)
www.BloggingYourPassion.comDocreativeworkfirst.Reactiveworksecond.
Asanentrepreneur,yougetpulledinamilliondifferentdirections.Inorderto
dowhatmattersmost,youmustbegineachdayinyourcreativegeniuszone.
Thisrequiresdiscipline.Forexample,it'seasytowanttostartyourdaychecking
email.MostofthetimewhenIcheckemailfirstthinginthemorning,Iendup
spendingmymorningsinreactivework.Mymostcreativework,whereIaddthe
mostvalue,isleftundone.Bystartingeachdaywitha60-90minutefocus
session,I'mabletodomymostcreativeworkfirst.Thisiswhatbuildsmy
business.
JonathanMilliganisanauthor,blogger,speaker,andonlinebusinesscoach.
Since2009,Jonathanhasbeenbuildingaportable,lifestylebusinessthrough
blogging.Today,heteachesotherstheroadmaptodoingthesame.
ChristieMims(Twitter:@revolutionsclub)
www.therevolutionaryclub.comIbelievethatIcangetanytaskcompleted(even
hatedones)in25minutes.ThisisactuallycompletelyUNtrue,butthatbelief
getsmetoopentomato-timer.com(it'safreewebsite),hitstartonatomato,and
thendiveintowhatevertaskIfindmyselfprocrastinatingon.After25minutes,I
endupsoabsorbedIdoanother25,andeventuallythingswindupfinished.:)
It'samazinghowlazyIamthatIcannotsetatimermyself,buttomatotimer
works!Asformorningrituals,I'mabigbelieverinstartingyourdayoffright—
soIdotwothings:1.Ireadinthemorningbecausethatfeelsgoodtome—I
oftenreadbusinessrelatedbooks,butIalsoreadterribletrashynovels.Either
onewakesmeupandgetsmegoinginanicewayand2.Iopenupmycalender
whenI'mdonereading,lookatwhatIcommittedtogettingaccomplishedthat
week(Icommittothreebigthingsaweek),andfigureoutwhatIabsolutely
needtodoTHATday.IputitonthecalendarandnothingelsegetsdoneuntilI
dothat.Voila!Productivity.
ChristieMimsisaprofessionalcareercoachandthefounderoftheForbesTop
100WebsiteforCareers,TheRevolutionaryClub.
JustinMitchel(Twitter:@justinmitchel)
www.codingforentrepreneurs.comIfanyonecandoit,socanyou.Itmighttake
youlongeranditmightcomeatgreaterpersonalsacrificebutit'strue.Ifanother
humancandoit,socanyou."Ifyouthinkyoucanorifyouthinkyoucan't,
you'reright."-HenryFordJustin
,mynextaction?”
TheProblemwithTo-DoLists
To-do lists should be called naggingwish-lists.A series of tasks you hope to
accomplish,without a specific plan as towhenyou’ll get themall done.How
manyitemsonyourcurrentto-dolisthavebeenonthereforseveraldays?For
weeks?Months?
The first problem with recording tasks on a to-do list is that it doesn’t
distinguishbetweenitemsthattakeonlyafewminutesanditemsthatrequirean
hour ormore. Sowhen you randomly look at your list and ask, “Hmm,what
shouldItacklenext?”Youareverylikelygoingtopickthequicktasks,theeasy
items,notnecessarilythethingthatismostimportant.
ResearchSays…
41%ofto-dolistitemsarenevercompleted.
(Source:TheBusyPerson’sGuidetotheDoneList,iDoneThis)
Second, and similar to the first problem, to-do listsmake it really easy to
work on the urgent instead of the important. That’s why I still have “Create
annual family photo album for 2013” still on my to-do list (from two years
ago!).Doyouknowhowmanymenhavehad“colonoscopy”ontheirto-dolist
yearafteryear?!
ResearchSays…
50%ofto-dolistitemsarecompletedwithinaday,manywithinthefirsthourofbeingwrittendown.
(Source:TheBusyPerson’sGuidetotheDoneList,iDoneThis)
Third, to-do listscauseunnecessarystress. Indeed,whenwecarryarounda
longlistofundoneitemsit’sonewaytorememberthem.Butit’salsoaconstant
reminder, a constant nagging, that there aremany thingswe still need to deal
with. No wonder we feel overwhelmed. No wonder at night we collapse
exhausted,butfightinsomniaasourbrainprocessesallthatstillhastogetdone.
Nowonderourbodiesarebreakingdownfromstress.
ResearchSays…
TheZeigarnikeffectisapsychologicaltermbasedonstudiedthatshowunfinishedgoalscauseintrusive,
uncontrolledthoughts.
LiveLifefromYourCalendar
Highlysuccessfulpeopledon’thavea to-dolist,but theydohaveaverywell-
keptcalendar.OneofthemostconsistentmessagesIgotfromalltheinterviews
andresearchIdidforthisbookwasthatnomatterwhatitis,ifyoutrulywantto
getitdone,scheduletimeforit.
InTheirOwnWords…
Useacalendarandscheduleyourentiredayinto15-minuteblocks.Itsoundslikeapain,butthiswillset
youupinthe95thpercentileasfarasorganizationgoes.Ifit'snotonthecalendar,itdoesn'tgetdone.If
it'sonthecalendar,itgetsdonenomatterwhat.Usethisnotjustforappointments,butworkouts,calls,
emailblocks,etc.
–JordanHarbingeristheco-founderofTheArtofCharmandhostofTheArtofCharmPodcast,a
schoolthatteachesnetworkingandrelationship-developmentskills
Thisiswhyhyper-busypoliticians,executivesandcelebritieshavefull-time
schedulers. This is why—as pretentious as it sounds—successful people are
pronetosayingthingslike,“Haveyourpeoplecallmypeopletosetsomething
up.”
InTheirOwnWords…
Isimplyputeverythingonmyschedule.That'sit.EverythingIdoonaday-to-daybasisgetsputonmy
schedule.Thirtyminutesofsocialmedia–ontheschedule.Forty-fiveminutesofemailmanagement–on
theschedule.Catchingupwithmyvirtualteam–ontheschedule.Quiettimetocontemplateandplan–on
theschedule.Bottomline,ifitdoesn'tgetscheduled,itdoesn'tgetdone.
–ChrisDuckerisaserialentrepreneur,keynotespeaker,andbestsellingauthoraswellasapopular
businessbloggerandpodcaster.
Surprisingly,thesimpleactofschedulingtasksonyourcalendar—insteadof
writing them on a to-do list—will free yourmind, reduce stress, and increase
cognitive performance. Florida State University Researchers showed that the
Zeigarnik effect—the stressful conscious and unconscious thoughts caused by
unfinishedtasks—couldbeovercomesimplybymakingaplantoaccomplisha
task—youdidn’tactuallyhavetocompletethetaskitself.
ResearchSays…
“Aplanincreasesone’soddsofattainingagoalandsimultaneouslyreducescognitiveactivities…”
(Source:ConsiderItDone!,JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology,2011)
There are several key concepts to managing your life using your calendar
insteadofato-dolist.
First,scheduleachunkoftimeforeverythingthatis importanttoyou;
this is called “time blocking” or “time boxing.” If you truly value being
healthyandhavedecidedthata30-minutedailyworkoutisyourenablinggoal,
then don’t put it on your to-do list—put it on your calendar. Schedule it as a
recurringappointment.Ifyouvaluecustomerintimacyasabusinessstrategyand
haveanenablinggoaloftalkingtoatleasttwocustomersaday,thenschedulea
dailyappointmentfor“customercalls.”
InTheirOwnWords…
Duringtraining,Ibalancedfamilytime,chores,schoolwork,Olympictraining,appearances,andother
obligationsbyoutliningaveryspecificschedule.Iwasforcedtoprioritize…Tothisday,Ikeepa
schedulethatisalmostminutebyminute.Focusonthosethingsthatbringyoufurthertoyourgoaleach
andeveryday.Everymomentcounts!
–ShannonMiller,amemberofthe1992and1996U.S.Olympicgymnasticsteamwhowonacombined
sevenOlympicmedals.
Second, important items should be scheduled as early in the day as
possible.Nomatterhowmuchwetrytocontrolourtimeandcalendars,weall
havethingsthat“comeup”thatmightneedourattention.Itcouldbeameeting
requestfromourboss,anangryclientcall,ortheschoolnursecallingtosaywe
needtopickupJohnniefromschool.Naturally,asmoretimeticksawayineach
day,themorelikelyitisthatsomethingunexpectedwillhappen.
I personally struggle with this immensely. If I have my daily workout
scheduled for the late afternoonor night, the odds are high that I’ll feel some
other priority is in need of extra attention by the time I actually get to my
exercise time block. I basically know that if I don’t hit the treadmill in the
morning,theoddsofhittingitatallgowaydown.
Third,don’t cancelgoals; reschedule them ifnecessary.For example, if
younormallyworkouteverydayfrom12:00 to1:00p.m.—duringyour lunch
hour—butyouhavetobeonanairplaneonMondaytravelingforworkatnoon,
youwouldrescheduletheexerciseappointmentforearlierorlaterintheday.
InTheirOwnWords…
Getoneofthosebigbluecalendars.Planningyourlifeonyourphoneisfine,butitdoesn'tgiveyouthe
sameperspective.
–WillDeanisanOlympicrowerforCanadaandcompetedintheLondon2012Olympics.Heis
currentlytrainingforRio2016.
Fourth, treat your time-blocked calendar entries as if they were
appointmentswithyourdoctor;theyarethatimportant.Mostofuscavein
on our self-scheduled appointments too easily. If we time block 4:00 to 5:00
p.m.toworkonanimportantreportattheoffice,andthenacolleagueasksfor
15minutesoftimebecause“somethinghascomeupIneedtorunbyyou,”we
reflexively say “sure,” thinking we’ll finish the report in only 45minutes, or
we’llstay15minuteslateroradjustinsomeotherway.
But imagineif insteadofworkingonareportyouhadanappointmentwith
yourdoctorordentist.Wouldyoustillagreetogiveawaythattimeandshowup
foryourdoctor15minuteslate?Ofcoursenot.
InTheirOwnWords…
WhatIfoundtobethemosteffectivewaytomanagemytimewastobuyanagendawithabigcalendar.I
handwritewhattopicsIneedtocoverandhowlongIneedtobestudyingthattopiceachnight.
–CaitlinHalewasastraight-AstudentincollegeandcurrentlyattendstheUniversityofMedicineand
DentistryofNewJersey.
Ifit'snotinmycalendar,itwon'tgetdone.But
,Mitchelisanentrepreneur,programmer,
teacher,andfounderofCodingForEntrepreneurs.
JeffMoore(Twitter:@wildthingscfood)
www.InternationalPacific.com,www.ThursdayNightBoardroom.comPower
mornings:makeeverythingyoudoforthefirst120minutesaritual,including30
minutesforlightexercise,stretchingandmeditation...twoorthree90-minute
focusblocksperday,includingapersonalblock...
www.Asana.com...www.Followup.cc...FancyHands...Advice,seeyourdayfrom
ahigherperspective.Dothemathonyouractivities.Avoidleveragingyourtime
formoney,insteadleverageyourexpertiseanddelegatetherest.Youwillfind
thatyouhaveseeminglymoredowntimethanusual.Youwillwanttofillthe
timewith"stuff",butavoidthis.Takethetimeforpeacefulthoughtand
reflection.Cloisteringfor90to120minuteblocksperdaywillreinvigorateyou
inawaythatveryfewthingscan...coupleitwithexerciselikeabriskwalkand
youwillbefullychargedandreadytogo.Morningandnightaregreatforthis.
Relationshipsgotothenextlevelduringlongwalks.BestthingmywifeandI
haveeverdonein26yearsofmarriage.
JeffMooreispresidentoftwoseafoodcompaniesandthefounderofaglobal
mastermindgroupcalledThursdayNightBoardroomwithover485members
from24differentcountries.Heisapassionatemarketer,entrepreneur,andisa
worldclassexpertinfoodsupplychaindynamics,solutionsandprofitability.
TomMorkes(Twitter:@tmorkes)
www.insurgentpublishing.comThebestwayto10xyourproductivityisto
removeeverythingbuttheessentialfromyourto-dolist.Doyouneedtocheck
emailrightnow?Doyouneedtosendthatmessage?Doyouneedtotakethat
call?Unlessit'spartofyourcriticalpath,ditchit.
TomMorkesisaWestPointgradandIraqWarveteran,andthefounderand
CEOofInsurgentPublishing,afullservicebookmarketingandpublishing
companythatlaunchesbookstobestseller.
AndyMurphy(Twitter:@AndyMurphytv)
www.andymurphy.bizUnderstandingwhy,what,andhowtoleverageyourpeak
mentalstateistrulythedifferencebetweenfailureandsuccess.Youcancreate
laserfocus,belief,flow,andmassivemotivationsimplybyunderstandingthat
youarethinking,feeling,andperformingusingneurologythatrunsonautopilot
inthebackgroundofyourmind.Justlikesoftwarerunsinthebackgroundof
yourcomputer,yourneurologyalsobecomesoutdated.Byexercisingyour
mentalmuscles,meaningthethoughtsandfeelingsthattheworld-classversion
ofyouwouldhave,youcreatenewneuralpathways.Thisdeepensand
intensivelyconnectsyoutowhateverandwhomeveryoufocusonthemost.
EXTRA:“Whenyoucontrolyourmind,youcontrolyouremotions.Thisleads
toacontrolledpeakmentalstateandtheabilitytoachieveanyresult.”
AndyMurphyisaMasterPractitionerofNeuroLinguisticsandMental
PerformanceCoachtoroyalty,worldchampions,and8figureentrepreneurs.
ChrisMyers(Twitter:@chris_myers_)
www.chris-myers.netMybestproductivitytipistowakeupearly.Anearlystart
tothedayprovidestimeforintrospectionandpreparation.Igenerallytrytoget
intotheofficeby6:30am.
ChrisMyersistheco-founderandCEOofBodeTreeandafrequentcontributor
totheWallStreetJournal,Forbes,EntrepreneurMagazine,andMSNBC.
AkshayNanavati(Twitter:@existing2living)
www.existing2living.comAtitscore,thesecrettotimemanagementand
productivityistoremovethinkingfromtheprocessasmuchaspossible.
Psychologistshaverepeatedlystatedthenormalstateofthemindischaosand
thebrainislazy,sowithoutdirectionitwillnaturallyguideitselftotheeasiest
courseofaction.Inorderformetomanagemultipleprojectsliketrainingtorun
acrosseverycountryintheworld,startinganon-profit,findingsponsorsforand
planningmyrun,workingonmycoachingandspeakingbusiness,writinga
book,buildingabrand,managingarealestateinvestmentfirm,andcontracting
forthegovernment,Ineedclearinstructionstoguidemybraindaily.Assuch,I
havecreatedveryclearfiveyeargoals,threeyeargoals,oneyeargoals,andthen
brokenthosedownintomonths,weeksanddays.SoIstaypresenttothelarger
visionbutfocusonlyonthesmallertasksathand.Tomaintainfocus,Iplanmy
weekeverySundaywiththelargergoalsinmindandIrelentlesslychunkmy
timeintosmallerblockswhereIfocusononlyoneprojectandonetaskinthat
projectatatime.Ialsotrackalmosteveryhourofmydayandthencomparethe
trackedtimetotheplannedtimeattheendoftheweek.SowhenIstartachunk,
Ihitgoonmytimer.Thatactionhasbecomelikeananchorthattellsmybrain
"itsgotime,"immediatelysendingmeintolaserfocusmode.Thismakesit
playfulaswellsoIdon'ttakethelaundrylistoftasksIhavetodososeriously
andgetoverwhelmedbythem.Iusethetodoistapptotrackthelistofvery
specificnextactionsineachproject,IuseAsanaforthelongertermgoal
planning,andIuseatimeloggertotrackmytime.Thesemultiplesystemsensure
thatmybraincanactoutthetasksitneedstoinordertoaccomplishmygoals
whileonautopilotwithouthavingtothinkaboutwhatactiontotakenext.Ithink
duringtheplanningphasetoremovethinkingfromtheactionphase.
AkshayNanavatiisanauthor,trainerandexploreronamissiontorunacross
everycountryintheworldtobuildaglobalcommunitythatworkstogetheras
oneforthecommongood.
AliNeely(Twitter:@alexisneely)
www.eyeswideopenlife.comIusedtobecalledthehardestworkingwomanin
thebusiness.Butitwasn'tsustainableandI'mamomoftwokids,soI'vehadto
discoverhowIcancomeintorightrelationshipwithtime,money,andhowIget
paid.ThatstartedwithgettingreallyclearabouthowmuchIactuallyneededto
makesoIcouldstopchasingmoreandgetclearaboutenough,orsufficiency.
Then,IwentthroughameticulousprocessofclarifyinghowmuchtimeIwanted
tospendactuallydeliveringmyservices(afterallocatingtimeforselfcare,
family,andallofthenon-servicedeliverypartsofmybusiness).Finally,Iwas
abletousethatdatatostructuremyfeesintopackageswithhighvalueoutcomes
thatwouldpaymeexactlywhatIneededtohavethelifeIwantandplentyof
timetoenjoyit.Icreatedatooltohelpothersdothesameat
http://tool.moneymaptofreedom.com.Oh,andnothinggetsdoneunlessit'son
myGoogleCalendar.Evencompletingthisrequestfromyougotcalendaredon
myGoogleCalendarsothatwhenitpoppedup,Icoulddoitanduntilthen,I
didn'tthinkaboutit.Hopethisallhelps!:)AliNeelybuiltafewmilliondollar
businessesandnowguidespeopletodiscovertheirowntruesuccessinthenew
economy.
BenNewman(Twitter:@ContinuedFight)
www.BenNewman.netWeallhavethePOWERtochooseourdailyhabitsand
tofocusonthePROCESS(actionsteps)ratherthanonresultswecan'tcontrol.
HereisaprovenmentaltrainingtoolweuseinourcoachingcalledYOUR
PrizefighterDay.ThishasdrivenperformancewithathletesintheNFL,PGA,
MLB,Boxing,NCAAaswellasdrivinggrowthwithbusinessprofessionalsand
entrepreneursaroundtheworld.Thekey:Eachdayidentifythreeactivity-driven
goals(apersonalgoal,abusinessgoal,aservicegoal)that,ifaccomplished,will
makethedayvictorious,regardlessofanyotherobstaclesthatcomeyourway.
Remember,youarefocusingonactivitieswhichyoucancontrol,andnotresults
thatareultimatelyoutofyourcontrol.
BenNewmanisabestsellingauthor,internationalspeaker,andperformance
coachforbusinessexecutivesandprofessionalathletes.
DanNorris(Twitter:@thedannorris)
www.wpcurve.comThebestwaytoeffectivelymanageyourtimeisnotspend
anyofitonthingsyoudon'twanttodoandyouaren'tgoodat.It'samazinghow
time-efficientyoucanbewhen
,ifitisinmycalendar,itwillgetdone.Ischeduleout
every15minutesofeverydaytoconductmeetings,reviewmaterials,write,anddoanyactivitiesIneed
togetdone.AndwhileItakemeetingswithjustaboutanyonewhowantstomeetwithme,Ireservejust
onehouraweekforthese"officehours."Peoplecanscheduletimeathttp://ScheduleDave.com.
–DaveKerpenistheNYTimesbestsellingauthorofthreebooks,theco-founder&chairmanofLikeable
Media,andthefounder&CEOofLikeableLocal.
The best habit is to automatically respond to unanticipated requests that
conflict with your calendar by saying something like, “I have an important
appointmentonmycalendarfrom4:00to5:00.Isthereanychancewecantalk
after5:00,orcanitwaituntilthemorning?”
You’ll be surprised at how frequently the unanticipated item can then be
scheduledinanopenblock.Suretherewillbetimeswhenanimportantperson
—a boss or spouse, for example—needs our attention, and it really is more
important than our time block activity. But we can always ask to fit it in
elsewhereasafirstreaction.
JeffWeinerTimeBlocksBufferTime
TheCEOofLinkedIn, JeffWeiner,wroteablogpostdescribinghowhe time
blocks“donothing”timeonhiscalendar.Hewrote:
If you were to see my calendar, you'd probably notice a host of time slots
greyedoutbutwithnoindicationofwhat'sgoingon.Thereisnoproblemwith
myOutlookorprinter.Thegreysectionsreflect"buffers,"ortimeperiodsI've
purposelykeptclearofmeetings.
In aggregate, I schedule between90minutes and twohours of these buffers
everyday(brokendowninto30-to90-minuteblocks).It'sasystemIdeveloped
over the last several years in response to a schedule that was becoming so
jammedwithback-to-backmeetingsthatIhadlittletimeleft toprocesswhat
wasgoingonaroundmeorjustthink.
Atfirst,thesebuffersfeltlikeindulgences.Icouldhavebeenusingthetimeto
catchuponmeetingsIhadpushedoutorsaid"no"to.ButovertimeIrealized
notonlywerethesebreaksimportant,theywereabsolutelynecessaryinorder
formetodomyjob.
DesignYourIdealWeekwithTimeBlocks
Anotherwayyourcalendarcanbecomeapowerfullife-guidingtoolisbyusing
ittodesignyouridealweek.
Thinkaboutwhatyouridealworkweekwouldlooklike.
Ifyou’reafreelancer,consultant,orcoach,itmightincludefocusedtimeto
work on client projects, but also time to learn new skills or to be inspired by
others’work,ortoworkonyourownmarketinginitiatives.
If you’re amid-level executive, your idealweekmight include one-on-one
coaching timewith some of your teammembers, time for a teammeeting, as
wellastimetositalonetothinkstrategicallyabouttheyearahead.
Regardlessofyourprofessionalrole,youmayalsofindthatyouridealweek
—andeven idealday—hassomerecurringpersonal things:exercise, timewith
yourfamily,timetorelaxortopursuehobbies.
Mappingallof these itemsontoyourcalendar—andmakingthemrecurring
appointments—istherightwaytodesignyour life.It’sapowerfulwaytostay
consistenttothoseactivitiesthatgiveyouthemostreturn,andthemostjoy.
Myowncalendarreflectsmanyofmyvalues:
• Ivaluehealth, so I timeblock60minuteseachmorningfor
exercise.
•Ivaluecoachingmyteammembers,soItimeblockone-on-one
meetingswitheachdirectreportonMondaysasawaytokickoffthe
week.
•Ivalueteamalignmentandbreakingdownsilos,soItimeblock
aweeklyfull-teammeeting.
• IvaluewritingsoIhavetwotothreeblocksoftimescheduled
eachweektowriteuninterrupted.
• Ivaluemychildren’seducation,soItimeblockeveningsafter
dinnertohelpthemwiththeirhomework.
• Ivalue rechargingandnewexperiences, so Iblockoff long
weekends or entire weeks—sometimes a year in advance—for
vacations,evenifIdon’tknowyetwhereI’mgoingyet.
Remember that thekeypoint isnot tousea to-dolistasyourprimarytime
management tool. Itemsona to-do listcansit there forever,constantlygetting
bumpedbythingsthatseemurgentinthemoment.Andhavingthislistofthings
thatstillneedtogetdoneistherootcauseofourunderlyingstress.
When you master the practice of time blocking—using your calendar
instead of your to-do-list—you can literally see your life’s priorities by
lookingatyourweeklycalendar.
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur:Woulditbehelpful toblocktimeeachweektotalkdirectlyto
customers,reviewmetricsagainstgoals,orcoachyourdirectreports?
Executive:Woulditbehelpfultoblocktimeforyourtopobjectives?
Freelancer:Would it be helpful to set up time blocks each week to read
industryblogsorlearnhowtousenewtools?
Student:Would it help to time block study group time and your teachers’
officehours?
Stay-at-HomeParent:Would it behelpful to timeblock trips to thegym,
weeklyerrands,andbillpaying?
SECRET#3
Workfromyourcalendar,notato-dolist.
Howmuchlessstresswouldyoufeelifyoucouldripupyourto-dolistand
workfromyourcalendar?
FREEBONUS
TodownloadtheMillionaireDayPlannerworksheetandotherFREE
bonuses,visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#4
TheProcrastinationCure
Imagineifyoucoulduseamentalexercisetofinallydefeatprocrastination.
Howdifferentmightyourlifebe?
ProcrastinationIsn’taboutLaziness
It’s ironic, but I’m procrastinating right now as I write this chapter. I’m
supposed tobedoing research andcustomization for a speakingengagement I
landedwith agiant energycompany.But instead I’mwriting this chapter. It’s
not like themotivation isn’t there.They’repayingme$54,425 todeliver three
talks in threedays.So I shouldbe jumpingup anddown for joy andeager to
divein.Butalas,writingabookontimeandproductivityiseasierandmorefun
for me than spending a half day poking around Google Scholar, reading dry
academic papers, and creating compelling new slides. Besides, I can get to it
tomorrow….
Procrastinationisthehabitofputtingoffimportant,lesspleasurabletasksby
doingeasier,morepleasurabletasks.Thingslikeemail,Twitter,Facebook,food,
andTVareexcellentwaystoprocrastinate.
InaninterviewwiththeAmericanPsychologicalAssociation,JosephFerrari,
PhD,sharedsomeofhisresearchfindings:Weallputtasksoff,butmyresearch
hasfoundthat20percentofU.S.menandwomenarechronicprocrastinators.
Theydelayathome,work,school,andinrelationships.These20percentmake
procrastination their way of life…Let’s place the 20 percent in perspective—
that’shigher than thenumberofpeoplediagnosedwith clinicaldepressionor
phobias,twotendenciesmanypeopleknowabout.
Tobeatprocrastinationonceandforall,youhavetounderstandit.Youdon’t
procrastinatebecauseyou’relazy.Youprocrastinatebecause:
1. Youlackenoughmotivation,and/or
2. You underestimate the power of present emotions versus future
emotionswhenyousetyourgoalsormakeyourtasklist.
We tend to procrastinate awide variety of things.Youmight procrastinate
doing that school report, or making those cold calls, or firing someone who
clearlyhastogo,orcleaningoutthegarage.
For me, my weak spot is exercise. In every other area of life, once I’ve
decidedonthegoal,I’mabletoexecuteitwithoutprocrastination.Butworking
out? That’s a whole other
,story. So let me use exercise and fitness as our
exampleinthefollowingprocrastinationbusters.
ResearchSays…
Peoplewhorarelyprocrastinatereporthigherlevelsofproductivity,happiness,andenergy.
(Source:TheKruseGroup,2015)
ProcrastinationBuster#1:TimeTravel
This is a big one. The underlying problem we all have is that we are what
psychologistscalltime-inconsistent.
Thismeanswe think we’ll eat salads during theweek, sowe stock up on
lettuceat thegrocerystore,but inevitablyweendupwithslimyrottinglettuce
twoweekslateratthebottomofourrefrigerator.
Beingtime-inconsistentalsomeansweadddocumentariesandindiefilmsto
ourNetflixqueuebecausecertainlywe’llwatchtheminthefuture,andyetthey
nevermoveto#1becausewekeepchoosingWillFerrellmovies.
And it’swhy Ikeepbuyingnewworkoutequipmentanda fancy scaleand
healthyfoodcookbooks,andyetI’mstillnotseeingmysix-packabs.
Despitewhatwethinkwearegoingtowantinthefuture,wehave“present
bias.”Whenthepresentactuallygetshere—andyes,thepresentisalwayshere
—wechoosecandy,sitcoms,Facebook,andcatvideos.They’reeasierandmore
fun. And hey, we can always get to that other thing in the afternoon, or on
Monday,ordotheresolutionagaininJanuary,right?
Wealwaysunderestimatehowharditistobeourbestselfinthepresent
moment.
Toovercomethistimeinconsistency,wemustdobattlewithourfutureself
—theonewho, in thepresentmoment,will sabotageus.Our futureself is the
enemyofourbestself.
Iliketothinkofthisbattleastimetravelingtodefeatmyfutureself.Using
thehealthexample, Istartby thinking,howwill Isabotagemyhealthgoals in
thefuture?HowcanIovercomethatnow?
•Myfutureselfisgoingtosabotagemebyeatingjunkfoodinthe
kitchen duringmy breaks. To beat him,my present self is going to
throwout all the junk foodandnotkeepany in thehouse. I’malso
goingtobuybabycarrotsandhummustoreachforasareplacement.
• Myfutureselfisgoingtosabotagemyworkoutbysayingit’s
toobusyofadaytofititin.Mypresentselfwilldefeathimbytime
blocking exercise first thing in themorning, and Iwill immediately
putworkoutclothesonassoonasIgetoutofbed,andIwillrefuseto
lookatemailuntilafterIworkout.
• My future self is also going to sabotagemyworkouts by
thinkingI’mactuallyprettyhealthy,Idon’tlookthatbadcomparedto
most people who go to the mall, and my blood pressure and
cholesterolare fine.Mypresentself isgoing to tellmygirlfriend to
pinchmylovehandleflabonanydayIdon’thitthetreadmill…dang,
thatwillbeembarrassingandgross!
Onefriendofminegoestoextrememeasurestobattleherfive-minutefuture
self!Inpursuitofherhealthgoals,wheneversheeatsoutatarestaurantandthey
bring her a side of French fries, she immediately opens the salt shaker and
dumpstheentirethingontopofthefries.Shehaslearnednottotrustregularold
willpowertonoteatthefries.Herfive-minutes-in-the-futureselfislikelytosay,
“I’lljusthaveone.”Andweallknowhowthatgoes.
Howareyougoingtodobattlewithyourfutureself?
ProcrastinationBuster#2:Pain&Pleasure
Ultimately,ifwearen’tjumpingoutofbedinthemorningexcitedtotackleour
project, it’s because our dreams aren’t big enough. They aren’t motivating
enough.Andmotivationcomesdowntopainandpleasure.Forthetoughtasks
you always tend to procrastinate, think about and even visualize the “why”
behindthem.
WhatpleasurewillIgetbydoingthisthing?
WhatpainwillIfeelifIdon’tdoit?
Oneofmyenablinggoalsistoworkouteveryday.Yogastretches,resistance
training,andthetreadmill.Ineedtoreallypileonthepainandpleasureinmy
mindtoactuallydomyworkouts.WhydoIwanttoworkout?BecauseIwantto
lookgood,Iwantdefinitioninmyabs(comeon,whatguydoesn’t?),Iwanthigh
energy,andIbelievecardiovascularexercisekeepsthebrainhealthy.
What’sthepainI’llfeelifIdon’tworkout?Ivisualizelookingflabbywitha
beerbelly (sometimes Idon’tneed to “visualize” it!). I thinkabout thatweird
painabovemykneethatIgetwhenIdon’tdothepigeonposeinyoga.Ithink
aboutfeelinglikealoser,acouchpotato,withnoenergy.Ieventhinkaboutthe
factthatnotworkingoutisdisrespectfultomygirlfriend.
Doesthismentalroutinesoundextreme?Idefinitelygothroughthispainand
pleasure thoughtcycle if I’mnot feelingmotivated,but it’sactuallyhelpful to
justrunthroughitroutinelytoburnitintomymindset.
ProcrastinationBuster#3:AccountabilityPartner
MychildhoodfriendCurtgrewupandbecameasportspsychologist.Hetellsme
that the number one predictor of whether someone will stick to an exercise
routineornotiswhethertheyaredoingitwithsomeoneelse.
Thiscanbeaneighborwhomeetsyoueverymorningat6a.m.forajog.It
canbeaprofessionaltrainerwhomyoupay$50anhourtocometoyourhouse
tokickyourbutt.Itcanbeyourbosswholikestoplaybasketballeverydayat
lunch.ItcanbeaWeightWatchersclubwhereyouweighineveryweek.Andof
course, itcanbeastudybuddyatschoolor justagoodfriendwhoisgoingto
checkinwithyouandkeepyouaccountable.
The reason why this is so powerful is that when we procrastinate, we are
merely breaking a promise to ourselves; we feel far worse when we break a
promisetosomebodyelse.
ProcrastinationBuster#4:RewardandPunishment
SomepeopleIknowrespondverywelltobribes—eventhoughtheyaretheone
incontrolofthebribe!
Onefriendtoldherselfshecouldbuyanewpairofexpensiveshoes,butonly
aftershepaidoffhercreditcards.Anotherfriendboughtanexcellentbottleof
winebutwouldn’tdrinkituntilhegotdowntoacertainpercentageofbodyfat.
Butinadditiontothe“carrot,”don’tforgetaboutthestickapproach.Human
psychology is such that we actually fear loss more than we want a gain. So
insteadofrewardingyourselfforgoalachievement,youcanalsopunishyourself
forgoalfailure.
Onecompany,StickK(http://www.stickk.com/),hasmadeawebsitethatlets
you set up a “commitment contract.” You pick the goal, the penalty, and a
http://www.stickk.com/
charityofyourchoicewillreceiveyourmoneyifyoudon’thit thegoal.Asof
thiswriting,over$14millionhasbeenputupasstakesagainstgoals.
MyfriendJohnrecentlysetupateamweightlossgoalwithhiscolleaguesin
theoffice.Liberalintheirpoliticalviews,theyeachchippedin$100andhaveto
donate it to theNationalRifleAssociation if theydon’t shed the agreed upon
pounds.
Ofcourse,youdon’tneedfancysoftwaretoexecuteonthisstrategy.Youcan
always just set up a commitment contract with friends. Give them $100, or
whatever amount will “hurt” you, and share your goal. If you don’t follow
through,theycankeepthemoneyorgiveittoacharity.
ProcrastinationBuster#5:ActAsIf…
Be.That’sit.Be.
Admittedly, this one is a little deep. It has to dowith our identity.We all
workreallyhardtostayconsistentwithwhowethinkweare.
Muchoftheproblembehindtaskavoidanceisthatwearen’tyettheperson
wearetryingtobecome.Wecanvisualizeouridealfuturestate,butsometimes
thepresentstate—sittinghereonthecouchwatchingTV—feelsalotbetter.One
unusual but very effective strategy is to self-talkyourself (out loudor inyour
head)asifyoualreadywereyouridealself.
Iamahealthyeater.Iamajogger.Iam
,the#1salesrepinmycompany.I
amaneatperson.Iamabestsellingauthor.Iamanentrepreneur.
What this self-talk is doing is anchoring your values. If you are already a
jogger, itwill feelbadandunnaturalnot togoout jogging today. Ifyouarea
writer,ofcourseyouaregoingtositandwriteatthecomputertoday—it’swhat
writersdo.Ifyouareahealthyperson,ofcourseyou’llgetato-gosaladatthe
airportinsteadofasliceofpizza.
Justbewhoyouwanttobecome.Itwillthenfeelbad—itwillbeincongruent
—nottodothetaskyoumightbetemptedtoprocrastinate.
ProcrastinationBuster#6:SettleForGoodEnough
Sometimeswefind iteasy tostart things,butweprocrastinate finishing them.
Onetricktouseistojustplanonsettlingforlessthanperfect.
Procrastinating that three mile jog?Well, just suit up and go outside and
agree to run around the block once…thatwill be good enough.Andmaybe it
willbe,ormaybeonceyou’redonewiththeblockyou’llkeepgoing.
Procrastinatingfinishingthatbookyou’vebeenworkingon?Well,justagree
topush through it sloppily to completedraft one…youcan always comeback
latertoreviseit.
Procrastinatingfinishingthatnewproduct?Justlaunchittothemarketplace
even if it isn’t perfect, andget it closer to perfection eachquarterwith a new
release.
Onceyoustartsomething,onceyouagreethatimperfectisOK,you’llfeela
strongermotivationtofinishitup.
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur: Would overcoming procrastination help you to work on the
thingsthatfeeloutsideofyourcomfortzone?
Executive:Would overcoming procrastinationmake youmore effective at
having those difficult constructive feedback conversations with your direct
reports?
Freelancer: Would overcoming procrastination help you to achieve more
billablehourseachday?
Student: Would overcoming procrastination help you to complete class
projectssooner?
Stay-at-Home Parent: Would overcoming procrastination help you to
finally organize the rooms in your house—thus making your mind more
peaceful?
SECRET#4
Procrastinationcanbeovercomewhenyoufigureouthowto
beatyourfutureself,whocannotbetrustedtodotherightthing.
Youknowwhatneedstogetdonethisweek;howwillyouensurethatyou
don’tputitoff?
FREEBONUS
Todownloadyour“ProcrastinationCureInfographic”andotherFREE
bonuses,visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#5
HowtoLeavetheOfficeat
5:00—WithoutGuilt
How can the world’s most important people always seem so calm, stress
free,andfullypresentinthemoment?
Republican political strategist Karl Rove wrote a fascinating op-ed in the
WallStreetJournal.
ItallstartedonNewYear'sEvein2005.PresidentBushaskedwhatmyNew
Year'sresolutionswere.Itoldhimthatasaregularreaderwho'dgottenoutof
thehabit,mygoalwas toreadabookaweek in2006.Threedays later,we
were in theOvalOfficewhenhe fixedme inhissightsandsaid,"I'monmy
second.Whereareyou?"Mr.Bushhadturnedmyresolutionintoacontest.
Andtheoutcomeofthebet?
At year's end, I defeated the president, 110 books to 95. My trophy looks
suspiciouslylikethosegivenoutatjuniorbowlingfinals.Thepresidentlamely
insistedhe'dlostbecausehe'dbeenbusyasleaderofthefreeworld.
Theleaderofthefreeworldhastimetoread95booksinoneyear?
SherylSandbergMakesItHomeforDinner
Lookatthehabitsofthesehighlysuccessfulbusinessleaders:• Facebook
COO Sheryl Sandberg leaves work at 5:30 p.m. every day so she can have
dinnerwithherkidsat6:00p.m.
• FormerIntelpresidentAndyGrovewouldarriveat8:00a.m.
andleaveworkat6:00p.m.consistently.
•VirginGroupfounderRichardBransonhasover400companies
in his conglomerate, yet he always seems to be hanging out on his
privateislandorbreakingsomecrazyworldrecordasanadventurer.
Don’tyoufindthisshocking?Howcantheydothat?
WhenIfirstreadaboutPresidentBush,Iwasblownaway.Youjustknowthe
presidentof theUnitedStatesofAmericahasamillion things todo, right?At
theendoftheday,therearestillmoreforeignleaderstocallandinfluence,more
CIAbriefingstoread,morecampaigncontributorstosuckupto,morewounded
veteranstovisit,morevoterstorally,more,more,more—andtimeuntiltheend
of his termwas ticking away.He had a limited number of days to create his
legacy!AndyetPresidentBush“found”timetoread95booksinoneyear.
DougConant,whowas theCEOofCampbell’sSoupforadecade,used to
send out 20 handwritten thank you notes a day. Can you imagine all the
responsibilitiesofbeingtheCEOofaFortune500company?Therearealways
moreemailstoread,morecallstoreturn,morereportstoscan,moremeetingsto
attend,morethinkingaboutthefuture,andyet…Dougwouldcalmlyendhisday
byhandwriting20notes.
BackwhenIwasyounganddumb,Iwasrunningacompanythatwaspartof
alargerconglomerate.Mycompanywasdoublinginsizeeveryyear,andthere
werenever enoughhours in theday. I can remember literally jogging through
thehallwaystryingtogetbacktomyofficeasquicklyaspossible.
Yetmybusinesspartner andboss,Neil,whooversawmycompanyand11
otherdivisions,alwaysmovedataleisurelypace,alwayshadtimetotellafunny
jokeorstory,andspentlotsoftimeatthelocalgolfclub.
Whohastimetoplaygolf?Iusedtowonder.
TheSecrettoGuilt-FreeBalance
AndyGroverevealedthisultimatesecretinhisbookHighOutputManagement.
MydayendswhenI’mtiredandreadytogohome,notwhenI’mdone.I
am never done. Like a housewife’s, a manager’s work is never done.
Thereisalwaysmoretobedone,morethatshouldbedone,alwaysmore
thancanbedone.
Andthatisthesecret.
Therewillalwaysbemoretodo,andalwaysmorethancanbedone.
Thisisanotheroneofthosesimpleconceptsthat,onceit trulysinksin,can
dramaticallychangeyourlife.
IcanremembertheverymomentIreadGrove’sbook.Ithitmelikeatonof
bricks.
Fortoolong,Iletmyto-dolistmasterme.“Sorry,Ican’tmakeithomefor
dinnerbecauseIstillhavethatreporttodo.”
Ineverexercised,Iskippedmostmeals,andthenIwouldgorgeonfastfood.
Mylifewasonedimensional,andeveninthatdimension(business),myaround-
the-clockpacekeptmedownintheweedsinsteadofabovethetrees.
Supersuccessfulpeopledon’tjustburnhourafterhourtryingtocrossmore
itemsofftheirtasklist.Instead,theythinkthroughtheirpriorities,scheduletime
foreach,andthenenoughisenough.
GeorgeBush probably valued reading two books aweek because it was a
way torelievestress,getsmarter,orwas justplainfun.Heknewthat learning
andrechargingarevaluable tasks,andhewasn’tgoingto let themgetblocked
outby“urgent”items.
Sheryl Sandberg clearly puts a high value on dinner with the family and
keepsitscheduled.Yes,shewantstomaximizethesuccessofFacebook,butthe
“success”ofherrelationshipwithherchildrenisevenmoreimportant.
RichardBransonplacesahighvalueon funandadventureandcalendars it
accordingly.AndhesmartlycraftshisadventuresintobrandbuildingforVirgin.
ResearchSays…
Peoplewholeaveworkataconsistenttimearelesslikelytofeel“wired”lateratnight.
(Source:TheKruseGroup,2015)
DoYouNeedtoBeEverythingforEveryone?
JessicaTurner,theauthorofTheFringeHours:MakingTimeforYou,surveyed
over2,000womenforherbookand,among
,otherthings,askedthemtodescribe
the hardest part of being awoman.The common theme:Being everything to
everyone.
ThisissomethingTurnerrelatestoherself.Inadditiontobeingawriter,she
runs thehighlypopularMomCreative(www.themomcreative.com)blog,hasa
husband,hasthreechildrenundertheageofsix,andtrieshardtomaintainher
friendships.Shedescribeshowthesemultiplerolescanbecomeunhealthy.
http://www.themomcreative.com
Forwomen, this“disease toplease”canwreakhavoconeveryareaof
our lives. We are nurturers by nature. We want to help and love on
others. But sometimes our actions are not an outpouring of love but a
resultofwantingtopleasesomeoneelse.
This phenomenon is closely related to the disease of perfectionism. It’s
dangeroustobaseourself-worthonwhatothersthinkofus.
Manypeople are surprised that I, aman, can relate a lot towhatTurner is
describinginherbook.Perhapsit’sbecauseI’masingledadandaccustomedto
maintainingahousehold.Regardlessofthereason,Istillspendtoomuchtime—
andmoreimportantly,toomuchstress—onlittlethingsthatreallydon’tmatter.
Recently, my financial advisor told me he was going to be in my
neighborhood andwanted to stop bymy home and giveme an update onmy
money.Itwasasignofhighservice,andIwasgrateful.
Butmymindimmediatelytookoff—betterbrewapotofcoffee;isthefridge
stockedwithCoke?WhatifhedrinksDietCoke,doIhaveanyofthat?We’llbe
meetinginthekitchen—needtocleanthekitchencounter.Isheallergictocats?
Ishouldlocktheminthebasement...
It’scompletelyridiculoustothinkthiswayaboutmyadvisormakingahouse
call.Amongthenumerousreasons:
1. Heworksforme;he’llkeepworkingformeifIkeeppayinghim.
2. Heknowsfarmoreimportantthingsaboutme—likemynetworth
—thanmykitchen.
3. He’saguyandisprobablyinawethatanotherguyisabletokeep
thehouseascleanasIdo!
4. HeknowsmepersonallyandI’msurejudgesmebymyvaluesand
kindness,notmyhospitalityskills.
It is one thing to have goodmanners and towant to treat friendswell and
anothertofeellikeyouhavetobeperfect.Insteadofrunningaroundforhalfan
hour preparing for a visitor, I could have just greeted him with a smile and
asked,“CanIgetyousomewater?”
AsTurner says inherbook:Youarenever toobusy tomake time forwhat
youlove.It’sjustamatterofprioritizing—evaluatinghowyouspendyourdays
anddedicatingtimeforwhatyouvalue.Ifsomethingisreallyimportanttoyou,
youwillfindawaytofititintoyourlife.
ThereWillAlwaysBeMoretoDo
Therewillalwaysbemoretodoineveryarea:• Youcanalwaysdomore
stuffatwork.
• You can always straighten upmore rooms and cleanmore
closets.
•Youcanalwaysdomoreyardwork.
•More,more,more!
Soyouneedtomasterthepracticeoflettinggoofthemore,sincetherewill
alwaysbemoretodo.
Onceyoumasterthis,you’llfinditeasiertogetthoseworkoutsin,easierto
gethometothefamilyatareasonablehour,andeasiertospendtimeonyourself
withoutfeelingguilty.
HowDoesThisApplyIfYou’reA(n)...
Entrepreneur:Wouldrealizingtherewillalwaysbemoretodoenableyouto
spendmoretimewithyourfamilyandfriends?
Executive:Wouldrealizingtherewillalwaysbemoretodoenableyoutohit
thegymonamoreconsistentbasis?
Freelancer:Wouldrealizingtherewillalwaysbemoretodoenableyouto
spend more time learning new skills and thinking strategically about your
future?
Student:Wouldrealizingtherewillalwaysbemoretodoenableyoutobe
satisfiedwithagoodgradeinsteadofaperfectgrade?
Stay-at-Home Parent:Would realizing there will always be more to do
enable you to give yourself an hour a day—for reading, exercising, or
scrapbooking?
SECRET#5
Acceptthefactthattherewillalwaysbemoretodoandmore
thatcanbedone.
Howmuch better will you feel when you finally accept the fact that you
can’tdoitall,becausetherewillalwaysbemorethatcanbedone?
FREEBONUS
TodownloadallyourFREEbonuses,visit:www.MasterYourMinutes.com
http://www.MasterYourMinutes.com
CHAPTER#6
RichardBranson’sSecretProductivityTool
Howcanyougetyourbraintoquietdown?Howcanyoualwaysremember
yourgreatideas?
Branson’sMostImportantPossession
Sir Richard Branson. Arguably the most celebrated entrepreneur of our time.
Founder of the Virgin Group, which now comprises over 400 companies,
Bransonisreportedlyworth$4.8billion.
Whenaskedaboutitemshetakeswhereverhegoes,Bransonsingledoutone
itemasbeingmostimportant.InaMay5,2006,interviewhesaid:Itmaysound
ridiculous, butmymost important is to always carry a little notebook in your
backpocket.IthinkthenumberonethingthatItakewithmewhenI'mtraveling
is the notebook…I could never have built the VirginGroup into the size it is
withoutthosefewbitsofpaper.
Branson,writingonhisblog, elaboratedonhisnote-takinghabits.He said,
“Ifyouhavea thoughtbutdon’twrite itdown,bythenextmorningitmaybe
goneforever.”Onetime,whenBransonhadanideaforabusinessmetaphor,he
didn’t have a notebook nearby. So he just scribbled the thought down in his
passport!
AdvicefromBillionaireAristotleOnassis
GreekshippingmagnateAristotleOnassisoncegavean interview inwhichhe
sharedhis“milliondollarlesson.”
Alwayscarryanotebook.Writeeverythingdown.Whenyouhaveanidea,
write itdown.Whenyoumeetsomeonenew,writedowneverythingyou
knowaboutthem.Thatwayyouwillknowhowmuchtimetheyareworth.
Whenyouhearsomethinginteresting,writeitdown.Writingitdownwill
makeyouactuponit.Ifyoudon’twriteitdownyouwillforgetit.THAT
isamilliondollarlessontheydon’tteachyouinbusinessschool!
JimRohn’sThreeTreasures
Self-mademillionaireand legendary successcoach JimRohnwroteand spoke
frequentlyaboutthepowerofjournaling.
Ifyou'reseriousaboutbecomingawealthy,powerful, sophisticated,healthy,
influential,cultured,anduniqueindividual,keepajournal.
Keepingajournalissoimportant.Icallitoneofthethreetreasurestoleave
behindforthenextgeneration…
Thefirsttreasureisyourpictures.Takealotofpictures...
The second treasure is your library.This is the library that taught you, that
instructed you, that helped you defend your ideals. It helped you develop a
philosophy. It helped you become wealthy, powerful, healthy, sophisticated,
andunique…
The third treasure is your journals: the ideas that you picked up, the
informationthatyoumeticulouslygathered.Butofthethree,journalwritingis
oneofthegreatestindicationsthatyou'reaseriousstudent.
Notebooksof20FamousPeople
The blog The Art of Manliness has a great article
(http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/09/13/the-pocket-notebooks-of-20-
famous-men/)thatshowspicturesofthenotebooksof20famousmenincluding
Mark Twain, George Patton, Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin, George
Lucas,ErnestHemingway,LudwigvanBeethoven,BenFranklin,Thomas
Edison,LeonardodaVinci,FrankCapra,andJohnRockefeller.
Althoughyoucanseeawide rangeofnotebookstylesandpenmanship,all
show how these great thinkers were never without a means to jot down an
observation,anidea,orinMarkTwain’scase,dirtyjokes.
WhatTypeofNotebookIstheBest?
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/09/13/the-pocket-notebooks-of-20-famous-men/
Therearedifferent
