15 Secrets Billionaires, Olympic Athletes & Straight-A Students Know About Time Management
Every Sunday I send out something to think about, a question to ponder and something to try to make your life a little more pleasant. The idea is to inspire and encourage positive change. Readers share their progress so we can all benefit from the learnings.
HINK
The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.“
Warren Buffett
Time is the great equalizer.
No matter who you are, how much wealth or power you may have, time is the one resource that you can never replenish. And yet, it seems that so many of us waste this precious commodity with reckless abandon.
Ask any Millionaire or Billionaire in their 80s. They’d happily give up ALL their wealth in a heart-beat to be taken back to their, 30s, 40s or even 50s.
Sadly that option isn’t available. BAD TIMES 😔
But there are proven methods to 2x, 5x or even 10x your productivity… without feeling overworked or overwhelmed. GOOD TIMES 😄
Imagine what you could do with an additional by installing a few simple habits, you could 5x or even 10x your productivity, which would free you up to spend an extra hour a day to read, exercise or spend time with your family.
Successful Entrepreneur and Author, Kevin Kruse, shares the findings of his study of ultra-productive people in his book – ‘15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management‘
The research was conducted on Billionaires, Olympic athletes, straight-A students and successful entrepreneurs, all in an attempt to answer…
What are the common themes and secrets to extreme productivity?
Kevin discovered that highly successful people don’t prioritise tasks on a to-do list, or follow complex five-step systems to make decisions.
“Highly successful people don’t think about time much at all. Instead, they think about values, priorities, and consistent habits.
While no two people manage time exactly the same way, there are common themes. And if you really try them, you might find that just one of their ‘secrets’ has the power to transform your career and your life.”
You’re here because you’re interested in the 15 Secrets to Time Management…
or is it the *dick jokes? 🤔
In any case, you’ll get both.
But before I share the 15 Secrets… Kevin shares an important precursor.
Most people want the tips, tools and systems to increase productivity. Yet the single, most important thing when it comes to productivity is a shift in mindset.
One commonality among all of the highly successful people he studied was they experience time differently.
It’s about remembering “The Power of 1,440”.
We only get 1,440 minutes a day. Use them wisely.
Now without further ado, let’s look at the 15 Secrets:
SECRET 1 – Time is your most valuable resource.
- Connect to how truly precious every minute of every day is.
- If you were given 1 year to live, would you change how you spent your time?
- What’s stopping you from making the most of that now?
SECRET 2 – Identify your Most Important Task (MIT) and work on it each day before doing anything else.
- What’s your MIT?
- Dedicate 1-2 hours to it first thing.
SECRET 3 – Work from your calendar, not a to-do list.
- To-do lists are useless because they do not account for the amount of time that things really take.
- Instead, think in 15-minute blocks and schedule everything in your calendar so you don’t waste a minute.
SECRET 4 – Procrastination can be overcome if you figure out how to beat your future self, who cannot be trusted to do the right thing.
- There is no tomorrow, only this present moment.
- You know what needs to get done. Starting is the hardest part. Just get started.
SECRET 5 – Accept the fact that there will always be more to do and more that can be done.
- Don’t beat yourself up if there’s still work outstanding work. (Outcome Focus)
- Take comfort in working productively and giving it your best. (Process Focus)
SECRET 6 – Always carry a notebook.
- It doesn’t matter if you use a notebook, Google Keep or Evernote. Just find a place to dump everything from your brain.
SECRET 7 – Email is a great way for other people to put their priorities into your life – Control your inbox.
- Section off time to check emails every day (1-3 slots).
- Go one step further and outsource email management to a VA.
SECRET 8 – Schedule and attend meetings as a last resort, when all other forms of communication won’t work.
- Question whether your upcoming meetings are needed. Eliminate what you can.
- If meetings are required, ensure all attendees have an agenda and set a slightly uncomfortable time limit (eg 10-20 mins). You’ll be surprised what you can cover when everyone’s focused.
SECRET 9 – Say no to everything that doesn’t support your immediate goals.
- Get better at saying no. If it doesn’t support your mission, politely decline.
- Saying ‘no’ to the trivial frees you up to say ‘yes’ to the meaningful.
SECRET 10 – 80% of outcomes are generated by 20% of activities.
- Pareto’s Law – What 20% of your time generates 80% of your value?
- Don’t forget to inverse – What can you eliminate from the 80% that only generates 20%? Put less energy/time into lower value tasks/customers/employees.
- When you focus all of your efforts on the most valuable 20%, everything changes!
SECRET 11 – Focus your time only on things that utilise your unique strengths and passions.
- Reduce, eliminate or outsource tasks that don’t fall within your wheelhouse.
- What tasks do you struggle most with? What would you LOVE to eliminate? What could you outsource for less than your hourly rate? Start there.
SECRET 12 – Batch your work with recurring themes for different days of the week.
- Increase productivity and reduce stress by structuring your week and days.
- FIRST TASK – 2 hours on your MIT
- AM – Creative work (Solitary)
- PM – Menial work and Meetings (Group)
- EMAILS – 11am and 4pm daily.
- MONDAY – Sales Calls
- FRIDAY – Meetings
SECRET 13 – If a task can be completed in less than five minutes, then do it immediately.
- Stop wasting time returning back to the task again and again. “Touch it once” and move on.
SECRET 14 – Invest the first 60 minutes of each day in rituals that strengthen your mind, body and spirit.
- Abraham Lincoln – “If I had nine hours to cut down a tree, I would spend six hours sharpening my axe.”
- Being in the best place physically, mentally and spiritually will do more for your productivity than an hour of non-optimal work.
SECRET 15 – Productivity is about energy and focus, not time.
- See #14. Invest in your energy and focus and you’ll receive time.
And those are the 15 Secrets.
Don’t stress over trying to implement all of them. Start with the one that will have the greatest impact on your life, and go from there.
REMEMBER – We only get 1,440 minutes a day. Use them wisely.
Reflect and share this with someone.
ASK
If you’d like to become more productive, consider the following questions:
“Which secret would have the greatest impact on my life?”
“What one thing could I do TODAY to start implementing it?”
Write down what comes to mind.
TRY
Invest 30 out of the 1,440 minutes you have today to become more productive.
You haven’t got to perfect it or have everything in place. Just get the wheels in motion.
If you try one of the 15 Secrets this week, COMMENT and share your wins with the world.
Remember: Little by little, a little becomes a lot.
SHARE
Comment below and share how it went for you.
Share this on social media or with a friend, and COMMENT to let me know.
