The central theme of this video addresses the common misconception that people fail to reach their goals because they lack time. The speaker argues that since everyone is limited to the same 24 hours, the real issue is poor time management. By tracking their schedule in 15-minute increments, most people discover they have more time than they realize but are utilizing it inefficiently. The video presents four actionable strategies to shift from merely being busy to becoming truly productive.

1. Master Your To-Do List

Avoid keeping tasks in your head to prevent stress. Instead, perform a full “brain dump” on paper. The speaker recommends a “to-do list meditation”: sit with a pen and paper and close your eyes for 10 minutes, writing down tasks as they pop into your mind. Once the list is complete, prioritize the top three items that will actually move the needle. Write these three tasks on a small index card, carry it with you, and focus solely on executing them. Everything else is secondary.

2. Master Your Schedule: Blocking and Batching

Use a physical planner or digital calendar to manage your day. First, implement Time Blocking by scheduling your “boulders”—unmovable commitments like meetings and appointments. Then, fill in the gaps with movable tasks. Second, utilize Task Batching. Instead of spreading similar tasks throughout the week (e.g., recording one video a day), do them all in one block (e.g., record four videos on Tuesday). This keeps you in a flow state and eliminates the inefficiency of constant setup and context switching.

3. The Pomodoro Technique and Deep Work

Multitasking is detrimental to performance, with research showing it can reduce productivity by up to 40% due to the cognitive cost of switching contexts. To combat this, use the Pomodoro Technique: commit to 25 minutes of single-tasking followed by a 5-minute break. As your focus improves, extend these deep work sessions to 45 minutes. This method forces you to focus on one thing at a time, significantly increasing efficiency.

4. Weekly Check-Ins

Establish a 10-15 minute meeting with yourself every Sunday or Monday to review your performance. Analyze the previous week and plan the upcoming one using the “Stop, Start, Continue” framework. Ask yourself: What isn’t working that I need to Stop? What do I need to Start doing to improve? What is working well that I should Continue? These small, weekly adjustments lead to massive improvements over time.

Mentoring question

If you applied the ‘Stop, Start, Continue’ framework to your last week of work, what is the one specific activity you would choose to stop doing immediately to regain your time?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KTOVuUKIHVw&is=5he6gtSO02JOZ87-