Eleanor Roosevelt is credited with saying, “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift; that’s why it’s called the present.” I have spent a lot of time studying time management tactics, and I’m working on some things (that I’ll share in the future!) about how to focus better and be more productive.

I recently finished Kevin Kruse's book 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management, and I found it really interesting. As I reflected on the book, I related its principles to the many other books and podcasts I’ve consumed on time management, and I wanted so share the author’s ideas with some of my own thoughts weaved in.

1 - Time is your most valuable and scarcest resource

We only have 1,440 minutes in a day. How are we using our time? In a busy office environment, we are inundated with calls, texts, emails, etc. We are constantly asked, “Do you have a minute?” Those minutes add up quickly and eat away at our time. We must be intentional to make the most of each day.

2 - Identify your Most Important Task (MIT) before you get started and work on it before anything else

Before you get started, you should identify your Most Important Task. As part of my morning routine, I journal, outline my Most Important Task for the day, and allocate sufficient time to work on that task.

3 - Work from your calendar and not a to do list

Time blocking works! If you need to put together a report or proposal, don’t put it on your to do list; put it on your calendar and get it done within that specific time frame.

4 - Procrastination can be overcome when you figure out how to beat your future self, who cannot be trusted to do the right thing

I don’t love this wording since I recently finished Dr. Benjamin Hardy’s book Be Your Future Self Now and feel dedicated to my future self. However, I like Kruse’s idea that tomorrow may not come, so we shouldn’t leave for later what we could finish right now.

5 - Accept the fact that there will always be more to do and more than can be done

Sometimes we need to be okay with what we’ve accomplished. We shouldn’t always feel like we need to do more, stay later or finish the next thing.

6 - Always carry a notebook

As an avid journaler, I love this concept. I have utilized Cal Newport’s The Time-Block Planner, a word journal and my reMarkable for note taking. No matter the medium, it’s important to always be ready to write ideas down.

7 - Email is a great way for other people to put their priorities into your life; control your inbox

Email brings a lot of noise, and instead of letting others dictate your time, take control of your inbox. There is wisdom and power in getting to Inbox Zero as part of your time management strategy.

8 - Schedule and attend meetings as a last resort, when all other forms of communication won't work

I’m a huge fan of asynchronous communication. Too many people are conditioned to hold meetings when issues could be solved asynchronously.

9 - Say no to everything that doesn't support your immediate goals

I love this idea. As I read Be Your Future Self Now, I thought about my priorities, roles, the people who matter most, etc. Once my goals are identified, it is easier to say no to activities that don’t help me reach them.

10 - Eighty percent of outcomes are generated by twenty percent of activities

Since there are only so many hours in the day, an 80/20 mindset may help us get closer to our goals and priorities. One of my kids is a perfectionist, and I recently outlined the 80/20 rule in a conversation with them. I wanted to help them acknowledge that they have done enough and can move on.

11 - Focus your time only on things that utilize your unique strengths and passions

In Strategic Coach, Dan Sullivan calls your strengths and passions your Unique Ability. Anything that doesn’t support our unique ability should be outsourced or delegated, so we can elevate ourselves. The Entrepreneurial Operating System teaches that we should only spend our time on things that we enjoy doing and are good at.

12 - Batch your work with recurring themes for different days of the week

This topic made me think of Strategic Coach’s advice to schedule focus, free and buffer days. For me, Mondays are when I hammer out as many team meetings and administrative tasks as possible. Then the rest of the week I am able to focus on other responsibilities and projects.

13 - If a task can be completed in less than five minutes do it immediately

I probably would adjust this to anything that can be done in two minutes, which is similar to the Getting Things Done philosophy. Getting Things Done teaches if you touch it once, put it into motion; either calendar it or put it in your processing folder, file or list.

14 - Invest the first 60 minutes of each day in rituals that strengthen your mind, body, and spirit

I could not be more of an advocate for a morning routine. Everyone’s routine will be a bit different depending on what sharpens their minds, bodies and spirits. Iterate until you find your perfect recipe that provides rocket fuel for the rest of your day.

Hal Elrod created the Miracle Morning and advocates for SAVERS as part of the ideal routine.

S - Silence

A - Affirmations

V - Visualization

E - Exercise

R - Reading

S - Scribing

If you can tie each of these items into your morning routine, you will get off to a much better start.

15 - Productivity is about energy and focus, not time

Corporate America teaches the opposite of this principle; “first in, last out” is valued. I used to tell my wife, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” I’ve learned that you may die earlier with that mentality. Prioritizing sleep is part of being productive and managing time better.

There is tremendous wisdom that comes with being smart with time. Time management enables us to Sharpen the Saw and increase our capacity.

I hope this was helpful as you develop your own time management strategies. To learn more, check out my video recap.