# 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management
Author:: Kevin Kruse
## Highlights
> Identify Your Most Important Task (MIT) ([Location 437](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=437))
> Two Awesome Hours in the Morning ([Location 495](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=495))
> After identifying your MIT, you need to turn it into a calendar item and book it as early in your day as possible. ([Location 496](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=496))
> Identify your Most Important Task (MIT) and work on it each day before doing anything else. ([Location 550](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=550))
> The first problem with recording tasks on a to-do list is that it doesn’t distinguish between items that take only a few minutes and items that require an hour or more. ([Location 565](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=565))
> Second, and similar to the first problem, to-do lists make it really easy to work on the urgent instead of the important. ([Location 572](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=572))
> Despite what we think we are going to want in the future, we have “present bias.” When the present actually gets here—and yes, the present is always here—we choose candy, sitcoms, Facebook, and cat videos. They’re easier and more fun. ([Location 758](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=758))
> To overcome this time inconsistency, we must do battle with our future self—the one who, in the present moment, will sabotage us. Our future self is the enemy of our best self. ([Location 763](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=763))
> Procrastination Buster #2: Pain & Pleasure ([Location 784](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=784))
> Procrastination Buster #3: Accountability Partner ([Location 798](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=798))
> Procrastination Buster #4: Reward and Punishment ([Location 806](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=806))
> Procrastination Buster #5: Act As If… ([Location 821](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=821))
> Procrastination Buster #6: Settle For Good Enough ([Location 839](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=839))
> Meetings start late. ([Location 1279](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1279))
> Parkinson’s law of triviality. Also known as the bike-shed effect, this law states that organizations spend the most time on trivial issues and the least time on the most important issues. ([Location 1286](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1286))
> Meetings break up the day in illogical ways and may interfere with flow or peak concentration times. ([Location 1291](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1291))
> The wrong people dominate meetings. By their nature, the overconfident and the extroverts tend to dominate the communication in a meeting—at the expense of others who may know more but are less inclined to share a meeting format. ([Location 1293](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1293))
> At Asana, we have No Meeting Wednesdays established to encourage flow and productivity across the company. –Dustin Moskovitz is the co-founder of team productivity app Asana and co-founder of Facebook. ([Location 1312](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1312))
> If you have to have a meeting, highly successful people know that effective meetings begin with effective agendas, which are circulated in advance. ([Location 1320](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1320))
> List agenda topics as questions whenever possible in order to focus the participants on decision-making. ([Location 1329](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1329))
> Attach time estimates to each agenda item so participants can monitor the progress and pace of the meeting; make sure time estimates are realistic. ([Location 1331](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1331))
> Daily huddles are quick stand-up meetings with you and your team members. No longer than 15 minutes, always scheduled at the same time each day. What I quickly discovered is that once daily huddles were in place, they eliminated the need for many other longer one-off meetings, reduced the number of phones calls and emails, and had a dramatic impact on other variables including employee engagement and cross-selling. ([Location 1405](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1405))
> we mistakenly think we’ll be less busy in the future than we are in the present. ([Location 1514](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1514))
> “Thanks for reaching out…” and continue with one of these messages: “…but I’m on a deadline right now and am not taking any new meetings until I’m done.” ([Location 1573](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1573))
> “…but I don’t think I’m the best person; I’d like to refer you to…” ([Location 1602](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1602))
> “…but I’m not able to take any more meetings or calls during normal business hours. But I often can catch up on emails during travel or at night. Would you like to communicate via email?” ([Location 1607](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1607))
> Drop, Delegate, or Redesign ([Location 1797](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1797))
> What are you going to outsource starting next week? ([Location 1979](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1979))
> Three Themes from Dan Sullivan ([Location 2009](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2009))
> Focus Days: “Game days” are to focus on our most important activities, typically revenue-producing activities. ([Location 2011](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2011))
> Buffer Days: These are days to catch up on emails and calls, hold internal meetings, ([Location 2014](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2014))
> Free Days: These are days without any kind of work. These are days for vacation, fun, or perhaps charity. ([Location 2016](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2016))
> In his audio program The Ultimate Edge, Tony Robbins shares his “hour of power.” He begins each morning with a series of breathing exercises, followed by ten minutes of contemplating everything he is grateful for and visualization of everything he wants in his life. ([Location 2265](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2265))
> Through Elrod’s research and own experiences, he developed a system he calls Life S.A.V.E.R.S. S is for Silence (quiet, gratitude, meditation, or prayer) A is for Affirmations (purpose, goals, priorities) V is for Visualization (of goals or ideal life) E is for Exercise R is for Reading (a self-improvement book) S is for Scribing (journaling) ([Location 2309](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2309))
> When she repeated cycles of a 25-minute writing sprint followed by a 5-minute break, she achieved a 50 percent improvement in productivity. ([Location 2404](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2404))
> Leonelle didn’t have more hours to give, so she figured out how to increase her energy instead, and her productivity gains were the same as if she had “found” six times more hours! ([Location 2412](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2412))
> The Most Productive People Take More Breaks ([Location 2428](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2428))
> Tony Schwartz, founder of The Energy Project, teaches that human beings are 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 90 minutes. Our body sends us signals to rest and renew, but we override them with coffee, energy drinks, and sugar or just by tapping our own reserves until they’re depleted. ([Location 2428](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2428))
---
Title: 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management
Author: Kevin Kruse
Tags: readwise, books
date: 2024-01-30
---
# 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management
Author:: Kevin Kruse
## AI-Generated Summary
None
## Highlights
> Identify Your Most Important Task (MIT) ([Location 437](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=437))
> Two Awesome Hours in the Morning ([Location 495](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=495))
> After identifying your MIT, you need to turn it into a calendar item and book it as early in your day as possible. ([Location 496](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=496))
> Identify your Most Important Task (MIT) and work on it each day before doing anything else. ([Location 550](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=550))
> The first problem with recording tasks on a to-do list is that it doesn’t distinguish between items that take only a few minutes and items that require an hour or more. ([Location 565](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=565))
> Second, and similar to the first problem, to-do lists make it really easy to work on the urgent instead of the important. ([Location 572](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=572))
> Despite what we think we are going to want in the future, we have “present bias.” When the present actually gets here—and yes, the present is always here—we choose candy, sitcoms, Facebook, and cat videos. They’re easier and more fun. ([Location 758](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=758))
> To overcome this time inconsistency, we must do battle with our future self—the one who, in the present moment, will sabotage us. Our future self is the enemy of our best self. ([Location 763](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=763))
> Procrastination Buster #2: Pain & Pleasure ([Location 784](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=784))
> Procrastination Buster #3: Accountability Partner ([Location 798](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=798))
> Procrastination Buster #4: Reward and Punishment ([Location 806](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=806))
> Procrastination Buster #5: Act As If… ([Location 821](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=821))
> Procrastination Buster #6: Settle For Good Enough ([Location 839](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=839))
> Meetings start late. ([Location 1279](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1279))
> Parkinson’s law of triviality. Also known as the bike-shed effect, this law states that organizations spend the most time on trivial issues and the least time on the most important issues. ([Location 1286](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1286))
> Meetings break up the day in illogical ways and may interfere with flow or peak concentration times. ([Location 1291](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1291))
> The wrong people dominate meetings. By their nature, the overconfident and the extroverts tend to dominate the communication in a meeting—at the expense of others who may know more but are less inclined to share a meeting format. ([Location 1293](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1293))
> At Asana, we have No Meeting Wednesdays established to encourage flow and productivity across the company. –Dustin Moskovitz is the co-founder of team productivity app Asana and co-founder of Facebook. ([Location 1312](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1312))
> If you have to have a meeting, highly successful people know that effective meetings begin with effective agendas, which are circulated in advance. ([Location 1320](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1320))
> List agenda topics as questions whenever possible in order to focus the participants on decision-making. ([Location 1329](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1329))
> Attach time estimates to each agenda item so participants can monitor the progress and pace of the meeting; make sure time estimates are realistic. ([Location 1331](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1331))
> Daily huddles are quick stand-up meetings with you and your team members. No longer than 15 minutes, always scheduled at the same time each day. What I quickly discovered is that once daily huddles were in place, they eliminated the need for many other longer one-off meetings, reduced the number of phones calls and emails, and had a dramatic impact on other variables including employee engagement and cross-selling. ([Location 1405](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1405))
> we mistakenly think we’ll be less busy in the future than we are in the present. ([Location 1514](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1514))
> “Thanks for reaching out…” and continue with one of these messages: “…but I’m on a deadline right now and am not taking any new meetings until I’m done.” ([Location 1573](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1573))
> “…but I don’t think I’m the best person; I’d like to refer you to…” ([Location 1602](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1602))
> “…but I’m not able to take any more meetings or calls during normal business hours. But I often can catch up on emails during travel or at night. Would you like to communicate via email?” ([Location 1607](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1607))
> Drop, Delegate, or Redesign ([Location 1797](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1797))
> What are you going to outsource starting next week? ([Location 1979](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=1979))
> Three Themes from Dan Sullivan ([Location 2009](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2009))
> Focus Days: “Game days” are to focus on our most important activities, typically revenue-producing activities. ([Location 2011](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2011))
> Buffer Days: These are days to catch up on emails and calls, hold internal meetings, ([Location 2014](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2014))
> Free Days: These are days without any kind of work. These are days for vacation, fun, or perhaps charity. ([Location 2016](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2016))
> In his audio program The Ultimate Edge, Tony Robbins shares his “hour of power.” He begins each morning with a series of breathing exercises, followed by ten minutes of contemplating everything he is grateful for and visualization of everything he wants in his life. ([Location 2265](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2265))
> Through Elrod’s research and own experiences, he developed a system he calls Life S.A.V.E.R.S. S is for Silence (quiet, gratitude, meditation, or prayer) A is for Affirmations (purpose, goals, priorities) V is for Visualization (of goals or ideal life) E is for Exercise R is for Reading (a self-improvement book) S is for Scribing (journaling) ([Location 2309](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2309))
> When she repeated cycles of a 25-minute writing sprint followed by a 5-minute break, she achieved a 50 percent improvement in productivity. ([Location 2404](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2404))
> Leonelle didn’t have more hours to give, so she figured out how to increase her energy instead, and her productivity gains were the same as if she had “found” six times more hours! ([Location 2412](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2412))
> The Most Productive People Take More Breaks ([Location 2428](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2428))
> Tony Schwartz, founder of The Energy Project, teaches that human beings are 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 90 minutes. Our body sends us signals to rest and renew, but we override them with coffee, energy drinks, and sugar or just by tapping our own reserves until they’re depleted. ([Location 2428](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B016FPTIZ6&location=2428))