Using Checklists to Boost Efficiency

I asked Jenny Blake (bestselling author of “Pivot” and "Free Time" and former Google career strategist) "What are the best time management tips for busy professionals?" Here are her three tips: 1. Find your golden hour Just like photographers have that perfect lighting window, you have a time when you're naturally most focused and creative. It could be: • Early Bird (4-7 AM)  • Night Owl (11 PM-2 AM) • Afternoon Athlete (11 AM-2 PM) There's no right answer, just YOUR answer. Block your GOLDEN HOUR. Turn off notifications and complete your work. 2. Avoid "time confetti" This is when your day gets so chopped up by meetings and small tasks that you never reach flow state. The fix: Block similar tasks together and create weekly 2-hour "Deep Work" slots in your calendar. Your colleagues will respect the boundary when they see what you're trying to accomplish. 3. "Marry" complementary tasks This isn't multitasking (which kills productivity). It's pairing one low-cognitive, physical activity with high-cognitive, low-physical activity, so neither suffers: • Cook dinner + listen to podcasts • Walk + call a loved one • Driving/commuting + listening to audiobooks The key: one task uses your body, one uses your mind. Both get done without sacrificing quality. What’s that one time management tip that works for you?

Running a startup feels like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle… on a tightrope. And if you’re anything like me, organisation doesn’t come naturally. My well crafted to-do list? It stays safely in my bag most of the time never being read 😄 But I’ve found this fab image that contains some of my favourite productivity tricks that help me fake being organised (and actually get things done). Here are my favourites: 🔹 The 2-Minute Rule - If something takes less than 2 minutes, do it now. Emails, Slack messages, that tiny task you keep ignoring? Just get it out of the way. (Warning: this does not apply to ‘quickly checking social media’ - that’s a time vortex.) 🔹 The 5-Second Rule - No, not for food. This is for action. Count 5-4-3-2-1 and just start. It tricks your brain into skipping the overthinking stage (which I excel at). 🔹 The Pomodoro Technique - Work for 25 minutes, break for 5. Repeat. Sounds simple, but it’s weirdly effective. (Also a great excuse for a biscuit every half hour.) 🔹 The 80/20 Rule - 20% of what you do brings 80% of the results. So stop faffing around with low-impact stuff and focus on the big wins. 🔹 Break Tasks Into Pieces - Big projects are overwhelming. Breaking them into tiny, manageable chunks feels much more doable. (Like eating a whole cake one slice at a time - which, as I (and my waistline) know well, is very easy to do) 🔹 Eat the Frog - No, not literally. Do the hardest thing first. Get it done, and the rest of the day feels easier. I hightly recommend the Eat the Frog book. 🔹 The ‘Not-To-Do’ List - List things you shouldn’t do. (Checking email every 5 minutes, attending meetings that could be an email, saying yes to everything…) 🔹 Eliminate Multitasking – Multitasking is tricky for many people, don't feel you need to do it. Doing one thing well beats doing five things badly. Just be methodical and work through tasks in order. 🔹 Use Automation – If a robot can do it well, let it. Automate the boring stuff so you can focus on growing your business (or at least drinking your coffee while it’s still hot). Which of these do you already use? Or are you a fellow productivity rebel who needs all the help they can get? Let’s swap survival tips 😄 #startups #productivity #founders

I spent 1,283 days chasing productivity hacks. I had one goal: unlock my "flow state" 100s of techniques → little progress. It was only after making 5 SPECIFIC changes that I've been able to: a) Cut mental clutter b) Get into deep focus, fast c) Seriously scale my daily output My net profit is at its highest in 3 years. (Yet I work 20% less hours per week) I also wake up excited every day. And at 4pm I close my laptop, knowing I've smashed work and can enjoy my evenings, guilt-free! Here’s how I did it [the 5 changes]: ________ 1. Pick MITs I select the 3 most important tasks (MITs) each day. They must either: - Help me make or secure my income - Make tangible steps towards my goals - Be urgent (I don't care if it's hard). Ask: “If I did nothing else today, what would I still be happy with accomplishing?” Then commit to it. ________ 2. The 30-second rule If a task takes 30 secs or less, do it immediately. Downloaded a file? Put it in the right folder. Need to give a "yes or no" response? Do it. Got to send a diary invite? Lock it in. Don't let tiny admin pile into a big 'to-do' list item. Clean up as you go. ________ #3 The 80/20 rule + Eisenhower Matrix I prioritise 20% of activities that drive 80% of results. Here's how I decide: Urgent & important? Do it now. Not urgent but important? Schedule it. Urgent but not important? Delegate. Not urgent & not important? Eliminate. Ticking off to-do's ≠ growth. It means you like creating to-do lists filled with irrelevant tasks that you *think* are helpful. Don’t pick easy. Pick important! ________ #4 90-minute single-tasking I work in 90-minute sprints. One task per time block! Parkinson’s Law says work expands to fill the time available, so I limit my work window to stay focused. After 90 mins, I take a short break. - To grab a latte from my local cafe - To get 15 minutes of steps in - To do some house chores This 'transition time' is a pitstop to refuel (mind and body) and free up mental space for the next sprint. ________ #5 Cutting Out the BS Digital clutter creates mental clutter. Your attention is sacred so protect where it goes. No checking notifications every 5 minutes. No replies to spam or cold sale pitches No saying "yes" to last-min projects I spent 2 hours on Saturday unsubscribing from mailing lists and apps that I don't need or use. I also deleted 17 apps from my iPhone home screen. If you don't need it or don't use it, remove it. Clear digital space = clear mind. ____ To summarise... There is a limit to what you can do. So pick what matters to you. If you want to do more, start by doing less. P.S. What helps you lock into your optimal flow state?

High achievers don't need more motivation... They need better systems: Motivation is a mood. Systems are infrastructure. A well-built system works whether you feel like it or not. It gives you a repeatable way of doing the boring parts - And saves your energy for the work that actually matters. Here are 12 you can install today: 1. Batch Tasks ↳Handle email, admin, and messages in fixed blocks ↳Action: Pick two daily slots (AM + PM) and close inboxes the rest of the day 2. Two-Minute Rule ↳Tiny tasks create momentum if handled right away ↳Action: When a quick task pops up today, finish it instantly 3. Time-Block ↳Put deep work on the calendar first ↳Action: Reserve your peak 2-hour window tomorrow for one priority project 4. Build Templates ↳Outlines for agendas, reports, and replies save time and energy ↳Action: Create one template today for a task you repeat weekly 5. Automate Resets ↳Weekly and daily checkpoints prevent drift ↳Action: Block 30 minutes Friday for review + 5 minutes each morning to plan 6. Daily Shutdown ↳A shutdown routine marks work as "done" ↳Action: Write tomorrow's top 3 tasks, then close your laptop and leave the workspace 7. Environment Design ↳Make bad habits harder, good ones easier ↳Action: Put your phone in another room at night and set out what you need for the morning 8. Single-Tasking ↳Focus beats juggling ↳Action: Close extra tabs and set a 25-minute timer for one task only 9. Parking Lot ↳Capture stray ideas and tasks so your brain can stay clear ↳Action: Open a "Parking Lot" note on your phone and drop distractions there 10. Finish Lines ↳Define "done" to stop endless tweaking ↳Action: For your next task, write down what 'good enough' looks like before starting 11. Pre-Decide ↳Fewer daily choices = more bandwidth ↳Action: Decide tonight what you'll eat and when you'll exercise tomorrow 12. Daily Cleanup ↳Tiny resets keep clutter from building up ↳Action: End each day with 5 minutes clearing desk, files, and notes Which of these would make the biggest difference for you this week? --- ♻️ Share this to inspire others to build systems. And follow me George Stern for more.