I’ve tried nearly every classic time management strategy out there.
The result? Sure, I got more done — but my quality of life suffered.
The number of tasks kept growing, and no standard technique could fix the fact that a day only has 24 hours.
Then I discovered Kevin Kruse and his groundbreaking research into the habits of billionaires, Olympic champions, and top entrepreneurs.
“The key to truly effective time management and productivity lies not in tactics or techniques —
but in changing the way you think. Don’t try to fit into someone else’s system — change yourself!”
— Kevin Kruse
🧭 Successful People Think About Time Differently
They don’t make endless to-do lists or plan to start going to the gym “next Monday.”
Time is the great equalizer — we all have 1,440 minutes in a day.
You might say time is important to you, but do you actually live by that principle?
🔹 Problem #1: “Got a Minute?”
You’ve probably heard this question ten times a day.
And, of course, those “minutes” rarely end in one —
they steal 10 minutes or more. Ten of those? You’ve lost 90 minutes of your day.
💡 Solution
I used to have this issue mainly with my interns.
So I put up a sign that said:
“Can you make it in one minute?”
If yes — we’d talk. If not — we scheduled a meeting.
Soon, people would come in, look at the sign, and say,
“You know what, this can wait till Monday.”
🔹 Problem #2: Defining Your Most Important Task (MIT)
Research by American psychologist Theresa Hoff Macan shows that having one key daily task boosts not just productivity, but also energy and happiness levels.
✅ Your goal must be specific and measurable.
Not “lose weight,” but “lose 2 kilos a week.”
“If you want to build great software products, you need to spend at least 50% of your working time on that — not on meetings or talks that don’t add real value.” — Steve Wozniak
💡 Solution
Most people’s peak productivity happens within the first two hours after waking up.
And no, that doesn’t have to mean 6 a.m.
According to a 30-year study by the British Psychological Association, the biggest mistake in time management is wasting your two most productive hours on low-cognitive tasks like checking emails, scrolling Facebook, or watching YouTube.
Focus your morning on your priority task — whether it’s self-improvement, learning a new framework,
or tackling a major project.
Start with creative work — leave reactive tasks for later.
🔹 Problem #3: Stop Making To-Do Lists
Do you really think Bill Gates uses to-do lists?
Ranks them by priority and asks himself, “What should I do next?”
Of course not.
Most to-do lists are just wishlists — vague and stress-inducing.
💡 Solution
Successful people don’t make lists — they make schedules.
If you want something done, schedule it.
Block specific times not just for meetings, but for workouts, emails, and even lunch.
Plan your important tasks in the first half of the day — life will always throw in surprises later.
Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, includes 30-minute “buffer blocks” in his daily schedule — time to think, reset, or catch up with a friend.
🔹 Problem #4: Free Your Mind
When Richard Branson was once asked what he always carries while traveling, he said, “A small notebook. I would never have built Virgin Group without it.”
💡 Solution
Write down your ideas — immediately.
Whether it’s a Moleskine or a Bullet Journal, the tool doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s always at hand.
Once, Branson had to jot down a business model — he didn’t have his notebook, so he wrote it… in his passport.
🔹 Problem #5: The Power of “No”
“Focusing means saying no.” — Steve Jobs
“The difference between successful people and very successful people
is that very successful people almost always say no.” — Warren Buffett
💡 Solution
Every “yes” is a “no” to something else.
Saying yes to what’s unimportant pulls you away from what truly matters.
🧩 A Few Hints for a Smarter Time System
📝 Write ideas down.
Stop trying to hold everything in your head — it’s exhausting and unreliable.
📅 Use a calendar, not a to-do list.
Schedule everything, including your Most Important Task (MIT).
Use “theme days”: for example, my Wednesdays are “training creation” days.
That way, 20% of effort brings 80% of results.
🎯 Stay focused.
Be proactive, not reactive.
Each distraction costs you 15–20 minutes of lost concentration — the so-called Switch Cost.
This system has been with me for over a year, and it helped raise my task completion rate to 89%.
Still, it’s not perfect — not every morning brings creative energy, and not everything can be rescheduled without consequences.
That’s why I’m currently working on a new time management model, which I’ll share in my next article.