Time Management Hacks
to Kickstart the New Year
25
Étienne Garbugli
Product Design & Marketing Consultant // Author
#hacks

01
To win at something often means failing
somewhere else. Pick 3 battles, no more.
… Pick 3.”
– Randi Zuckerberg, Facebook
Getting sleep
Staying fit
Spending time with family
Building a great company
Maintaining friendships

02
Know what you don’t do. Keep a "No Thanks" list.
Over time, this list should grow.
DO DON T DO
High School
Reunion

03
Redefine productivity. It’s not about how much
you get done, it’s about the impact you’re having.
Don't confuse motion and progress.
A rocking horse keeps moving but
doesn't make any progress.
– Alfred Montapert, Author

04
Don't let fear drive you. Don’t get hung up on
perfection; you’re wasting valuable time.
Work finally begins when the fear of
doing nothing exceeds the fear of
doing it badly.
– Alain de Botton, Author

SINGLE
TASK
05
When you decide to do something, give it your all.
Plan then execute… then plan… then execute…

When tired, we focus on low value, less important
tasks. Start your day with the most important work.
06
IMPORTANT &
URGENT
IMPORTANT &
NOT URGENT
NOT IMPORTANT
& URGENT
NOT IMPORTANT &
NOT URGENT

07
The beginning is where you need motivation the
most. Get working… worry about quality later.
‘Worse is better’ gets the ball rolling.
– Tom Lehman, Rap Genius Founder

08
Remove outside distractions. You can
fully focus when your personal life is worry-free.
Be regular and orderly in your life, so
that you may be violent and original
in your work.
– Gustave Flaubert, Author

09
Keep hitting the same nail. Invest in activities that
impact both your personal and professional lives.
Align your professional and personal
goals for maximum efficiency.
– Chris Guillebeau, World-Traveller

10
Roll with the punches. If it takes more than 20 mins
to get started, change task. Momentum is key.
Write Long-
Winded u
Improve
resume with
more bragging
Write
a
Long-
Winded
Em
ail

11
Separate strategic and tactical thinking to focus
on execution. Only think about the task at hand.
It's like walking on a tightrope. If you
think you're high and you look down, you
start wobbling. If you look up, you start
wobbling. If you just look ahead, and
focus on the task and what you need to
do, you tend to do things the right way.
– Guy Boucher, Ice Hockey Coach

12
Divide your week into work objectives. 1 objective
per day to fully wrap your head around it.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
9am
12 noon
3pm
9am
12 noon
3pm
9am
12 noon
3pm
9am
12 noon
3pm
9am
12 noon
3pm
Organize
meetings Prepare
meetings Conduct
team
meetings
Conduct
one on
one
meetings
Recap
meetings

13
« Timebox » everything. Good decisions
often get made with less time, not more.
Friday
4:47 PM
5PM - Vacations… Gotta Go4PM - Budget Approval

14
Split projects and tasks into smaller projects.
Force momentum. Shorten cycle time.
Long projects zap morale. The
longer it takes to build, the less
likely it is to launch.
– Jason Fried, Basecamp Founder

15
Find a focused group to work with. Surrounding
yourself with productive & focused people helps.
Bla Bla
STARLUCKS
Bla Bla
Bla
Bla Bla
Bla Bla

16
Work-life balance is about how we approach things.
If something feels like work, treat it as such.
10:35 AM 8:42 PM
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0010001001001100001000100010
01001
1000100001000100010010011010
0010000100010001001001

TIME$
17
No car goes anywhere without gas.
Manage your energy, not just your time.
ENERGY

18
There most likely is a better way of
doing things. Get some time to think.
Scheduling at 80% produces better
products. Scheduling people at
100% doesn’t give space to think of
creative solutions.
– Productivity study

19
Take care of communications (or don’t).
Acquiring and re-acquiring context eats time.
If a communication can be taken
care of rapidly, do it. That way, you
won't have to touch the same thing
4 times.
– Mark Goldstein, 26 Time Hacks
Reader

20
Sometimes it's better to nap or sleep 1 more hour
and be productive than sleep less and do nothing.

21
Don’t let unrealistic expectations drag down your
productivity. A perfectionist without time always fails.
TIME
EXPECTATIONS
Perfectionist
Disappointed
:(
Robot
Underachiever

22
Don’t schedule like a robot. The more precise
a task or objective is, the easier it is to miss.
Send 250
Personal
Thank you
Letters
MISS
COMPLETE MISS

23
Don't sweat the small stuff. Details only matter
when they can have a real impact on results.
Blue
Green
Blue
Green
Blue
Green
Green
Blue
Green

REALLY BUSY
REBUILDING
RELATIONSHIPS
24
Balance your life. Taking on too much makes you
tired, less creative and limits relationship-building.

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helped around the world
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time management
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25
Keep your eyes on the real prize. Focus on the
objectives, not the tasks. Keep them in sight.
The most important thing is to make
sure that the most important thing
remains the most important thing.
– Zita Cobb, Social Entrepreneur

Next Step
Étienne Garbugli
@egarbugli /egarbugli
Product Design & Marketing Consultant // Author
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