How to Prioritize Your Time Intentionally

How to Get More Done in Less Time. (Your guide to working smarter, not harder) As a busy dad of 4 building a brand & business, I had to get creative with how I managed my time. I've read dozens of productivity books, listened to the podcasts, and followed the gurus. But it wasn't until I found what worked for me, that I was able to accomplish more with what seems to be less effort. Here's my 5-Step Framework: 1. Prioritize and Plan with Intention - What will move the needle forward today? - Choose 3 high-impact tasks and write them down. - Set deadlines and time limits for each. - Build your day around these priorities—everything else is noise. 2. Time Block Like a Pro - When will you do your best work? - Dedicate focused blocks of time for deep work. - Schedule everything: calls, emails, breaks—even downtime. - Stick to your blocks like they’re non-negotiable meetings. 3. Automate and Systematize - What tasks can you stop doing manually? - Use tech tools to handle repetitive work (e.g., auto-replies, scheduling). - Create templates, SOPs, or workflows for tasks you repeat often. - Free up mental energy for what matters. 4. Batch Similar Tasks - How can you reduce context-switching? - Group related tasks (e.g., emails, brainstorming, admin) and tackle them in one go. - Focus on one "mode" at a time: create, respond, or strategize. - End the habit of jumping between tasks—it kills momentum. 5. Delegate or Outsource - What can someone else do for you? - Identify low-leverage tasks that don’t need your expertise. - Train someone, then trust them to own it. - Stay focused on the high-value work only you can do. Ready to lock this in? Which one are you starting with today? ♻️ Share to help your network be more efficient. ➕ Follow Nico for daily productivity & branding insights.

Productivity isn't just about ticking off tasks—it’s about being intentional with your time, energy, and focus. Here are three ways I maximize my day: 🔹 Imagine Your Day Before It Happens Every morning, I spend at least 30 minutes visualizing how my day will roll out. I focus not only on what excites me but also on the tasks I might not be looking forward to. Anticipating challenges helps me mentally prepare and approach them with the right mindset. 🔹 Be Intentional with Time Allocation Not all meetings and tasks need the same level of effort. I make sure to block enough time for hard conversations while keeping quick briefings short and to the point. A well-planned schedule means fewer overruns and more time for deep work. 🔹 Recall and Reflect on Your Day Before I log off, I take a few minutes to review my day—what worked, what didn’t, and what I can improve. At the end of the week, I do a bigger reflection, using those insights to plan better for the days ahead. Growth happens when we learn from our patterns. How do you structure your day to be more effective? Let’s swap ideas in the comments!

My lessons in time management from running a 2-person company with >30 corporate clients: It was only when I started my first company that I TRULY understood the importance of time management. I was running sales, product design, customer support, marketing and finance. If I didn’t get things done each day, our company did not move forward. Good time management helped me achieve our goals and stay sane (most of the time). The research supports this too - according to a Stanford University report, good time management makes you more likely to achieve your goals and have lower stress levels. Here is my simple formula for WHAT, WHEN and HOW to get the important things done: First, deciding WHAT to work on… You need a system for prioritizing. You will always have more tasks than you can do.  I like these three frameworks because they are simple: 1/ 80 / 20 Rule 2/ ABCDE Method 3/ Eisenhower Matrix You only need one. Try one for a week, and if it doesn’t work, try another. I do a version of 80/20 where I look at my life and ask myself: “In 1 month’s time, what are the 1-3 things that I will regret not making progress on?” This could be getting a new job or improving relationships with your partner or friends. It means some things will fall by the wayside (e.g., life admin), and your life may be unbalanced for a while. That imbalance is 1) not permanent and 2) the price to pay for achieving your goals. Now, WHEN to work… I recommend doing these 3 things: 1/ Identify and use your most productive hours effectively ↳ This means if you have a 9-5 job and are a morning person and you want to change job, you should get up 1-2 hours earlier and use that time to work on your dream.  ↳ Yes it sucks. But less than doing your current job forever :). 2/ Work in time blocks ↳ 2-hours for each block is ideal. ↳ Context switching kills your concentration and energy. 3/ Batch together similar tasks ↳ Try to do all your calls in one batch and all your small tasks in another, etc. Then finally my take on HOW to work effectively: 1/ Break work into 25-min sprints.  ↳ Leave the timer in front of you to create urgency and pull you back when you get distracted. 2/ Give yourself a goal for each sprint.  ↳ Again helps to create urgency. 3/ Use caffeine  ↳ Matcha for me. Yerba mate tea is also great! Try to avoid within 10 hours of bedtime. 4/ Keep your phone away from you ↳ And use app blockers on your computer. 5/ Get good quality, consistent sleep ↳ Good sleep -> good focus. 6/ Reflect and review ↳ Write down what worked and what didn’t and repeat! If you ask an 80-year-old what they would give for more time, their answer is everything. Don’t let yours fly by. P.S. What is your top tip for mastering your time? --- ♻️ Repost this to help your network become top performers. 📌 Want a high-resolution PDF of this? 1. Just follow me Will McTighe 2. Sign up for my free Level Up Community at lnkd.in/gKzZUq-b