To be successful, you need to decide what to focus on, how to get the energy to do it, and how to be more intentional about your life.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Identify the most important task for the day and commit to it.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Allocate specific times for tasks and avoid multitasking to enhance productivity.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Reflect on your goals regularly to ensure your daily activities align with them.</li></ul>

Prioritize Your Focus

"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."

Staying present amid distractions is often challenging.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Recognize that tech companies design products to capture and hold your attention.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Implement strategies to minimize distractions, such as turning off notifications or setting specific times for checking emails.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Practice mindfulness to improve your focus and reduce stress.</li></ul>

Stay Present Amid Distractions

"Time management is life management."

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak."

You can optimize your day with four steps: highlighting, laser, energizing, and reflecting.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The best way to end the cycle of distraction is by redesigning your technology use.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Experiment with different coping strategies to find what works best for you.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Create rituals that help you stay focused and energized throughout the day.</li></ul>

Optimize Your Day with Four Steps

Managing your energy level is half the success.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Taking good care of your body is essential for maintaining a focused and high-performing brain.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Incorporate physical activity, healthy eating, and adequate sleep into your routine.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Listen to your body and take breaks when needed to avoid burnout.</li></ul>

Manage Your Energy Levels

"The energy of the mind is the essence of life."

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."

Use these tactics to be a master of your time.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Jot down distracting questions or thoughts and address them after completing your tasks.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency to ensure you're working on what truly matters.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Develop a routine that includes work and relaxation to maintain a healthy balance.</li></ul>

Master Your Time with Simple Tactics

"Make Time" offers practical strategies for controlling attention and energy to lead a more intentional and fulfilling life.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Identify and prioritize your most important tasks each day.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Implement routines and rituals to optimize your focus and energy.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Use technology mindfully to minimize distractions and stay present.</li></ul>By applying these insights, you can create a daily structure that boosts productivity and enhances overall well-being.

Conclusion

Planning your day, including time for tea or walking the dog, lets you relish each moment without worrying about what to do next.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Break your day into manageable chunks and assign specific tasks to each time slot.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Include breaks and downtime to maintain a balance between work and relaxation.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Use tools like calendars or planners to keep track of your schedule and stay organized.</li></ul>

Plan Your Day from A to Z

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."

Focus on daily highlights to savor life’s amazing moments.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Choose your highlight at any time of the day and adjust it as needed.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Selecting a highlight gives your day structure and purpose, making even mundane tasks enjoyable.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Prioritize activities that bring you joy and fulfillment to make the most of each day.</li></ul>

Focus on Daily Highlights

"Make Time" is a practical guide to controlling your attention and energy in a world of distractions. One key insight is the importance of redesigning your technology to break free from the cycle of constant busyness. This book offers actionable strategies to help you be more intentional with your time, leading to a more fulfilling and productive life.

From the New York Times bestselling authors of Sprint comes “a unique and engaging read about a proven habit framework [that] readers can apply to each day” (Insider, Best Books to Form New Habits). “If you want to achieve more (without going nuts), read this book.”—Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit Nobody ever looked at an empty calendar and said, "The best way to spend this time is by cramming it full of meetings!" or got to work in the morning and thought, Today I'll spend hours on Facebook! Yet that's exactly what we do. Why? In a world where information refreshes endlessly and the workday feels like a race to react to other people's priorities faster, frazzled and distracted has become our default position. But what if the exhaustion of constant busyness wasn't mandatory? What if you could step off the hamster wheel and start taking control of your time and attention? That's what this book is about. As creators of Google Ventures' renowned "design sprint," Jake and John have helped hundreds of teams solve important problems by changing how they work. Building on the success of these sprints and their experience designing ubiquitous tech products from Gmail to YouTube, they spent years experimenting with their own habits and routines, looking for ways to help people optimize their energy, focus, and time. Now they've packaged the most effective tactics into a four-step daily framework that anyone can use to systematically design their days. Make Time is not a one-size-fits-all formula. Instead, it offers a customizable menu of bite-size tips and strategies that can be tailored to individual habits and lifestyles. Make Time isn't about productivity, or checking off more to-dos. Nor does it propose unrealistic solutions like throwing out your smartphone or swearing off social media. Making time isn't about radically overhauling your lifestyle; it's about making small shifts in your environment to liberate yourself from constant busyness and distraction. A must-read for anyone who has ever thought, If only there were more hours in the day..., Make Time will help you stop passively reacting to the demands of the modern world and start intentionally making time for the things that matter.

productivity

Productivity

remotework

Remote Work

timemanagement

Time Management

books

Books

meditation

Meditation

Jake Knapp created the Design Sprint at Google, where he also helped build Gmail, cofounded Google Meet, and was a design partner at GV. He has since coached hundreds of teams on product strategy at places like Miro, Slack, Nike, LEGO, IDEO, the Wall Street Journal, and the Harvard Business School. Today, Jake is a cofounder at Character, where he helps startups find product-market fit with Design Sprints.


Jake Knapp

John Zeratsky is a design partner at GV and the co-author of Sprint. Before joining GV, he was a design lead at YouTube and an early employee of FeedBurner, which Google acquired in 2007. John has written about design and productivity for Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Wired, and Time. Originally from rural Wisconsin, John now lives in San Francisco with his wife.

Optimize Your Day with Four Steps

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