There are a lot of us who crib that we do not have time. But if you think about it, everyone on this earth gets only 24 hours. Be it Sachin Tendulkar or Mukesh Ambani or you or me. All of us get 24 hours in a day. So how the hell they are able to manage so much in a day whereas we struggle to even breathe?
This thought was eating my mind. And if you’re wondering the same, you need to grab hold of a book called Make Time.
Why did I read the book?
The authors of this book- Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky are highly successful people. They worked at Google and were an integral part of Google’s innovative team. I found it very interesting to learn about time management from someone who knew that Time is the only thing that really matters.
The Book in a few Sentences
– A fun book to read, it feels as if someone is having a conversation with you. The personal stories of the authors give us a more inside view of how the teaching of the book could bring about a change in the day-to-day living
– A book with lessons to move away from the reactive approach of life to taking control. We might be running a hamster wheel without understanding where we are going. By understanding our priorities, and making a timeslot for them on a day-by-day basis, we are trying to take control of our moments, days, and life.
Summary of the Book
The first step is choosing a single **highlight** to prioritize in your day. Next, you’ll employ specific tactics to stay **laser-focused** on that highlight—the book offers a menu of tricks to beat distraction in an always-connected world. Throughout the day, you’ll build **energy** so you can stay in control of your time and attention. Finally, you’ll reflect on the day with a few simple notes.
- Highlight: Start Each Day by Choosing a Focal Point –
- A single activity to prioritize and protect in your calendar.
It might be an important goal at work, like finishing a presentation. You might choose something at home, like cooking dinner or planting your garden. Your Highlight might be something you don’t necessarily *have* to do but *want* to do. Of course, your Highlight isn’t the only thing you’ll do each day. But it will be your priority. Asking yourself “What’s going to be the highlight of my day?” ensures that you spend time on the things that matter to *you* and don’t lose the entire day reacting to other people’s priorities. When you choose a Highlight, you put yourself in a positive, proactive frame of mind.
Here is how I focus on a highlight for the day- I ask myself what I would love to get done in the day. Office and in personal life. I write it down. In the office, I block my calendar for that work item, even if it’s with myself only. If I have to collaborate, then I will block it with stakeholders but blocking the calendar helps me a lot, knowing that the important goal of the day is decided and time is planned for it as well. stress reduced.
- Laser: Beat Distraction to Make Time for Your Highlight
Adjust your technology so you can find Laser mode. Simple changes like logging out of social media apps or scheduling time to check email can have a huge effect.
Here is how I manage to keep my focus laser sharp –
I have known the fundamental that context switching is bad for productivity and we do context switching so often. with our phones, our Teams chats, our emails popping up, etc. We need to keep the technology at bay for a while. I use the digital well-being app to limit the usage of apps per day. For example, I can’t use Twitter or the X app for more than 15 minutes a day. I have completely stopped watching the news. I can’t deal with the negativity. I honestly feel all news that runs on the TV is just opinions and hardly any facts. I close my apps when working on important tasks – No Outlook, or Teams on DND and my Phone is on silent at least 4 feet away from me. I also ensure I don’t watch my mobile in the morning. I don’t see the mobile until 10 AM. This helps me stay focused on my morning routine rather than get distracted.
- Energize: Use the Body to Recharge the Brain
That’s why the third component of Make Time is to charge your battery with exercise, food, sleep, quiet, and face-to-face time.
Here is what I do to remain energized- To be productive your mind has to be fresh. To keep your mind fresh, your body is the key. I have been extremely focused on exercise, though limited, I ensure I put in at least 20 mins of yoga and breathing exercises. I have been watching my weight since the beginning of this year. I ensure I take a reading of the weight each weekend. I have seen good improvement. I started the year with 72 Kg and down to 69.35 Kg this weekend. Another aspect of energy is food. I have been on a No-sugar diet for close to 2 months now. I find myself a bit more focused than earlier. And when in a day, I get too tired to take on the work head-on, I take a break. Usually, I might spend my break time scrolling reels but now I have made a conscious effort to connect with people one on one during breaks. I really think energy is infectious and you can get a boost of good vibes from your co-workers, family, or friends during a face-to-face conversation.
- Reflect: Adjust and Improve Your System
My way of reflection is through my journal entries. I write almost every day, at least 500 words a day. I focus on finding out how was the day. What was the story-worthy moment of the day? What 3 good things happened in the day and what could have been done better? I also do a little prayer for the day. I also rate the day on energy, focus, and productivity. I use Notion to write my reflections and I have set it up in such a way that each day, I get to revisit my 90-day-old entry. It helps me compare how I am doing now versus how I used to think 3 months ago.
How the Book Changed Me?
I started thinking, What is my highlight of the day? Something that is so important that if that work is done, I would be thoroughly satisfied with my day
I started timing my activity. When I want to do focus work, I have observed that putting a timer helps me. I have been using this successfully. This came into the structure because of the book
I started writing a journal with a view of the reflection of the energy of the day, the mood of the day, and the focus of the day’s manner. I also started taking my exercises more seriously as I got to know that even 20 minutes of exercise is enough to recharge me for the entire day.
My Top 3 Quotes from the book
- There is more to life than increasing its speed – M K Gandhi
- To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.- MARY OLIVER
- We do not remember days, we remember moments – CESARE PAVESE
I hope the summary of the book entices you to read the book or at least the points mentioned in the summary help you improve your time management skills, even in the slightest of manner.
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