Time is the most precious asset we have.

Because we can’t get it back once it is lost.

So it is important to make the most of what we have.

Here are some tried and tested ways to do it.

1. Do your most important work, your one big thing, first thing in the morning or when you have the best energy and attention.

2. Do work sprints. Even better partner with someone and report back to each other after every 45 mins what you accomplished. 

3. Do deep work for 1 to 3 hours every day.

4. Read for 15-20 minutes every day. It is one of the highest return on time invested activities.

5. Review what needs to be done. Eliminate, automate, delegate what you can. Do what remains yourself. Separate important from urgent using the Eisenhower matrix.

6. Work on 2 types of things every day. Spend 80% of your time on what needs to be done, routine, time-bound work. Keep 20% of your time for hobbies, fun stuff, experiment, learning, and growth. Things that move you forward and make you happy.

7. As a leader, set things in motion and let others take over. Review in middle and end and guide through completion. Works great for long-term projects. 

8. Do the necessary first, important next, or what makes you happy at the end of the day.

9. Do a weekly review either on Friday or Sunday to assess learnings, challenges, and progress. Plan for next week. Don’t schedule the week more than 70%. Use the rest of 30% for unseen challenges and surprise opportunities.

10. Use time blocking. For each month and week, pick the 3 most important items that you need to get done. Break the monthly goals into smaller chunks, and schedule each chunk.

11. Theme your days. Keep at least 2 days a week for impact action. Learn, experiment, and grow during this time. Keep the rest for administrative and operational work. Schedule meetings for no more than one or two days a week. Keep a day or half for learning, and rest according to your priorities and what you do.

BONUS: Move so that your alertness, focus, and energy levels are high. This will help you get the most value out of the time you have. This along with having projects that make you want to get out of bed will have the most impact on the value you get out of time.