You’re in over your head again in what feels like a never ending busy schedule. You’ve made to-do lists, kept multiple calendars, and worked long hours, but nothing seems to keep you feeling caught up. Perhaps the most frustrating part is that one coworker or friend, who undoubtedly has just as much on their plate, but seems to always have their ducks in a row. They’re highly productive, but somehow seem to be living with relatively low stress. So what’s their secret?
According to Kevin Kruse, they probably have a few - maybe even 15. Kruse is the Founder and CEO of LEADx, a leadership development platform and training company. He is a New York Times bestselling author and has provided leadership coaching to Fortune 500 CEOs, Marine Corp generals, a member of Congress, and several Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. Kruse’s Forbes article, “15 Surprising Things Productive People Do Differently”, was shared with me by friend Susan Bierly, owner of MasterMind Professional Development, a few years ago. Some of these secrets were almost ironic to me - things I thought were helping me get more done were realistically only hindering me or impacting the overall quality of my work.
Minutes, Hours and Time Travel
Secret #1: “They focus on minutes, not hours.”
Many of us look at our days in hour or half-hour blocks of time. According to Kruse, the most productive people break down their agendas to minutes. Time will always be your most valuable asset, and zooming in on smaller increments of time puts an emphasis on how valuable each minute really is. Kruse writes, “master your minutes to master your life.”
Recently I’ve been experimenting with putting 10-15 minutes on my calendar for individual tasks, breaks, drive time to meetings, etc. This leads me to Secret #3: “They don’t use to-do lists.” This one definitely came as a surprise to me - I’ve always loved a list! However, rather than making a long list of tasks that need to get done for the day or the week, you’re likely to get more done if the tasks are plotted out on your actual calendar. I’ve found that time and tasks seem to go by quicker and feel less daunting when you knock them out throughout the day as part of your calendar.
In the same vein of time management, Kruse emphasizes that you absolutely cannot trust your future self. Secret #4 states: “They beat procrastination with time travel.” For me this comes down to asking myself, “what can I do today to set myself up for success tomorrow?” If I tell myself I’m going to go to the gym after work tomorrow, I should pack a gym bag and put it in my car tonight so that it actually happens. If I have an action item coming out of a meeting to be done by the next time we meet, I’ll try to take care of it then and there while it’s fresh in my mind; otherwise, I’ll be scrambling to get it done right before that follow-up meeting. Talk to me at the end of 2025 to see if I’ve actually mastered the most difficult form of “time travel” for me: blocking out strategic planning time every Friday afternoon so I am fully equipped to tackle the week ahead.
Get Your Priorities Straight
Secret #2 states that we should “focus only on one thing.” By this Kruse means that we should identify our “Most Important Task” (MIT) and set aside two hours at the beginning of each work day to focus on it. Your MIT is whatever work will have the greatest impact on growing your business, getting the promotion you want, or reaching whatever your goal may be. This has to stay at the top of your priority list! Secret #9 reveals that the most productive people “say no to almost everything.” Kruse writes that author and entrepreneur, James Altucher once gave him the following tip: “if it’s not a hell yeah, then it’s a no!” This is a tricky one, because oftentimes we don’t know what could end up being a good connection or opportunity in business. But generally speaking, if we can gauge what gets us excited and feels truly valuable to us, we can use those gut instincts to preserve our time, energy, and brain space.
The way you begin and end your day has a big impact on everything in-between. Secret #14 is “They practice a consistent morning routine.” Starting your morning with whatever rituals center you before you go out into the world for the day is known to improve your mood and of course, increase your productivity. Whether it’s exercise, meditation, reading, listening to music, or just a great breakfast - consistency is key. As for the end of the day, Secret #5 states, “They make it home for dinner.” Whether you’re headed home to spend time with your family, going out to eat with friends, or getting some quality recharge time to yourself, it’s important that there’s a portion of your day that doesn’t revolve around work. We all have to put in a few extra hours sometimes, but overdoing it is only going to leave you less energized and productive the next day. This is one of my top goals for 2025!
In the same vein, the most productive people also know Secret #15: “Energy is everything.” While this one seems a little obvious, it’s easy to convince your stress brain that you can accomplish more by compromising time spent on energizing and nourishing your body. I am definitely guilty of sacrificing my downtime and energy supply when I’m feeling overwhelmed. I've found that I always end up having a better day overall if I make the time to go outside and take a walk. Substantial, healthy meals and snacks, short breaks throughout the day, and an adequate amount of sleep at night are truly the most important aspects of overall health and success.
Leadership Edge
If I haven’t made it clear already, Kruse’s ideas on productivity have been pivotal for me. I’ve discussed it with my team extensively and it’s a large part of what I use to teach the section of our Leadership Edge course that focuses on time management and proactive planning. If you’re not already familiar, the program is designed for new or struggling mid-level managers, or anyone looking to prime their leadership skills. Time management & proactive planning is one out of six topics we cover in the program, and by far one of the most important for developing leaders. For more information, check out the Leadership Edge page here on our site. Additionally, don’t forget to check out “15 Surprising Things Productive People Do Differently” for Kruse’s remaining “secrets” and a fresh perspective on how to elevate your productivity.
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