How CEOs Manage Their Time (and Still Get 8 Hours of Sleep)

About Brilliance Brief

Hi friends! Welcome to your go-to source for practical advice that cuts through the noise. Each week, I share actionable insights from my years in the C-Suite and as an entrepreneur. Helping you lead with confidence, grow your career, and live with purpose.

Today at a Glance

• How to Prioritize, Organize, Schedule, Focus, and Reflect

• The 5 Time Management Techniques Every High Performer Needs

• Why Using These Tools Together Can Be a Game-Changer

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[5-min read]

The Truth About Time Management

If you’ve ever felt like you’re spinning plates—juggling priorities, responding to emails, and tackling projects that just keep piling up—you’re not alone.

Here’s the secret no one tells you: Time management isn’t about working harder.

We all have the same number of minutes in a day. What sets the best apart is the techniques they use. It’s all about working smarter, with the right tools for the right job.

The most effective leaders don’t rely on a single technique to manage their time. They combine strategies, using each one for its specific purpose.

Today, I’ll walk you through the 5 techniques top CEOs swear by—and how you can use them together to reclaim your time and sanity.

1. The Eisenhower Matrix: Prioritize Like a Pro

Purpose: Cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters.

Categorize your to-dos into 4 categories:

• Urgent and Important: Do these immediately.

• Important but Not Urgent: Schedule these for later.

• Urgent but Not Important: Delegate or automate these.

• Neither Urgent Nor Important: Delete or ignore these.

2. The Ivy Lee Method: Organize Your Priorities

Purpose: End each day with a clear plan for tomorrow.

Here’s how it works:

1. At the end of your workday, write down your 6 most important tasks for tomorrow.

2. Rank them in order of priority.

3. The next day, start with #1. Don’t work on anything else until it’s done.

4. As you complete each item, move on to the next. If any remain at day’s end, shift them to tomorrow’s list.

5. Rinse and repeat.

Why It Works:
The Ivy Lee Method forces you to focus on what matters most, avoiding the overwhelm of endless to-do lists.

3. Timeboxing: Schedule Your Success

Purpose: Block time for everything on your calendar.

Timeboxing is a scheduling technique where you assign specific blocks of time to each task or activity, leaving no room for guesswork.

How to Use It:

• Plan your day by creating blocks for your priorities.

  • Morning: Deep work on top tasks.

  • Afternoon: Meetings and collaboration.

  • Evening: Reflection and planning.

• Stick to the schedule. If something takes longer than planned, adjust tomorrow’s timebox.

Pro Tip: Add breaks to avoid burnout.

4. The Pomodoro Technique: Focus Like a Laser

Purpose: Stay productive and avoid distractions.

Here’s the process:

1. Choose a task to work on.

2. Set a timer for 25 minutes and work on that task until the timer rings.

3. Take a 5-minute break.

4. Repeat 4 times, then take a longer 15-30 minute break.

Why It’s Effective:
The Pomodoro Technique breaks tasks into manageable chunks, helping you maintain focus while avoiding fatigue.

5. Weekly Reviews: Reflect and Adjust

Purpose: Step back and assess your week to stay on track.

At the end of the week, take 30-60 minutes to:

• Review what you accomplished.

• Identify what didn’t go as planned and why.

• Adjust your goals and strategies for the next week.

Why It Matters:
Reflection ensures you’re not just busy—you’re productive, intentional, and aligned with your long-term goals.

How to Combine These Techniques

Think of these 5 tools as your personal productivity toolkit:

1. Prioritize with the Eisenhower Matrix to separate the critical from the trivial.

2. Organize with the Ivy Lee Method to focus on your top priorities.

3. Schedule with Timeboxing to create structure in your day.

4. Focus with the Pomodoro Technique to power through tasks.

5. Reflect with Weekly Reviews to fine-tune your process and celebrate wins.

Using them together creates a seamless system that keeps you focused, efficient, and in control.

Diving Deeper

Want to learn more about time management? Here are 4 of my favorite resources:

• Free course from UC Irvine—Work Smarter, Not Harder

• Free course from Yale—Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty & Stress

• YouTube video from the Art of Improvement—The Ivy Lee Method

• Book by Marc Zao-Sanders—Timeboxing: The Power of Doing One Thing at a Time

The Takeaway

Time management isn’t about cramming more into your day. It’s about making space for what truly matters.

By combining these techniques, you’ll:

• Work on the right things at the right time.

• Stay laser-focused without burning out.

• Continuously improve how you spend your time.

Start small. Pick one or two techniques to try this week, then layer in the rest.

Let me know how it goes!

Until next week, manage your time with intention.

Warmly,
Justin

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