If you don’t know what your priorities are, everything seems urgent.
A thread on how I plan my week (as the CEO of a $100M/year company):
A thread on how I plan my week (as the CEO of a $100M/year company):
A question from a Million Dollar Weekend reader:
==
“Hey Noah - How do you manage running a successful business, writing a book, and having a long-distance relationship?
What are your life hacks for getting it all done?”
==
The short answer? Not well :)
The long answer? 👇
==
“Hey Noah - How do you manage running a successful business, writing a book, and having a long-distance relationship?
What are your life hacks for getting it all done?”
==
The short answer? Not well :)
The long answer? 👇
The truth is there’s never a moment of perfection. It’s a practice of improvement.
Today, I’m going to break down 7 key systems I use to stay productive.
Let’s gooo…
Today, I’m going to break down 7 key systems I use to stay productive.
Let’s gooo…
1- Clarify your Top Priorities
If I asked you, “What are your top 3 priorities in life?” How would you answer?
Mine are:
1. My relationships
2. @AppSumo
3. And Million Dollar Weekend
If you don’t know what your priorities are, everything seems urgent.
If I asked you, “What are your top 3 priorities in life?” How would you answer?
Mine are:
1. My relationships
2. @AppSumo
3. And Million Dollar Weekend
If you don’t know what your priorities are, everything seems urgent.
2- Color Code your Calendar
I have a color for each priority in my life:
Blue = Work
Green = Health
Red = Personal
Yellow = Travel
At any time - I can look at my calendar and see which areas of my life aren’t being paid enough attention.
I have a color for each priority in my life:
Blue = Work
Green = Health
Red = Personal
Yellow = Travel
At any time - I can look at my calendar and see which areas of my life aren’t being paid enough attention.
Two key points:
1. Set up an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)
Before book launch, I did interviews whenever and wherever.
I packed in 3 a day for 4 days straight when I visited LA and Vegas.
I even flew 10 hours to Nashville.
Now?
1. Set up an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)
Before book launch, I did interviews whenever and wherever.
I packed in 3 a day for 4 days straight when I visited LA and Vegas.
I even flew 10 hours to Nashville.
Now?
I only do shows with over 100 episodes & 100 reviews during a 3-hour block on Thursdays & Fridays.
A few more SOPs:
Meeting Hours - Only from 12-5pm CT
Breaks - 10-15 min between meetings, so ‘1 hour’ meetings are actually 50 minutes long
Front Load Priorities - Schedule the most important work on Monday or Tuesday
Recurring Meetings - Move weekly to monthly and monthly to quarterly if possible
A few more SOPs:
Meeting Hours - Only from 12-5pm CT
Breaks - 10-15 min between meetings, so ‘1 hour’ meetings are actually 50 minutes long
Front Load Priorities - Schedule the most important work on Monday or Tuesday
Recurring Meetings - Move weekly to monthly and monthly to quarterly if possible
2. Create automatic blocks for your key habits.
My key habits: Time with girlfriend, Bike rides, Gym, Reading, and Sauna
These are recurring time slots that I don’t have to think about (eg. every Thursday at 8:30am is sauna time).
By automating, you reduce the mental load of deciding what to do for the week.
My key habits: Time with girlfriend, Bike rides, Gym, Reading, and Sauna
These are recurring time slots that I don’t have to think about (eg. every Thursday at 8:30am is sauna time).
By automating, you reduce the mental load of deciding what to do for the week.
3- Work with Accountability Partners
Every single week, I email my priorities to my accountability partner Adam Gilbert.
I’ve done this for 15 years! Here’s an example:
Every single week, I email my priorities to my accountability partner Adam Gilbert.
I’ve done this for 15 years! Here’s an example:
At the end of the week, we review how everything actually went.
Adam will hold me accountable for things that I didn’t do or could have been improved (and vice versa).
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Adam will hold me accountable for things that I didn’t do or could have been improved (and vice versa).
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
4- Use the Index Card System
Every morning, I list my 3 most important tasks on a “3×5” card.
I keep this card handy and refer back to it to stay focused throughout the day.
Here’s my list from 2/27/24:
Every morning, I list my 3 most important tasks on a “3×5” card.
I keep this card handy and refer back to it to stay focused throughout the day.
Here’s my list from 2/27/24:
Instead of guessing what I should be working on, I can just check my notecard and get straight to work.
Also, the satisfaction of physically crossing things off a list is tantalizing. 😁
Also, the satisfaction of physically crossing things off a list is tantalizing. 😁
5- Hire CEOs for Projects
Years ago - my friend Hiten Shah said, “Real CEOs don’t do work.”
It took me a decade to understand that.
What he meant was to find the people who help execute that work.
So I hire “CEOs” to run the operations of each important project:
Years ago - my friend Hiten Shah said, “Real CEOs don’t do work.”
It took me a decade to understand that.
What he meant was to find the people who help execute that work.
So I hire “CEOs” to run the operations of each important project:
• AppSumo - Seann Stubbs & Ilona Abramova essentially run the day-to-day of the business
• YouTube - Jeremy Mary has been the director of the channel for 2+ years
• Book - Hired Tahl Raz to help craft the book with me. And Tommy Dixon to help facilitate all things book marketing
If you’re just starting out, this may not make sense for you to do right away, but keep it in mind as you scale.
• YouTube - Jeremy Mary has been the director of the channel for 2+ years
• Book - Hired Tahl Raz to help craft the book with me. And Tommy Dixon to help facilitate all things book marketing
If you’re just starting out, this may not make sense for you to do right away, but keep it in mind as you scale.
6 - Hire an Assistant
Years ago, I was at @ramit's house. I recommended a book to him. He got the Amazon link and sent it to his assistant to purchase.
“What are you doing?!” I asked him. “It’s literally one click to buy it.”
He looked at me and said...
Years ago, I was at @ramit's house. I recommended a book to him. He got the Amazon link and sent it to his assistant to purchase.
“What are you doing?!” I asked him. “It’s literally one click to buy it.”
He looked at me and said...
“Everything I do is about staying focused. I hire assistants so I can keep doing the things that matter to me and let them do the rest.”
It was a simple but powerful lesson about the leverage and time you can gain back by hiring help.
Here’s who I’ve hired so I can stay in my zone of genius:
It was a simple but powerful lesson about the leverage and time you can gain back by hiring help.
Here’s who I’ve hired so I can stay in my zone of genius:
• A Chief of Staff at AppSumo
• An Executive Assistant who helps with scheduling and personal tasks
• A property manager
• A cleaning person for my house
There are services like hiremymom.com or Fiverr that make hiring assistants more cost-effective than you might think.
If you’re new to business, this is also a great way to learn to delegate.
• An Executive Assistant who helps with scheduling and personal tasks
• A property manager
• A cleaning person for my house
There are services like hiremymom.com or Fiverr that make hiring assistants more cost-effective than you might think.
If you’re new to business, this is also a great way to learn to delegate.
7- Review your Week
A core saying we have at AppSumo is “Feedback is a gift.” And often the best feedback you can get is from yourself.
Every Friday at 3pm, an automatic Slack bot notifies me to do a 3-question weekly review:
A core saying we have at AppSumo is “Feedback is a gift.” And often the best feedback you can get is from yourself.
Every Friday at 3pm, an automatic Slack bot notifies me to do a 3-question weekly review:
1. How was your week? (rate 1-5)
2. Were you consistent? (rate 1-5)
3. What are the top three things you want to focus on next week?
The form also goes to my Chief of Staff and EA to improve for the next week.
2. Were you consistent? (rate 1-5)
3. What are the top three things you want to focus on next week?
The form also goes to my Chief of Staff and EA to improve for the next week.
Now, you may be thinking, “Noah, you spend more time organizing and reflecting than doing. Couldn’t you be spending that time making progress toward your goals?”
Yes, I could replace my time planning and reviewing with more doing.
But the truth is:
Yes, I could replace my time planning and reviewing with more doing.
But the truth is:
It’s not about doing more, it’s about doing fewer things better.
If you don’t plan and review, you’ll end up making a lot of motion but little progress.
To recap:
If you don’t plan and review, you’ll end up making a lot of motion but little progress.
To recap:
7 Productivity Systems (Every Entrepreneur Should Know):
1. Clarify your Top Priorities
2. Color Code your Calendar
3. Work with Accountability Partners
4. Use the Index Card System
5. Hire CEOs for Projects
6. Hire an Assistant
7. Review your Week
1. Clarify your Top Priorities
2. Color Code your Calendar
3. Work with Accountability Partners
4. Use the Index Card System
5. Hire CEOs for Projects
6. Hire an Assistant
7. Review your Week
The most powerful skill:
Managing your time & energy.
But most productivity advice leaves you less productive and more confused than when you started.
Come join 100,000+ entrepreneurs receiving practical advice, tools, and strategies: noahkagan.com
Managing your time & energy.
But most productivity advice leaves you less productive and more confused than when you started.
Come join 100,000+ entrepreneurs receiving practical advice, tools, and strategies: noahkagan.com
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