Nick, how do you genuinely manage your time so well? I tend to get overwhelmed by a lot of stuff at this point. I have inspo stuff I want to do. I'll write a to-do list and still drift off or do stuff that aren't on the to-do list. Secondly, I feel like I just waste a lot of time generally. I block social media, but I still don't feel like I'm moving towards as much to my goals. I'm currently how you used to be. Write out a lot of stuff, plan, and do one or two. I'm also in the AI space. Yeah. So, how do you genuinely manage your time? I tend to get overwhelmed.

#263 · the dumbest automation still makes the most money

Nick, how do you genuinely manage your time so well? I tend to get overwhelmed by a lot of stuff at this point. I have inspo stuff I want to do. I'll write a to-do list and still drift off or do stuff that aren't on the to-do list. Secondly, I feel like I just waste a lot of time generally. I block social media, but I still don't feel like I'm moving towards as much to my goals. I'm currently how you used to be. Write out a lot of stuff, plan, and do one or two. I'm also in the AI space. Yeah. So, how do you genuinely manage your time? I tend to get overwhelmed.

When I feel overwhelmed, I take a minute to list every single task I actually have to do on paper. The overwhelm comes not from the total volume but from my perception of the volume bouncing around in my head. My simple steps: take a deep breath, identify the first thing bouncing around that I need to do and write it out, then identify the next thing and write it out, and keep rinsing and repeating for 10‑20‑30 minutes to get a big list of actionable steps. To push further, write out the first subtask needed to move that forward—for example, after moving provinces I needed to figure out car insurance; the first actionable step was to call a phone number. Knowing the exact step reduces friction and makes it much easier to get done; this is about eliminating akrasia (weakness of will). Reduce the friction and you’ll win.

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Related answers

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How do you stay organized and keep up with daily tasks?

I’m not naturally organized and often let tasks slip through the cracks—I’ll forget things for weeks and have to reshuffle my to‑do list constantly. Even with more money and the ability to delegate, I still struggle to stay on top of daily work. I try to improve my systems, but at the end of the day I’m just figuring it out like anyone else.

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youtube ↗Mindset

How do you deal with procrastination and focusing on the wrong things?

Procrastination is inevitable; it's a mechanism baked into us from caveman times, and you can't fully eliminate it. I procrastinate often, but I tend to procrastinate on work by doing lower-value tasks instead. This isn't ideal because I'm avoiding important work, but I still make progress by completing less important tasks. For example, I delayed making a hiring post for weeks, but when I finally did it—creating the post, form, and CRM integration—it only took 45 minutes. Even though I procrastinated, I still moved the needle forward.

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How should you handle time blocking when tasks take longer than allocated, and how do you structure your daily schedule?

Rather than strict time-boxing, structure your schedule by front-loading your highest-ROI, nearest-to-revenue tasks first and taking as long as needed to complete them. For instance, replying to community comments in Maker School directly drives retention, revenue, and goodwill, so it is completed first thing every morning. To speed up execution over time, record yourself completing a recurring task, review the footage to strip out wasted effort, and establish a realistic 'ideal time' benchmark. Track your time daily as a KPI until you consistently reach that benchmark. The key to productivity is productizing your daily schedule—repeating the exact same core high-value actions every day so you build speed and mastery, rather than constantly switching between contextually different tasks.

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How can I improve my productivity and stop avoiding hard tasks like cold calling by getting distracted with low‑ROI activities?

Almost every business owner struggles with this—it’s not just you. The key is to shape your environment so that low‑ROI actions are harder and high‑ROI actions are easier. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, keeping cookies around your neck makes you more likely to eat them; remove the temptation and you’ll eat less. Apply the same logic to cold calling: block distracting websites, lock away your social media, and make the only thing you can do on your computer be the high‑value work you want to accomplish. Then attach a reward to each cold call—like eating a cookie—so your brain starts associating the effort with something positive. Over time, with cold calling as your only viable option, you’ll begin to enjoy it simply because your brain seeks stimulation. Think of it like a monk who only has meditation or reading to fill their day; limited options lead to deep focus. By becoming an environment designer, you reduce reliance on willpower and let your surroundings guide you toward the actions that move the needle.

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