How to manage three jobs in a normal work week

Executive overview

Running multiple high-stakes priorities at once isn't about doing more — it's about being ruthlessly intentional with your time. The real question is how to be lazier and still get what actually matters done.

Define one clear outcome per priority. Build your week around the inputs that drive it. Everything else is a distraction.

Productivity is not about output volume — it's about aligning every hour to your most important goal.

Calendar as a commitment device

• Review your calendar every Sunday: does your week actually match your goals?
• Use a colour-coded calendar to make alignment visible at a glance (e.g. orange = fun, green = exercise, specific colours per priority)
• Block the inputs you can control — if your goal needs three videos a week, those slots must exist on the calendar
• Write a calendar SOP (standard operating procedure) to give each day a default purpose
• Example weekly structure: Mon/Tue = one-on-ones, Wed = hiring, Thu = strategy alignment, Fri = review

Energy management

• Schedule high-focus creative work at peak energy times; lower-priority tasks at off-peak times
• Block recharge time explicitly — energy depletion kills sustained output
• Don't build a life you need to escape from

Delegation and hiring

• Hire a head of staff for each major priority — someone who runs the day-to-day so you can stay strategic
• Understand the thing yourself before delegating; don't expect a new hire to fix a broken operation
• Effective delegation frees you to focus on vision, culture, strategy, and key hires — not execution

Focus and saying no

• Focus is singular — not a list of priorities, one priority
• Measure your focus by looking at your calendar, not your intentions
• Say no aggressively: track how many meetings and requests you decline each week
• When working, give 100% attention — no open tabs, no phone, no Slack
• Single-task until completion; note distractions and return to them later

Accountability and lane clarity

• Set a concrete, measurable annual goal for each priority
• Have someone — a board, a partner, a peer — hold you accountable to it
• As teams grow, unclear ownership creates failure; define your lane explicitly
• Your lane = vision, goal-setting, culture, plays, and people — say no to everything outside it