A weekly reset for clarity, momentum, and personal growth.
Week 7: Time is Neutral. Priorities are not.
Subject Line: Being busy Isn’t Always Being Productive.
Welcome back to The HayZ Minute! Thank you for carving out a few minutes of your week to grow together. Time is one of the few resources we all share equally, and yet it remains one of the most misunderstood. Today’s topic is one that touches every one of us: time.
Every person gets the same 24 hours in a day. No extensions. No rollover minutes. Yet some people consistently make progress toward meaningful goals while others feel stuck, rushed, or overwhelmed. The difference usually isn’t talent, intelligence, or luck — it’s how time is managed, prioritized, and invested.
Early in my career, I believed productivity meant staying busy. My calendar was packed with meetings, my inbox was always full, and my to-do list never seemed to end. I took pride in being available for everything and everyone. But despite working long hours, I often felt like real progress was elusive. I was exhausted, reactive, and constantly behind.
Over time, I learned a critical lesson that reshaped how I work and lead: being busy is not the same as being productive. Activity does not automatically equal impact. What matters most is not how much you do, but whether what you’re doing actually moves the mission forward.
Here are three strategies that transformed how I manage my time:
1. The 80/20 Rule
Not all tasks carry the same weight. Roughly 20% of our efforts produce 80% of our results. Each day, I ask myself a simple question: What is the one task that will move the needle the most? Focusing on high-impact work reduces noise and increases clarity.
2. Time Blocking
I intentionally schedule blocks of uninterrupted focus time on my calendar. Treating these blocks like meetings — non-negotiable and protected — allows for deeper thinking, better decisions, and higher-quality work. Focus doesn’t happen by accident; it has to be planned.
3. Delegate and Empower
Leadership is not about doing everything yourself. Delegating is not a loss of control — it’s an investment in people. By trusting others with responsibility, you create space for strategic work while helping your team grow in confidence and capability.
When I shifted from managing tasks to managing priorities, I gained back hours each week. Those hours became intentional investments — in mentoring others, in innovating processes, and in spending meaningful time with family. The return on that investment has been far greater than simply checking more boxes off a list.
Weekly Quote:
“The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.” — Stephen R. Covey
👉 Call to Action:
What’s your favorite time management strategy? Reply and share it — I’ll feature some of the best insights in an upcoming edition of The HayZ Minute.
One reset at a time,
HayZ