For years, my goal has been to become one of the most productive people I've ever met—ideally, in the top 1% of the most efficient people anywhere.

I know it's an audacious idea, but it's out of necessity. Founders and CEOs are some of the busiest people on the planet. We're responsible for everything: product, sales, marketing, hiring, mentoring, fundraising, compliance.

The work often feels like pushing several boulders up a hill—or trying not to be flattened as those boulders roll downhill, with you sprinting in front.

For founders, the traditional work-life balance just doesn't apply because there's such a tight correlation between how much work you put in and how transformative your outcome eventually is.

So actually doing all that work well means you have to get truly exceptional at managing your time. But it's easier said than done on days when everything feels like priority 0.

Over the years, I've learned how to get as much as I can out of every hour with a few simple tools and habits.

It's what lets me run a fast-growing startup, chair a major nonprofit, stay active in local politics, keep up my physical and mental fitness, and nurture deeply meaningful relationships with friends and family all over the country.

The truth is, time management isn't about one silver bullet. It's about a collection of lead bullets that, when you use them together, let you accomplish more than what feels possible.

I believe the most productive founders don't try to do everything all at once—they ruthlessly and constantly adjust their priorities and calendar, they take care of themselves, and they delegate extensively.

Here's how I do it.

Create Success Objectives, Not To-Do Lists

Most people stumble because they expect too much of themselves in too little time. I set only two or three major proactive goals every quarter, and then I waterfall those down to monthly, weekly, and even daily goals to keep myself from juggling too much.

I set objectives on a yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily basis:

• Annually: I set "resolutions" about what success looks like. These are often high level categories of what matters most to me, force ranked. I try to paint a "success vision" with a discrete metric for each one so that I can tell if I'm making progress.

• Quarterly/Monthly: I redefine and reorder my annual priorities on a quarterly basis. This quarter, it's work first, fitness second, and dating third. This clarity means I don't have to overthink time tradeoffs when they inevitably pop up.

• Weekly: Every week, I define what success looks like at the top of my to do list, with never more than three to four items.

• Daily: Each day, I create a force-ranked list of tasks. Whatever doesn't get done rolls to the next day and gets reprioritized. If it rolls over for more than a day or two in a row, I move it into a category called "Important but not urgent" that I can tackle when I have extra bandwidth.

This cascading system ensures I'm always working on what matters most, not just what feels urgent. Two top priorities is the magic number—one is too easy, three is pushing it, and four is fantasy.

I also keep a short list of easy, small tasks that I need to do but can take on in between meetings, like meal prep or paying bills.

I absolutely love Workflowy for managing my priorities. It's a great, free, lightweight tool that makes it super easy to reorganize your priorities as things change. I highly recommend using it to set goals and manage priorities for your quarter, month, week, and day.

Your Calendar Is Your Reality Check

I translate my priorities from Workflowy directly to my calendar, blocking time for everything—including walking my dog and going to the gym. I'm realistic about time blocks, not optimistic, baking in time to transition, look at emails, and even just breathe/space out.

For instance, I know it takes me 40 minutes of "fucking around" to actually leave for the gym in the morning. I don't judge myself for this—I just plan for it. Similarly, I know writing tasks like this newsletter or creating recruiting exercises take 3-4 hours of continuous thinking time, with the first hour often spent just getting in the right mindset.

For that reason, weekends are critical for my productivity. I use Saturdays or Sundays to get ahead on those tasks that need uninterrupted focus time, so I'm not behind when Monday hits.

Treat Yourself Like a Professional Athlete

LeBron James isn't playing basketball every waking hour. But off the court, he spends his time preparing his body and mind to perform at 100% when he's on.

As a CEO, you need to be "on" at work not just for your own productivity, but because everyone is watching you. When you're tired, stressed, or overwhelmed, people don't think, "Poor Adam hasn't slept." They think, "What did I do wrong? Is everything OK?"

So treat yourself like a star player that needs to be ready to make the shot when it counts. For me, that means:

• Getting enough sleep: Seven to eight hours makes me dramatically more productive. Less than six makes me a terror, so I know to avoid this outcome at all costs.

• Doing morning workouts: Waking up at 6AM gives me two hours before meetings start—time to exercise, center myself mentally, and get prepared tactically for the day.

• Listen to my body: I used to get sick almost quarterly because I pushed myself too hard. Now I recognize when I need rest—especially after travel—and bake the downtime into my schedule.

Taking care of yourself isn't some touchy-feely nice to have. It's a prerequisite for being able to work harder while being an effective leader. We're all human, and staying mentally and physically healthy isn't a luxury. It's part of the job.

Delegate Constantly, Then Delegate More

As much as I delegate—which is a lot—the answer is always more delegation. Many founders (and engineers, and marketers, and managers) slip up because of the "hero complex"—wanting to impress everyone with how much they can do alone, and then being too embarrassed to show others work in progress. This approach eventually drowns even the most high-output people.

When I'm overwhelmed, I look at my to-do list and ask: "What are the things ONLY I can do?" Truly, there are very few, like approving offer letters, pitching investors, and creating content I'm personally in. I've found most everything else can be delegated or shared.

If you find yourself spending far more time on something than you expected, it's not because you're bad at it—it's usually because you need more information or input. The solution isn't working harder; it's involving others.

A practical tip: I've found writing first drafts takes far more energy than revising existing content. Having someone else (or AI) create a good first draft that you can then improve saves enormous time—that's actually the entire thesis behind Blaze.

Crucial to delegation is being able to trust those around you. Trust is built intentionally, and you have to start somewhere—so I give new hires increasingly more important projects over time to build my own trust in their ability to execute. It takes time to hire the right people and build confidence in their abilities, so start cultivating your own championship team as early as you can.

Understand What Restores You

Not all downtime is equal. For me, watching TV helps me zone out, but it doesn't replenish my energy. True restoration comes from spending time with people who make me feel safe and comfortable—hangouts where I leave feeling better than when I arrived.

When my body signals that it needs a break, I've learned to listen. I used to power through, only to end up sick and losing entire weeks of productivity. Now I recognize that forcing myself to work when I’m exhausted is counterproductive—when I'm rested, I can accomplish in one hour what might take five when I’m running on empty.

I recommend learning what genuinely recharges your battery and making space for it. We all need our cup refilled somehow.

Putting It All Together

My productivity system isn't perfect: I still feel overwhelmed some days. But I've tweaked my approach through years of trial and error, and it allows me to get more done in 24 hours than most people.

The core is my rolling, force-ranked to-do list that continuously adapts to changing priorities, with time blocks for work, rest, and everything else that matters.

If you only remember one thing, it's this: You are not a machine. You're a living organism who needs care and maintenance to perform at your peak. When you respect that reality, you don't just get more done—you build something that lasts.

Because in the end, the goal isn't just to do more things. It's to do the right things, at the right time, with the energy required to do them well. That's what makes you great.