Make Time
In a previous blog post, I shared about building a second brain. You can read more about that here.
In that post, I share how I am journaling my key takeaways from the books I am currently reading. I decided to take another step and create a digital journal to share a summary and key takeaways from each book.
Summary
Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky presents a practical framework for overcoming distractions and building daily habits that prioritize what truly matters. The book's core idea is to "make time" for a single daily highlight—an activity or goal that gives a sense of accomplishment or joy—chosen intentionally each day.
With insights from their experiences in tech and productivity experiments, the authors provide a toolkit of flexible tactics to counter digital distractions and create intentional, satisfying days. Make Time encourages readers to customize their routines and experiment with various methods, making it a practical guide for anyone seeking to reclaim time and prioritize what matters.
Key Takeaways
Choose a Daily Highlight: Start each day by selecting one meaningful task or activity—your "Highlight"—to focus on, bringing intention and satisfaction to your day.
Minimize Distractions (Laser Mode): Actively reduce distractions by managing screen time, blocking unnecessary notifications, and setting boundaries to stay focused on your Highlight.
Energize for Better Focus: Prioritize habits like exercise, healthy eating, and sleep to maintain the energy needed to stay productive and present.
Reflect and Adjust: At the end of each day, assess what worked and what didn’t. Use these reflections to tweak your approach and improve over time.
Make Time for What Matters Most: Instead of filling every moment with busyness, consciously make time for things that add meaning, joy, or purpose to your day.
Reclaim Control Over Technology: Rather than letting technology dictate your schedule, use it mindfully to support your goals rather than distract from them.
Keep Things Simple and Sustainable: The goal is not perfection but progress—keep routines flexible and adapt them to fit your changing priorities.
“Remember that perfection is not the goal. This isn’t about building up to doing all the tactics all the time or even doing some of the tactics all the time. You’ll have off days and off weeks, and that’s fine. You can restart your experiments at any time, and you can do as much or as little as fits in your life.” -page 243
Action Item
Choose Your “Highlight”
A powerful action item from Make Time is to start each day by choosing a "Highlight"—one specific task or activity that will be the focus of your energy and attention. This could be something urgent, meaningful, or simply something that brings you joy, but it should be chosen deliberately to give your day purpose.
To apply this, begin each morning (or the night before) by identifying your Highlight and making it a priority. Then, use the “Laser” tactics from the book, like reducing distractions and limiting screen time, to protect your focus on this Highlight. This simple step helps ensure you consistently make time for what truly matters, one day at a time.
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