I want to achieve a lot. My goals in life are wealth and recognition. People say that to succeed in a big way, you have to work incredibly hard. I’ve always enjoyed working hard, and I’ve also studied various productivity frameworks to work smarter, not just harder.
Another major goal in my life is a happy family. So I became a father. But once a child entered my life, my entire daily rhythm changed. Even sitting down for a short break becomes rare. Until the child falls asleep, there is no pause; weekends are fully booked in advance.
A child is still learning life and the world, so I can’t expect my child to understand a father’s absence. That means adjusting almost all of my time to the child’s schedule and patiently waiting for independence to come. For someone who used to manage time proactively, this is a radical shift.
Meanwhile, at work, I stepped into a senior role with higher expectations and more responsibility. Looking at the stage of life, I realized something: the moment my family needs me most is also when the company expects the most from me. Work tasks, extra effort for promotion, personal projects, self-development, research… Can I do it all and still become wealthy?
I have to. I want to. So I started reviewing the productivity principles again; this time, adjusted to this new reality.
🌅 Miracle Morning — Waking up before sunrise to follow a productivity routine
❌ Gave up quickly; my kid wakes up around 5 AM anyway. During the infant phase, feeding and irregular sleep cycles made it nearly impossible.
🌛 Evening Reflection — Reviewing the day and writing down improvements before bed
❌ By the time the kid sleeps and housework is done, it's already 9 PM. At that point, I just need downtime. No energy left for serious focus.
📈 Time Tracking — Recording actual usage of time to detect waste
❌ Every hour is already busy, and logging time takes more effort than it’s worth. Tracking doesn't magically create more time.
At home, I simply can't secure dedicated time. Even if I somehow manage to carve out 30 minutes, I end up spending more energy anticipating that time than actually using it.
🗓 Time Blocking — Scheduling the day in blocks to focus on one task at a time
👍 That leaves only one possible window: work hours. Securing personal control within that time is the only option. When there are few meetings, 2–3 hours of deep focus is possible.
🍅 Pomodoro Technique — 25 minutes of focus + 5 minutes break for repeated concentration cycles
❌ The time I manage to secure is too precious; I need flow, not fixed intervals. This method suits full-time students who can reset their rhythm repeatedly throughout the day.
🎧 Deep Work — Performing high-value tasks in a distraction-free state
👍 The core of producing meaningful outcomes. One strong sprint can define the entire day.
🐸 Eat That Frog — The principle of tackling the hardest task first
👍 And that is precisely what should be done within the deep work block.
Core time is secured. So how should I spend the rest of my work hours?
⚡️ Two-Minute Rule — If it takes less than two minutes, do it immediately
❌ Two minutes is more than enough to break flow. Instead, jot it down in two seconds and keep your focus.
📦 Batching — Group similar tasks and clear them in one go
👍 Once a day, gather all the small annoying tasks and finish them together. The same goes for addictive email and messenger checks; only during this batch.
🔗 Habit Stacking — Attach a new habit to an existing one to create automatic execution
👍 This is the only way to maintain focus after context switches and keep discipline in a chaotic day. Combine meaningful actions with what is already automatic to reduce cognitive load and increase execution.
🖥 The moment I sit down after arriving at work → 🐸 Check today’s Frog
🌯 Right after coming back from lunch → 📬 Batch all minor tasks and communications
🚽 When I go to the restroom → 🏋 Do 20 squats
☕️ When grabbing coffee → 🧘 Take 20 mindful breaths
⏰ 10 minutes before a meeting (alarm goes off) → 💾 Save my current work and outline the agenda
💼 Right after a meeting ends → 📝 Write a quick summary while it's still fresh
Becoming the kind of person who simply “makes more time” to “do more things” is no longer realistic. Instead, we need a different approach: increase the density of the time we already have, and execute one or two things with absolute certainty.
Then the question becomes: What are those one or two things worth doing with certainty? What is today’s Frog in Eat That Frog?
(To be continued...)
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