How I Manage My Time: The Best Tips I Learned from Ali Abdaal
I’ve spent almost two years consuming Ali Abdaal’s YouTube videos and newsletters about tech and productivity. One of my greatest takeaways was the importance of being intentional about managing my energy. I realized that focusing on my energy rather than my time allowed me to be productive and feel good at the same time (Can you tell I’m excited for his book?). Ultimately, Ali Abdaal has changed my perspective on productivity and so I wanted to share my favourite tips from his content.
Energy Investment Portfolio
Ali describes the Energy Investment Portfolio (EIP) as a “glorified projects list” comprised of three columns: Bucket List, Active Investments, and Passive Income.
The Bucket List includes everything you want to do, whether it be writing a book, learning a new language, or planning your ultimate vacation. Active Investments refer to the 3–7 projects you are actively directing your energy towards. Finally, Passive Income is any current project that takes care of itself, such as attending a fitness class once a week.
I created my own portfolio using Trello, and it has provided a valuable birds-eye-view of my projects and commitments. Creating an EIP allowed me to categorize the amount of headspace my projects consumed, so I could prioritize (or de-prioritize) them accordingly. I realized that I was missing active commitments related to my physical and mental health, and this is something I want to prioritize going forward.
Ideal Ordinary Week
The Ideal Ordinary Week is a component of Ali’s Trident Calendar System which allows us to visualize our time. Ali recommends creating a blank Google Calendar and defining your ideal tasks within the constraints of your job and energy levels. For instance, my Ideal Ordinary Week includes time blocks for my morning and evening routines, shallow and deep work, meals, physical activity, hobbies, and socializing.
The magic of the Ideal Ordinary Week becomes apparent when you overlay your ideal and personal calendars. For one, it answers the question of “What should I be doing?” when your calendar is otherwise unoccupied. Further, the method allows for a visual comparison of how well your personal calendar aligns to your Ideal Ordinary Week. Major discrepancies may suggest opportunities for shuffling your commitments so that you have sufficient time to do what’s important to you.
Daily Highlight
The Daily Highlight, sometimes called the Daily Adventure, is one of Ali Abdaal’s simplest and most effective time management tips. First proposed in Make Time by John Zeratsky, the Daily Highlight involves writing down the single most important thing you’d like to accomplish each day.
I have a daily reminder set on my phone for 7:45 am to write my Daily Highlight. I am still figuring out whether I want to record it in an analog or digital format. Nonetheless, I have found that writing a Daily Highlight provides me with a sense of direction in the morning and leaves me with a sense of accomplishment in the evenings. It’s been a great method for prioritizing my time and preventing the urge to try and do it all.
If you want to learn more about productivity, I would highly recommend checking out Ali Abdaal’s YouTube channel and his newsletter Sunday Snippets. His advice was game-changing for me, and I hope it is for you too!
