How to Focus on What Matters Every Day

It’s one of those weeks. You shut down your (home) office at the end of the day, but something feels off. You were busy — maybe even too busy — yet it feels like nothing truly meaningful got done. Like you’re running hard, but the treadmill just won’t stop.

You glance at your calendar packed with back-to-back meetings, your inbox piling up with unread emails, and a to-do list that grows faster than it shrinks. All you want is a quiet evening with your favorite person or your family — but then your phone buzzes again, or your smartwatch taps your wrist for attention.

Six arms pulling you in different directions. And the one thing you feel you need most — more time — is the one thing you never get.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And more importantly, it's not your fault.

That’s what Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky realized when they were working on high-pressure projects and running design sprints at Google. Instead of writing another productivity book, they built a framework to help busy people focus on what truly matters — and called it Make Time.

The 4-step framework: Make Time

This isn't about optimizing every minute or adding even more to your plate. It’s about slowing down just enough to make intentional choices about where your energy goes. The Make Time method breaks it down into four flexible steps:

Step 1: Choose your Highlight

Pick one thing that you want to be the highlight of your day — something that gives you satisfaction, joy, or progress. It can be personal or work-related, big or small. The key is to be intentional.

Ask yourself: What’s the one thing I want to be proud of today?

Step 2: Stay focused in Laser mode

Once you’ve picked your Highlight, protect your time to actually do it. That means turning off distractions, avoiding multitasking, and designing your environment to support deep focus.

Notifications off. Lock your phone in another room. Headphones on. Just you and the task.

Step 3: Energize yourself

Focus isn’t just mental — it’s physical. Move your body, eat real food, get outside, sleep well. Energy fuels your ability to stay present and sharp throughout the day.

You don't need a full gym session - a 10-minute walk or a set of push-ups while you wait for the coffee machine to finish can work wonders.

Step 4: Reflect on your day

At the end of the day, check in with yourself. Did you make time for your Highlight? What helped? What got in the way? A few minutes of honest reflection can help you adjust and improve without guilt.

Set aside the time you need for your reflections. Mark a time on your calendar to do them every day and every week.

Try and find your own mix

The best part? You don’t have to follow every step perfectly. Experiment. Tweak it to fit your life. The framework is designed to be flexible — not rigid. Some days, your Highlight might be an important meeting. Other days, it’s time with your kids or a solo run.

Over time, you’ll start seeing patterns. What distracts you the most? When do you have the most energy? Which habits give you the biggest return? That’s where the bonus step comes in:

Bonus: Check your behavior over time

By tracking how often you follow through on your Highlight or stay in Laser mode, you build self-awareness. You’ll start to see where your time really goes — and how small adjustments can create big impact.

That’s it: one method, four steps, and a mindset shift. You probably won’t get it perfect right away — but even small changes can make your days feel more intentional and less chaotic.

Enjoyed the post or have feedback? I’d love to hear from you — just reply via email, or connect on LinkedIn. Feel free to share this post on X, LinkedIn, or Facebook if you think someone else might enjoy it too.