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Stop the Time Vampires: How to Reclaim Your Focus with the Stack, Automate, Eliminate Method


Do you ever feel like you're running on a productivity treadmill? You hustle all day, but by 5 PM, you’re exhausted and feel like you've barely moved forward.

The hard truth? You’re not managing your time—it’s managing you.

Today, we’re fixing that. We’re going to cut through the overwhelm and put a velvet rope around your most valuable asset: your focus. We’re not here to add more to your plate; we’re using three simple, powerful strategies to subtract wasted energy.

This is your Productivity Power-Up: Ready to Stack, Automate, and Eliminate? Let’s dive in!


1. Stack: The Ultimate Two-for-One Habit Deal


First up is Habit Stacking. This is the ultimate two-for-one deal for your brain and one of the most powerful ways to build new, sustainable habits, straight from James Clear's Atomic Habits.

The genius lies in its simplicity. Here’s the formula:

You attach a new habit to an existing one.

You take something you already do reliably, without thinking, and let that existing habit become your trigger.


Habit Stacking Examples


  • "After I make my coffee, I'll review my top three tasks."

  • "After I close my laptop at 5 PM, I’ll write down one win from the day."

  • "After I brush my teeth at night, I’ll do three squats or stretch for 60 seconds."


You don't have to "remember" to do the new habit because it’s automatically linked to a routine. Start small. One habit. One trigger. Stack it, and watch it grow.


2. Automate: Set It and Forget It


Next: Automation. This is how you save time without thinking about it.

It’s not about being a robot; it’s about giving your brilliant brain a well-deserved break from the tedious, repetitive stuff. It's simply simplifying your life! The best rule of thumb is: What do I do every week or month that I could set on autopilot?


Quick Automation Wins


  • Calendar Reminders: Create recurring reminders for your essential focus tasks. They just pop up, protecting your scheduled work.

  • Auto-Pay: Set up all your recurring bills to auto-pay. No more late fees, no more last-minute panic.

  • Email Filters: Use filters to sort your inbox. Automatically drag and drop messages from certain senders (like newsletters or receipts) directly into a separate folder to keep your primary inbox clean.

  • Task Apps: Use a task app with recurring to-dos so you don't have to rewrite the same list every Monday.

Think of automation as a future-you leaving breadcrumbs for your present-you. You don’t have to remember everything—you just follow the trail.


3. Eliminate: Stop Doing Stupid Stuff with a Not-To-Do List


Finally, let’s talk about the Not-To-Do List.

We spend so much time focused on what to do, but true productivity is about doing less—intentionally.

The deal is this: You have to identify the habits, distractions, or tendencies that steal your energy, quietly. These are the things you need to banish.


Stake the Time-Vampires! 🧛


These are the insidious habits that silently suck the focus out of your day:

  • Checking email first thing in the morning. This instantly lets other people's priorities dictate your day. Stop it!

  • Saying 'yes' out of guilt. Protect your boundaries and your time like the precious resource it is.

  • Overcommitting. Trying to do too many things at once, then consequently doing nothing well.

  • Mindless scrolling. That five minutes that turns into an hour? We all know it.

  • Zooming/scrolling right before bed. This damages sleep quality, which is essential for focus.

You don't have to be perfect, but naming these habits helps you catch them in the act. And that’s when you reclaim your power.


Your Productivity Power-Up Action Steps to Reclaim your Focus


Protecting your time isn't selfish—it's sacred. It's the only way to make room for what truly matters.

So today, I want you to try this:

  1. Choose one habit to stack onto something you already do (e.g., after I make my bed, I'll drink a glass of water).

  2. Automate one recurring chore (Set your bills to auto-pay or set up that recurring reminder you keep forgetting).

  3. Write your Not-To-Do List and keep it visible!

These are small shifts, but they will ripple out. You’ll feel lighter. Clearer. More in charge of your time—and your energy.


Watch the Full Episode


For more details on these strategies, watch the full episode, "Stop the Time Vampires," on YouTube! https://youtu.be/AdLot50L9eo

 
 
 

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