Minute With Mallon: Own Your Calendar!
Welcome to Minute with Mallon!
Something I Taught:
Here’s a quick “hack” that works wonders for time management.
I was working with a client today who has 10 direct reports. Like many leaders, he’s extremely busy. He told me that managing and coordinating his team left him struggling to find time for his own important work—things like big projects, strategy, and planning. That reminded me of an approach I’d used with another client several months ago.
We set a goal for him to have all his most important meetings scheduled by the last week of each month—for the following month. Before, he would book everything one week out, which meant he was in a constant scramble to stay just one week ahead.
I explained that most people’s calendars are packed for this week and next—but if you look three or four weeks out, they’re usually wide open.
Now, he blocks a minimum of two hours every Thursday for deep work and stays at least three weeks ahead. This way, when others try to book his time, those critical blocks are already in place.
If you want to ensure something actually happens, schedule it at least three weeks out. It works like a champ!
Take Action. Ask yourself: Does my daily work connect to my larger purpose—or am I just staying busy? One small shift can change everything.
And here’s a challenge: forward this newsletter to someone on your team who’d benefit—and then discuss it together.
Something to Ponder:
Treat your employees as an investment, not a cost.
Something I Learned:
This is one of the most important concepts in Greg McKeown’s Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less:
👉 “If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.”
This simple but powerful idea reframes how we think about our time, our energy, and our focus.
Instead of being pulled in a hundred different directions by other people’s priorities, Greg teaches that we have to deliberately choose what truly matters (the essential few) and to let go of the trivial many.
It was a fantastic book and I'd highly recommend it to you!
Something I Saw:
Want to pass this issue along? Just share this link: RobertMallon.com/Newsletter
Hope you have an incredible week!
Robert
