Time Blocking Secrets from High Performers
Discover how Jake Knapp's Make Time methodology can transform your productivity through intentional time blocking.
Time blocking isn't just another productivity hack—it's a fundamental shift in how you approach your day. In "Make Time" by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky, the authors reveal that the secret to productivity isn't doing more things, but doing the right things with undivided attention.
The Highlight Method
"When you choose a single highlight for your day, you break the default cycle of reacting to other people and invest in the stuff that matters to you." — Jake Knapp
Every day, choose one "Highlight"—the single most important thing you want to accomplish. This isn't about creating endless to-do lists; it's about ruthless prioritization.
With KeyResults, you can identify your daily highlight by looking at your active goals and their key results. The health score feature shows you which objectives need immediate attention, making it easy to choose your daily focus.
Choose your highlight the night before. Decision-making is easier when you're not already in the thick of your day.
Defend Your Time Like a Castle
Once you've identified your highlight, block out dedicated time for it. No meetings, no Slack, no email—just you and your most important work.
The average person checks their phone 80+ times per day, fragmenting their attention into useless shards. This constant context-switching is killing your ability to do deep, meaningful work.
Nina's Highlight Defense
Nina is a product manager with back-to-back meetings. She used to feel like she never accomplished anything meaningful.
Now she does this:
- Identifies her highlight the night before
- Blocks 9-11 AM as "Focus Time" on her calendar—no exceptions
- Sets Slack to Do Not Disturb during this window
- Completes her highlight before touching any reactive work
The result? She ships more meaningful work in those 2 hours than she used to accomplish all day.
KeyResults helps you track when you're actually making progress on your goals versus when you're just busy. The velocity metrics show you how much meaningful work you're completing, not just how many hours you're logged in.
The Energy Management Factor
Time blocking only works if you match your tasks to your energy levels. Most people have peak cognitive performance 2-3 hours after waking. Schedule your highlight during this golden window.
"Design your day around your highlight, and the rest will follow." — John Zeratsky
Use KeyResults' weekly planning feature to map out your highlight for each day of the week ahead of time. The editor supports bold and italic formatting to emphasize your priorities. This removes decision fatigue and ensures you're always working on what matters most.
Track your energy patterns for a week. Note when you feel most alert and creative. That's your highlight window.
Handling the Unexpected
Even the best-laid plans encounter reality. When tasks slip and become overdue, KeyResults' Reschedule feature lets you quickly move them to Today, Tomorrow, Next Week, or pick a custom date—keeping your system current without losing momentum.
When something urgent derails your highlight, don't abandon it—reschedule it. A delayed highlight is still accomplished; an abandoned one never happens.
Making It Stick
The key to successful time blocking is consistency. Start with just one highlight per day for 30 days. Track it in KeyResults as a key result under a broader objective like "Master Deep Work."
Record your daily wins in the Journal & Highlights feature, marking significant accomplishments as "Highlight" entries to build a timeline of your achievements.
You'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish when you give your best hours to your best work. The transformation isn't about working harder—it's about working with intention.
Try Daily Highlights
Start each day with intention by choosing your most important task