When I started my coaching and speaking career, my very first keynote was called The Five Rules for Life. And the first rule — the one that started it all — was Timing Counts.
Since then, I’ve read all the time management books, tried all the productivity hacks, downloaded all the apps, and tested every system. Some worked. Most didn’t. What I realized over time is that productivity doesn’t come from rigid structure — it comes from rhythm. From understanding your own life, your own season, and what actually works for you.
So I took everything I learned, filtered it through years of trial and error, and narrowed it down to eight rules that really do make a difference. But eight is a lot. So today, I want to start with the first four. These are the simple, practical rules I use every day to help me show up on time, follow through on what matters, and stop overcomplicating productivity.
The Truth About the “Same 24 Hours”
We’ve all heard the phrase, “We all have the same 24 hours in a day.”
Technically true — but practically false.
When I heard my friend Courtney say, “That’s a lie,” I laughed because she’s right. My 24 hours as a mom of two, wife, and business owner look completely different than my sister’s 24 hours as a college student with a part-time job. We all have 24 hours, but the contents of those hours — our responsibilities, priorities, and commitments — look different.
So instead of comparing how we spend our time to someone else, we have to take ownership of our own. What do your 24 hours actually look like? What are your priorities? Which of your to-dos are truly aligned with them?
Once you’ve clarified that, these four rules will help you manage those priorities with more intention and less guilt.
Rule #1: The Five Second Rule
I learned this from Mel Robbins, and it’s one of the most effective tools I’ve ever used.
Here’s the idea: when you feel resistance, count down — 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 — and then move. Send the email. Get out of bed. Speak up in the meeting. The longer you sit in hesitation, the more your brain talks you out of it.
The key is honesty. You can’t fake this rule. If you hit “1” and don’t follow through, it loses its power. So use it only for the things you truly want to do — the ones that fear or discomfort are holding you back from.
Sometimes I use it to get out of bed. Sometimes it’s for hard conversations. Either way, it’s a simple pattern interrupt that gets me out of my head and into action.
Rule #2: The One Minute Rule
This one comes from Gretchen Rubin, and it’s exactly what it sounds like: if something takes one minute or less, do it now.
Hang up the shirt you tried on and didn’t wear. Put the dish in the dishwasher. Pick up the Lego you know you’ll step on at 5 a.m.
The One Minute Rule is the difference between little messes and mental clutter piling up or staying manageable. Once you hear it, you can’t unhear it — you’ll start to notice every small task that takes less time to do than to think about.
Rule #3: Power Hour
Also from Gretchen Rubin — and no, not the college version.
Power Hour is about batching the small, distracting things that pull you out of focus. For me, it’s things like refilling the mechanical pencil lead, changing a lightbulb, or sorting receipts. They’re quick, but they interrupt flow.
So instead, I drop them all into a little box on my desk. Once a week, I schedule an hour to handle everything in that box — my version of a Power Hour.
It’s amazing how much mental space it creates when you stop letting small tasks pull you away from the work that actually matters.
Rule #4: Time Chunking
Time blocking never worked for me. My days are unpredictable, and the second something ran long or plans changed, I felt behind.
So I created my own system: time chunking.
Here’s how it works — instead of scheduling specific hours, I decide the minimum amount of time I want to spend on something each day and track it like a habit.
For example, I stretch for 20 minutes every day. I’ve done it for five years — even in the NICU with my son. Reading? Fifteen minutes a day. Walking? Another chunk. Playing with my kids? Twenty minutes fully present, on the floor.
Each one is small, but it adds up. The chunks are flexible enough to fit into my day, but consistent enough to create lasting change. And if life shifts, I adjust the time. Ten minutes is still progress.
Why These Rules Work
None of these rules require perfection. They aren’t about control or discipline. They’re about awareness — knowing where your time is going and creating rhythms that fit your life instead of forcing your life into someone else’s structure.
The Five Second Rule gets you started.
The One Minute Rule clears the clutter.
The Power Hour protects your focus.
And Time Chunking builds sustainable habits that actually last.
These aren’t hacks. They’re ways of thinking that make space for both productivity and presence.
