How To Make Time For The Things That Matter MOST Feat. Brendon Burchard

Here are the top 10 key takeaways from Ed Mylett's conversation with Brendon Burchard on mastering your time during life's busiest seasons.

1. Overcommunicate during busy seasons

During busy periods in your life, effective communication becomes even more critical. Ed and Brendon emphasize the importance of explaining not just your schedule but also the emotional demands you're facing to your family and team members. This creates understanding and prevents misunderstandings when you're stretched thin.

Setting expectations early helps others give you grace when you need it. For example, explaining to your spouse that you'll be under intense pressure for the next few weeks allows them to prepare and not take your potential shortness personally. This proactive approach prevents having to recover from misunderstandings or blow-ups later.

2. Schedule family and rest first

Most people make the mistake of scheduling work commitments first and then trying to fit family time around them. Ed Mylett suggests reversing this approach by blocking time for family events, personal breaks, and rest periods first, then building your work schedule around these non-negotiable commitments.

This approach ensures you maintain balance even during hectic periods. Additionally, both speakers recommend questioning the traditional one-hour meeting format. Many meetings can be completed in 20-40 minutes when expectations are clearly set. This creates more free time in your schedule without sacrificing productivity.

3. Practice ruthless removal

When entering a busy season, Brendon Burchard recommends "ruthless removal" - critically examining your calendar and removing commitments that aren't essential. This approach recognizes that survival mode sometimes requires difficult choices about what truly matters.

During intense periods, you should be willing to cancel social engagements, defer promises, or postpone optional activities. Brendan gives a personal example of removing himself from email management during travel periods by setting an auto-responder explaining he won't be checking messages. This creates mental freedom and helps preserve energy for high-priority tasks.

4. Train people how to communicate with you

High performers consciously establish communication patterns that respect their time and energy. This might mean deliberately delaying responses to certain messages to establish a rhythm of communication that works for your schedule, not instantly responding to every notification.

The speakers discuss how immediate availability can sometimes diminish your perceived value. They suggest setting boundaries around communication methods, such as limiting voice messages to under one minute or requiring longer thoughts to be typed out. These boundaries teach others to value your time and help you maintain control over your schedule.

5. Maintain physical discipline during busy times

During hectic periods, Ed emphasizes that physical exercise becomes more important, not less. He recommends "tripling down" on workouts, hydration, and nutrition during busy seasons because these practices provide the energy needed to handle increased demands.

Making these physical commitments non-negotiable helps maintain a sense of control when other aspects of life feel chaotic. The speakers note that the discipline of keeping promises to yourself builds self-confidence that carries over into professional performance. Skipping workouts or proper nutrition during busy times is like "giving Kryptonite to the Superman or Superwoman that you are."

6. Use the 72-hour energy rule

Brendon introduces the concept that your energy today isn't just a result of what you did this morning but is heavily influenced by your habits over the previous three days. Understanding this biological reality helps you plan your energy management more strategically.

He recommends looking ahead to important events and deliberately building up energy reserves in the 72 hours leading up to them. For example, before a major negotiation, doing weight-bearing exercises helps prepare your body to handle stress. This forward-thinking approach to energy management gives you a competitive advantage during demanding periods.

7. Change your perspective on busy seasons

Both speakers emphasize how shifting your mindset from "I have to do this" to "I get to do this" can transform your experience of busy periods. This gratitude-based approach recognizes that having opportunities and responsibilities is a privilege that many would love to have.

They remind listeners that busy seasons are also periods of tremendous growth, even when they feel chaotic or overwhelming. The challenges you face today often provide valuable experience and information that will benefit you for years to come. Brendon shares how he's made "hundreds of millions" from lessons learned during difficult busy seasons earlier in his life.

8. Schedule when you check messages

Random checking of emails, texts, and social media creates constant interruptions that damage productivity. Brendon explains that each interruption requires 20-45 minutes to regain full mental focus afterward, making sporadic message-checking extremely costly.

He recommends scheduling specific times to check messages (like 8-9am and 4-5pm) and avoiding them entirely during other periods. This structured approach prevents what he calls "the convenient organizing system of other people's agendas" from controlling your day. Protecting your focus this way dramatically improves both productivity and mental state.

9. Create six-hour days

Ed shares his revolutionary approach to time management: dividing each 24-hour period into three six-hour "days." His first day runs from 6am to noon, his second from noon to 6pm, and his third from 6pm to midnight. This mental reframing creates urgency and focus within each six-hour block.

With this system, he accomplishes three times as much as competitors who view time conventionally. Over months and years, this compounds dramatically, leading to more achievements, experiences, and opportunities. The approach also makes time feel more precious and valuable, changing how you and others perceive your time.

10. Set hourly check-in alarms

Most people evaluate their performance and make adjustments annually, monthly, or perhaps weekly. Truly elite performers shrink this timeframe dramatically, checking their progress hourly. Ed recommends creating a mental alarm that prompts you to assess your progress toward goals every hour.

This rapid feedback loop allows for immediate course correction when things get off track. The check-in only takes a few seconds but keeps you consistently aligned with your priorities throughout the day. This practice builds awareness of how you're using your time and ensures continuous progress toward your most important outcomes.