Macro-Priority Time Allocation
Save time only to reinvest it in what makes life meaningful.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 94%
Bartlett argues that advice to protect or save time omits the decisive question: save it for what? Efficiency can worsen life if every recovered hour is simply returned to work. His alternative begins by defining macro priorities, such as friendships, relationships, enjoyable work, health, learning, freedom, and meaningful goals. The calendar is then reviewed through that lens. Time is saved only from activities that do not support those priorities, and the recovered capacity is explicitly reinvested in areas that do. This changes productivity from an end into an allocation tool. The mechanism is straightforward: clarify what matters over the long term, compare that list with actual time use, remove lower-value activity, and pre-commit the reclaimed time to a better destination.
Origin
During the pandemic, Bartlett concluded that his earlier advice to protect time was incomplete. He reflected that his 19-year-old self would probably have used any saved time to work alone for even longer.
Core principles
- 01Saving time is incomplete without deciding where the saved time goes.
- 02Long-term priorities should guide short-term allocation.
- 03Productivity is not useful when it increases time spent on the wrong things.
- 04Time removed from low-priority activity should be deliberately reinvested.
How to run it
- 1
Define macro priorities
Write down the relationships, pursuits, and conditions that make life feel meaningful over the long term. Keep the list broad enough to cover life, not only work.
Pro tip Use concrete categories such as family, fitness, learning, or a specific goal.
Watch out A priority list composed entirely of urgent work will reproduce the existing imbalance.
- 2
Audit actual allocation
Compare the previous week's calendar with the stated priorities. Look for important areas receiving little or no time.
Pro tip Review what happened rather than relying on an idealized schedule.
Watch out Declaring something important without allocating time to it does not make it a practical priority.
- 3
Recover low-value time
Reduce commitments that do not serve the macro priorities. Protect time selectively rather than treating every saved minute as inherently valuable.
Pro tip Start with recurring activities whose removal creates capacity every week.
Watch out Efficiency alone does not determine whether an activity deserves more time.
- 4
Reinvest deliberately
Assign each meaningful block of recovered time to an underserved priority. Put it on the calendar before work or convenience can reclaim it.
Pro tip Name the destination while making the cut: save from one area for another.
Watch out Unassigned time often returns to the most urgent activity rather than the most important one.
In the wild
Bartlett imagines telling his 19-year-old self only to save time. That younger version would likely decline a few activities and then spend the recovered hours working alone through the week and weekend. Under the priority-based approach, he would first identify relationships, health, learning, and meaningful work, then direct saved time toward whichever area was underserved.
→ Efficiency becomes a way to improve the mix of life rather than simply increase working hours.
Common mistakes
Treating saved time as the outcome
Time has not been productively saved until its new use supports a real priority.
Letting urgency set every priority
Urgent work can repeatedly crowd out important relationships or health because they lack comparable deadlines.
Is it for you?
Best for
Busy people who optimize their schedules but still neglect relationships, health, learning, or meaningful goals.
Not ideal for
Short emergencies where immediate obligations temporarily override normal long-term allocation.
From the transcript
“you've got to then ask yourself saving time to do what”
“better advice is to prioritize better”
From the episode
Extremely Honest Q&A