Mastering Time Management
Unlock the power of effective time management to grow your business, boost productivity, and reach new heights of success as an entrepreneur.
As an entrepreneur, freelancer, or CEO, managing your time efficiently is one of the most vital components of success. With endless responsibilities and tasks to juggle, it’s easy to feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day. But renowned real estate broker and entrepreneur Ryan Serhant offers a powerful framework to help you rethink your approach to time.
In this article, we’ll dive into Serhant’s time management strategies, which have helped him and countless other business leaders scale their ventures effectively.
Time is Your Most Valuable Currency
The first concept Ryan Serhant emphasizes is viewing time as currency. Time, according to Serhant, is not something you own—it's something you invest. Every decision about how you spend your day should be viewed as an investment with the potential for return.
As entrepreneurs, time is often your greatest asset, and your productivity hinges on how you use it. Serhant is a firm believer in spending money to buy back time, whether it’s through hiring staff, using services that save hours, or delegating tasks. This allows him to focus his energy on high-return activities that directly contribute to business growth.
The 1,000-Minute Daily Rule
Serhant simplifies time management by breaking down the day into 1,440 minutes. While you may spend around 440 minutes on essential activities like sleeping and eating, that still leaves approximately 1,000 productive minutes every day. Think of these 1,000 minutes as $1,000—each minute wasted is money thrown away.
One key takeaway is that every task you engage in should have a return on investment. If you wouldn’t throw away $100, then why throw away 100 minutes on something unproductive? This mindset shift can help you prioritize tasks that drive results and avoid wasting time on low-value activities
The 4,000-Hour Annual Approach
When it comes to long-term planning, Serhant suggests adopting the 4,000-hour rule. Rather than viewing your year in months or weeks, he encourages breaking it down into hours. By thinking in terms of 4,000 hours of productivity per year, you can more effectively plan and allocate your time toward business goals.
For instance, Ryan applies this rule across his three major ventures—his brokerage, his sales training program, and his media production company. He calculates how many hours are needed to achieve specific milestones in each area and then divides his time accordingly. This level of intentional planning enables him to focus on high-impact activities without getting overwhelmed by the bigger picture.
Solve Problems, Don’t Just Learn Skills
One of the most impactful shifts in Serhant’s time management philosophy is the idea that entrepreneurs make money by solving problems, not by having skills. While skills are essential, they are only valuable if they are used to address real-world issues.
Serhant advises entrepreneurs to focus on identifying problems in their industry and dedicating time to finding solutions. This focus on problem-solving allows for the creation of more scalable business opportunities. By building a team of skilled individuals who can support you, you free up your time to lead the vision and growth of the business
Maximizing ROI on Time
Every minute spent must generate value. This isn’t just a mindset—Ryan’s companies actually calculate the cost of each meeting based on employee payroll. For example, a meeting with 10 people might cost $11,000 based on salaries. If that meeting doesn’t produce more than $11,000 in value, then it’s time wasted.
This principle applies to everything. Whether it’s a meeting, a client call, or a project, you must constantly ask yourself if the return on your time investment is worth it. If it’s not, it’s time to rethink how you’re allocating those minutes.
Ryan Serhant’s time management philosophy offers a clear blueprint for entrepreneurs and business leaders who want to maximize their productivity and success. By treating time as a currency, focusing on solving problems, and aligning daily activities with long-term goals, you can build a business that scales effectively and sustainably.
At FOP Advisory, we believe that mastering time management is a key pillar for any entrepreneur’s success. We encourage you to take these principles and apply them to your own ventures—because time, after all, is your greatest asset.
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