The 1-Minute Trick That Saved 10 Hours a Week

⏳ Read Time: Less than 4 min.

Welcome back to The Winning Edge—your weekly playbook for communication, leadership, and the mindset to win.

This week we’re talking productivity, but not the hustle-till-you-drop kind.

Instead, I’m sharing a mental model, a daily system, and one tiny change that helped one executive finally stop working 12-hour days… and start leading like a pro again.

Let’s sharpen your edge without burning out.
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This Week’s Insights

✅ The 1-Minute Trick That Saved 10 Hours a Week
✅ The “Elite Day” Framework Used by SEALs & CEOs
✅ Productivity ≠ Busyness—Why most to-do lists fail
✅ AI Tool of the Week—The smart planner that thinks ahead for you

THE MAIN EVENT
The 1-Minute Trick That Saved 10 Hours a Week

Meet David—a senior exec at a fast-growing fintech firm.
Smart. Driven. Drowning in tasks.

He felt like he was sprinting on a treadmill—always moving, never arriving. So I gave him a simple challenge:

“Take 60 seconds at the start of your day to answer one question…”
👉 “What’s the one thing that will make everything else easier or unnecessary?”

That question came from Gary Keller’s book, The ONE Thing, and it changed everything for David.

Here’s what he did next:

1️⃣ He moved from To-Do Lists to Outcome Lists
Tasks don’t win games—results do. So he started listing outcomes, not activities.

2️⃣ He blocked 90 minutes daily for Deep Work
One block. No distractions. No meetings. That’s when the real moves got made.

3️⃣ He used AI to automate repeatable tasks
Proposal formatting, calendar scheduling, and email follow-ups? Gone. Handled by tools.

After 30 days?
💥 10 fewer hours on his calendar weekly
💥 3 big projects moved from “stuck” to “done”
💥 More time leading, less time reacting

QUICK HITTERS: Fast Wins for the Week

💡 Tip of the Week:
Start each morning with the “ONE Thing” question. Don’t open your inbox until you’ve answered it.

📊 Stat of the Week:
71% of high performers use time-blocking to protect their most productive hours. (Source: Harvard Business Review)

🎭 Power Move:
Before you say “yes” to anything this week, ask: “Does this align with my most important outcome?”

📖 Recommended Read:
The ONE Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan – A masterclass in clarity and focus.

WEEKLY DEEP DIVE
The Elite Day Framework: Built for Focus, Not Frenzy

This system comes straight from a mix of Navy SEAL discipline and Silicon Valley execution. Here’s how it breaks down:

🕖 7–9am: Prep & Plan
✅ Short workout or walk
✅ ONE Thing reflection
✅ Top 3 outcomes written down

🧠 9–11am: Deep Work Block
✅ No meetings
✅ Phones off
✅ Focus on your #1 priority

🌊 11am–2pm: Flow Window
✅ Secondary tasks
✅ Creative work
✅ Limited meetings

📩 2–5pm: Admin & Wrap
✅ Email, calls, and catch-ups
✅ End-of-day reflection
✅ Set tomorrow’s ONE Thing

It’s not rigid. It’s a rhythm. One that turns chaotic days into controlled wins.

AI TIP OF THE WEEK

📌 Tool: Reclaim.ai – The Calendar That Protects Your Priorities

What it does:
✅ Automatically blocks time for deep work, lunch, habits & breaks
✅ Integrates with Google Calendar & Slack
✅ Prioritizes tasks based on goals—not just urgency

🔗 Try it at reclaim.ai

🧠 Why it matters:
David used Reclaim to automatically protect his 90-minute deep work block. He didn’t just get more done—he got the right things done.

WINNING WITH AI: The Future of Sales Proposals and Presentations

🚀 WINNING WITH AI: Better Presentations. Faster Sales. Smarter Systems.

AI isn’t here to replace your hustle—it’s here to refocus it.

The sharpest professionals use AI to:
✅ Draft decks in minutes
✅ Personalize outreach at scale
✅ Never miss follow-ups again

Want the playbook?
📘 Grab my ebook here

ACTION STEPS & COMMUNITY QUESTION

Your Challenge This Week:
Pick one thing—just one—and block 90 minutes for it on your calendar every day this week.

✅ Want a shortcut? Try Reclaim.ai and let the system do it for you.
✅ Want accountability? Hit reply and tell me what your “ONE Thing” is for the week!

P.S.
Next week we’re diving into Executive Presence—how to develop gravitas, credibility, and command attention in any room. If you speak to high-stakes audiences (or want to), you won’t want to miss this.

Until then—plan like a pro, lead like a legend. 💥

YOUR OPINION MATTERS!

If you have more feedback or just want to get in touch, respond to this email, and we’ll get back to you!

Thanks for reading!

Until next week!

Mary Beth