5 Ways Top Performers Get More Done in Less Than 40 Hours

 You didn’t start your business to work 60-hour weeks and miss your life.

And yet, here you are—toggling between urgent messages, last-minute fires, and the sinking feeling that even though you're busy, you're not actually moving forward.

Sound familiar?

Let’s be clear: the goal was never more work. The goal was more freedom—to build something great without burning out or sacrificing your sanity.

So let’s talk about what it really means to be productive… in less than 40 hours a week.

And no, this isn’t about time-blocking or waking up at 4:00 a.m.
This is about working like an Owner, not just a fire-fighting Operator.

1. Start by Redefining “Productive”

For high-performing business owners, productivity doesn’t mean doing more.

It means doing more of what matters.

Answering emails? Important, but rarely transformative.
Client fires? Sometimes necessary, but often preventable.
Building systems, improving margins, delegating with clarity? That’s where real leverage lives.

So before you chase another time-management hack, ask this:

“What would make the next 10 hours the most valuable time I’ve spent all week?”

If you can’t answer that clearly… productivity won’t fix it. Priorities will.


2. Work in "CEO Blocks," Not To-Do Lists

Most owners I coach are stuck in task mode. They measure progress by how many boxes they check, not by the outcomes they create.

Let’s flip that.

Build your week around CEO Blocks—protected time where you step out of the day-to-day and work on the business, not in it.

Examples of CEO Blocks:

  • Designing a new pricing model.

  • Reviewing profit margin by product or service line.

  • Mapping out a lead nurture sequence to reclaim lost clients.

Even 2 hours a week in this mode can create compounding results.


3. Leverage Your Team—Don’t Just Assign Tasks

If you're delegating like a checklist, you're not freeing up time—you're just creating a longer loop.

The shift?
Move from delegating tasks to delegating outcomes.

Say this:

“Here’s the result I’m aiming for. I want you to own it. Let me know what you need.”

This turns your team from task-takers into problem-solvers.
And it gives you the bandwidth to focus on higher-level decisions—the kind that drive profit, not just motion.


4. Enforce a Hard Stop

Here’s something I coach often:

“If you knew you had to stop work by 3:00 p.m. every day, how would your approach change?”

Most business owners suddenly get ruthless—about meetings, priorities, distractions.
That’s not a restriction. That’s a clarifier.

A hard stop forces better focus. It protects your energy. And it teaches your team how to operate without your constant availability.

Because if your business can’t run without you for a few hours, it’s not a business—it’s a job you own.


5. Schedule Recovery Like Revenue

You wouldn’t forget to bill a client, right?
So why are you forgetting to recharge the person who runs the company?

Here’s what I tell clients:
Recovery is productivity.

  • Take the walk.

  • Lift the weights.

  • Have dinner with your family without checking your phone.

  • Go to bed without your brain spinning like a whiteboard.

The most powerful thing you can do for your business this week might be something that looks nothing like work.

The Real Productivity Question

This isn’t about cramming more into your calendar. It’s about asking yourself:

“If I only had 30 hours this week to move the business forward—what would I focus on?”

That question changes everything.

Because it forces you to rise above the noise… and focus on what actually builds momentum.

Work less. Lead better.

That’s what time well spent really looks like.

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