Time management approach from the book Make Time where you choose one priority task as your daily highlight and design your day around completing it. This method prevents busy work from crowding out meaningful progress.
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Daily Highlights Method
The Daily Highlights Method, popularized in the book "Make Time" by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky, is a simple time management practice centered on choosing one priority task each day as your "Highlight." By identifying and protecting time for this single most important activity, you ensure meaningful progress regardless of the chaos and distractions that fill the rest of your day.
Modern life defaults to two modes:
Daily Highlights creates a third mode: intentional time focused on what actually matters to you.
Each day, select ONE activity that will be your highlight—the thing you want to make sure happens today. Choose based on:
Rotate between these three criteria throughout the week to balance different aspects of life.
Size: 60-90 minutes of focused work
Specificity: Clear and concrete
One Per Day: Resist the urge to choose multiple highlights
Work:
Personal:
Learning:
Clarity: You always know what your most important task is Progress: Consistent daily wins add up to significant achievement Satisfaction: Completing highlights feels meaningful and energizing Flexibility: Works alongside any other productivity system Simplicity: No complex rules or tools required Protection: Guardrails against busyness taking over Balance: Can choose work, personal, or joy-based highlights
Challenge: "I have too many important things—can't choose just one" Solution: This feeling means everything feels equally urgent. Choosing one forces prioritization. The rest will still be there tomorrow. What would feel best to accomplish today?
Challenge: "My highlight keeps getting interrupted" Solution: Schedule it earlier in the day before chaos arrives. Communicate boundaries to colleagues. Turn off notifications. Consider working from a different location.
Challenge: "I finished my highlight by 10 AM. Now what?" Solution: Celebrate! Then work on regular tasks guilt-free, knowing you already accomplished what mattered most. Consider choosing a bonus highlight if you want.
Challenge: "I never complete my highlight" Solution: Your highlights may be too ambitious. Make them smaller and more specific. Or external factors (meetings, interruptions) need addressing through better boundaries.
With Time Blocking:
With Pomodoro:
With GTD (Getting Things Done):
With Weekly Planning:
Author Writing a Book:
Career Changer Learning to Code:
Parent Improving Family Time:
Week 1: Experiment
Week 2: Establish Routine
Week 3+: Refine and Expand
You probably won't remember everything you did today, but you will remember whether you accomplished the thing that mattered most. Daily Highlights ensures that one thing happens.
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