How to work smarter (4 Powerful Levers)

“Where focus goes, energy flows” – Tony Robbins

Why it works

Tony Robbins (pictured) is an American author, coach, and motivational speaker. His bestselling books have influenced millions. His coaching has shaped the success of world leaders like Bill Clinton, top executives like Marc Benioff, and Hollywood actors like Hugh Jackman. And his seminars have transformed hundreds of thousands of lives over the last decades; the biggest one, Date with Destiny, was even showcased in the Netflix documentary Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru.

In today’s fast-paced workplace, many are trapped in a reactive cycle—constantly responding to urgent demands rather than proactively directing their time. Robbins argues that peak performers break free by mastering four powerful levers: focus, energy, clarity, and discipline. Instead of drowning in endless to-do lists, they adopt an outcome-driven mindset, ensuring their daily actions align with their highest priorities and long-term vision.

Productivity isn’t about doing more, but about doing what moves the needle. By using the four levers, individuals can cut through distractions, optimize their peak energy states, and take decisive action toward meaningful results. With this in mind, let’s explore how to leverage focus, energy, clarity, and discipline to work smarter, not harder.

How to do it

1) Focus
Block 60-90 minutes every day for deep work. Write your priority list first thing each morning. Turn off non-essential notifications during work. Create specific time blocks for reactive tasks. Focus on your 3 top priorities each day. If you want to master deep focus and structure your days for peak productivity, explore our three-step Ultrafocus process here.

2) Energy
Take a 5-minute break every 25 minutes. Fuel your body with nutrient-dense meals. Get natural sunlight within 30 minutes of waking. Do 10 minutes of movement when your energy dips. Set aside screen-free time for 60 minutes before bed. The #1 energy booster is plenty of quality sleep. Get started with our 3T Method around time givers, technology and timing in this post.

3) Clarity
Start each project by understanding your "why". Check your weekly progress. Write down the next action step for every task. Keep a "done" list alongside your to-do list. Clear your workspace at the end of the day. An excellent way to set and achieve ambitious goals is using the Stress Goals approach. Learn more about it by following this link.

4) Discipline
Start your day at the same time, every time. Practice saying "no" to non-essential tasks. Batch similar tasks together. Finish one task before starting another. Track one key habit daily. The most effective way to stay disciplined throughout busy days is called Timeboxing. To learn all about it, read this article.

The busy person says, "I don't have time."

The productive person asks "What matters most?"

Stop counting the hours. Start making the hours count.

And please share this post with someone who might benefit from doing the same.

Until next week,
Christian

1 more way I can help you

Are you struggling to focus on the important work being busy with urgent stuff? Are you feeling tired throughout the day despite sleeping for 7 or 8 hours at night? Are you having trouble dealing with high stress at work – and “switching it off” at home?

If so, check out our Becoming Ultraproductive 1:1 coaching program. In it, I help executives, entrepreneurs and CEOs increase their productivity by up to 10x — by building rock-solid habits for deep focus, deep sleep, and mastering stress.

That way, I’ve coached 80+ executives, entrepreneurs and CEOs on Becoming Ultraproductive since 2023. The program includes:

• 6 individualized one-on-one coaching sessions with me over 12 weeks

• Tailor-made habit systems to optimize your focus, sleep and stress

• A guaranteed 100% increase in productivity (not kidding)

Interested? Learn more and book a free discovery call here while you can. I’m only taking on 10 clients at a time and seats are booking fast.

PS: Interested in sponsorships for my newsletter and LinkedIn post?

Get in touch with me here.