At the beginning of the tour at the World Trade Center Memorial, there’s a striking photo of Manhattan taken at 8:30 am on September 11, 2001. The Twin Towers stand tall under a clear, blue sky—not a cloud in sight. A beautiful day.
Just 16 minutes later, at 8:46 am, the first plane struck, and within an hour and 42 minutes, both towers had fallen, tragically claiming 2,977 lives.
Bonjour. In this video, I want to share a simple yet powerful mindset that we should all adopt.
TK and I are in New York, having just finished the tour at the World Trade Centre Memorial. A few days ago, I was in Atlanta speaking to a room full of people, and I asked them two simple questions:
- Have you ever had to stay longer at the office than planned?
- Have you ever checked work emails outside of work hours?
Everyone raised their hands.
We’ve all done it, me included. What starts as an occasional exception—staying late, working through lunch, or replying to emails after hours—can slowly turn into the norm. Before you know it, work is spilling over into your personal life and taking over your time with the people and things that truly matter.
I love Stephen Covey’s principle from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Put your big rocks first. It’s such a simple yet powerful idea—prioritise the things that matter most in your life, like quality time with loved ones, your health, or pursuing your dreams. But how often do we actually do that?
For me, it’s all about being intentional. Every quarter, I get crystal clear on what my personal “big rocks” are. Every week, I ask myself, “What do I need to do this week to move closer to these personal goals?” And every day, I make sure to protect time for those big rocks.
But here’s the thing—good intentions aren’t enough. Life can get in the way, and before you know it, work, emails, and other “urgent” but non-essential tasks start eating away at your time. The key is protecting your time, not letting the urgent crowd out the important.
Thinking back to how life changed so suddenly for those 2,977 people, and their families, friends, and rescuers, reminds me to say “no” more often. It pushes me to guard my time fiercely, ensuring it goes towards the things that truly matter.
So, my question to you is: What do you do to protect time for your personal big rocks? How do you make sure you’re putting them first?
This is this week’s Work Smarter: Live Better tip. I hope this helps you take a moment to reflect. Life can change in an instant, and it’s so important to focus on what really matters.
Wishing you a great day with your loved ones!
A bientôt,
Cyril
