Time management is arguably one of the most crucial skills we can develop in today’s world, as Ali Abdaal recently pointed out in his talk on the subject. Abdaal says, “Time is our single most valuable non-renewable resource. We can always make more money, but we can never make more time.”
This perspective resonated deeply with me. I’ve struggled with time management for years, often feeling like I’m running on a hamster wheel – busy but not productive, active but not intentional. Ali’s “Trident Method” offers a refreshingly practical three-pronged approach that I believe could transform how many of us structure our days.
The Year at a Glance: Seeing the Big Picture
The first component of Ali’s method is both brilliant and powerful. By creating a “year at a glance” view – essentially a spreadsheet with months across the top and dates down the side – you gain immediate clarity about your entire year.
What struck me about this approach is how it addresses a fundamental flaw in how most of us view time. We’re typically confined to weekly or monthly views in our digital calendars, never seeing the full scope of our year. This bird’s-eye perspective allows for much more intentional planning.
I implemented this technique last week, and it was eye-opening to see my entire year laid out on one page. The immediate benefit was being able to identify large blocks of unscheduled time that I could protect for focused work or personal projects before they inevitably get filled with meetings and obligations.
The Ideal Week: Creating Time Containers
The second component involves designing your “ideal ordinary week” — not a perfect week, but a realistic template that reflects how you’d like to allocate your 112 waking hours (assuming 8 hours of sleep).
Ali learned this technique from his CEO coach, and it’s easy to see why it’s valuable for leaders. By creating separate blocks for different activities — deep work, meetings, exercise, family time — you establish clear boundaries and ensure important activities don’t get squeezed out.
What I find most compelling about this approach is how it forces honest prioritization. As Ali notes, “It forces us to decide what the priorities are in our life. It means we can’t say ‘I don’t have the time.’ We can instead say ‘I’m choosing not to make the time.'”
This reframing is powerful. When I mapped out my ideal week, I realized I was claiming certain activities were important to me (like regular exercise and reading) but wasn’t actually allocating time for them. The exercise made me confront this disconnect.
Daily Quests: Focusing on What Matters Most
The final component brings the system down to the daily level. Ali identifies three “daily quests” – one each for work, health, and relationships – ensuring balanced progress across the key domains of life.
I love this approach for several reasons:
- It prevents work from consuming everything else
- It keeps important relationships from falling through the cracks
- It makes health a non-negotiable daily priority
- It simplifies decision-making by pre-determining priorities
The key insight here is that by limiting yourself to just one priority in each area, you avoid the common trap of creating unrealistic daily to-do lists that leave you feeling perpetually behind.
Why This System Works When Others Fail
What makes Ali’s approach different from the countless other time management systems I’ve tried is its comprehensive nature. It addresses time at three crucial levels — yearly, weekly, and daily — creating a cohesive system rather than isolated tactics.
In my view, the most valuable aspect is how it shifts time management from reactive to proactive. Most of us respond to whatever demands come our way, but this system encourages intentionally designing our time before others can claim it.
I’ve noticed that many productivity systems focus exclusively on work tasks, while ignoring the other dimensions of life. The Trident Method explicitly makes room for health and relationships, creating a more balanced approach.
Making It Work For You
While I’m enthusiastic about this system, I recognize that implementation requires customization. If you work in a highly structured environment with limited schedule control, you might need to adapt the ideal week component to focus on your non-work hours.
Similarly, your energy patterns might differ from Ali’s. He does creative work in the mornings, but you might be a night owl. The system is flexible enough to accommodate these differences.
The beauty of this approach is that it doesn’t require fancy apps or expensive tools – just a spreadsheet and a calendar. This accessibility makes it easy to try without a significant investment.
As Ali emphasized, time management isn’t just about productivity – it’s about intentionality. By creating these structures, we ensure that what matters most to us actually gets our attention and energy.
I encourage you to try this method yourself. Download Ali’s templates and adapt them to your circumstances. You might find, as I have, that seeing your time from these three perspectives brings a new level of clarity and purpose to how you spend your days.
Angela Ruth
My name is Angela Ruth. I aim to help you learn how Calendar can help you manage your time, boost your productivity, and spend your days working on things that matter, both personally and professionally. Here's to improving all your calendars and becoming the person you are destined to become!