For over a decade, one of the cornerstones of my morning routine has been the philosophy of “make before you manage.”
This is a term coined by author Tim Ferriss to describe the practice of engaging in some creative act before you dive headfirst into the chaos of your day.
The inspiration for the “make before you manage” concept was a 2009 essay by Paul Graham, who established the fundamental difference between “makers’ schedules” and “managers’ schedules.”
The main point of Graham’s essay was that there are 2 types of people in the workplace, each with distinct work modes.
Makers — programmers, writers, and others who create things— need long, uninterrupted blocks of time to create.
In contrast, managers’ days are typically sliced into short time slots for meetings, tasks, and problem-solving.
Ferriss turned this concept into a rule to spend at least 60 minutes creating something before he enters “manager” mode to deal with administrative work and tasks.
As described by Ferriss, the “making” could be anything: a blog post, a social media post, a drawing, a video for a reel.
If you don’t have 60 minutes, pick an amount of time you do have. I have found that even 20–30 minutes can work.
For me, “make before you manage” isn’t just about productivity. It’s also about nervous system regulation. The process of intentional ideating and creating helps me clear my mind. Finding a way to express myself, even through the briefest blog post, allows me to feel seen and heard — even if it’s just by myself. It keeps me out of “busy” and reactive mode, which means a calmer and more regulated nervous system.
“Make before you manage” helps me nurture myself before I need to be responsive to external demands. It allows me to show up with greater presence to better serve my clients and others who depend on me.
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