I recently read The ABC Model Breakthrough by Dan Sullivan. It changed how I look at time, work, and energy.
This post is my guide on how I applied it—and why you should too.
Most people don’t have a time management problem. They have a truth management problem.
They lie to themselves about:
- What they enjoy
- What they’re good at
- What they actually hate doing
Dan Sullivan built a model to kill these lies: The ABC Model for Productivity.
A = Activities that fascinate + motivate you
B = Activities you’re good at but drain you
C = Activities that suck your soul dry
Let’s unpack.
How I Used ABC Model to Fire Myself
Step 1: I audited 3 days of my life. Every hour. Every tab. Every convo. Labeled them A / B / C.
| Task | Label | Energy? |
|---|---|---|
| Writing growth playbooks | A | ✌️ High |
| Emails + admin | B | ☕ Meh |
| Invoicing, ops, taxes | C | 💀 Kill me |
Step 2: I started delegating the C’s, batching the B’s, and obsessively protecting the A’s.
The Real Productivity Hack = Doing Less
Not less hours. Less B & C.
My rule:
If I do 4+ hours of A work per day, I win.
And guess what?
- More revenue
- Fewer tabs open
- Calendar feels like mine
I’m not happier because I “optimized my time.” I’m happier because I stopped doing sh*t I hate.
Read: Doing More with Less.
What People Get Wrong
They assume:
- “I should do this because I’m good at it” ← Trap
- “I’ll outsource once I have more time/money” ← Reverse it
- “Nobody can do it better than me” ← Ego death incoming
ABC makes you stare at the uncomfortable:
You might be good at something… and still need to stop doing it.
That’s the unlock.
My ABC System Now Looks Like:
| Activity | Label | Change |
| Strategy + founder 1:1s | A | Batched Tue/Thu only |
| Legal, compliance, contracts | C | Sent to lawyer + VA |
| Daily Slack triage | B | Blocked 30 mins at 3PM |
| New product scoping | A | Sacred block, Fri AM |
Don’t Build a Business That Traps You
Most founders build themselves into a corner. They start with passion (A)… Then fill the rest with B & C to “scale.”
Congratulations. You’ve built a prison.
ABC is how you claw back freedom—before you resent your own company.
Want My ABC Audit Template?
It’s in Google Sheets. 5 min to complete. Changed how I operate. DM me @iamadityashth and I’ll send it.
Stop outsourcing your nervous system to coffee. Start outsourcing your C-tasks to people who actually enjoy them.
That’s the game.
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