Master Your Time: The Alignment Score Hack
Discover how Superhuman CEO Shishir Mehrotra uses a simple metric to reclaim control of your schedule and prioritize your own goals.
Feeling overwhelmed by constant emails and unexpected demands? Shishir Mehrotra, the mind behind productivity giants like Superhuman, has devised a surprisingly effective strategy to combat this chaos: the “alignment score.” This isn’t about ruthless efficiency; it’s about intentionality. For over five years, Mehrotra has meticulously tracked how his time is spent, comparing planned tasks from his to-do list to the demands of his inbox and calendar commitments.
The core of the system is a weekly calculation – a percentage representing the proportion of his time dedicated to tasks he wanted to do, versus those thrust upon him by others. He breaks down his week by analyzing emails (actions requested), calendar entries (actual commitments), and his to-do list (personal priorities). He then converts these into time blocks on his calendar, creating a visual representation of where his time truly goes. At the end of the week, a bar chart reveals the breakdown: how much of his time was dictated by email versus his own planned actions.
This “alignment score” – a number between 10% and 50% – provides a brutally honest assessment of control. A score of 50% is considered “high,” indicating a good balance between personal priorities and external demands. Anything above 100% is deemed unrealistic, acknowledging that unexpected tasks inevitably arise. Mehrotra’s approach is rooted in the work of Des Traynor, co-founder of Intercom, who highlighted the inherent misalignment between emails, to-do lists, and calendars – a common trap for busy professionals.
The goal isn’t to eliminate emails or calendar invites entirely, but to consciously shift the balance, ensuring that your time reflects your priorities. It’s about actively shaping your schedule instead of passively reacting to it. By consistently tracking and analyzing this alignment score, you can gain a powerful awareness of where your time is going and, more importantly, where you want it to go. It’s a surprisingly simple, yet profoundly effective, way to reclaim control and live a more intentional life.
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