I'm the CEO of ReMax. I schedule personal time even on my busiest workdays — here's what my routine is like.

• Nick Bailey, 47, is the president and CEO of major real estate company ReMax.
• He frequently travels for work and says he likes to keep tech accessories to a minimum.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nick Bailey, 47, who became president and CEO of ReMax CLC in January. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My workday start time varies, and I decide the night before when to set my alarm based on the next day's schedule. If it's a full day, I'll get up at 5:30 a.m. to get my workout in before the day starts.

If I see an opportunity to adjust my schedule throughout the day, then I might not start work until 8 a.m. There are also days when it's much more flexible, and I'll take my son to school before starting work at 9 a.m.

When I'm in Denver, I work from home as well as at the office

But I also travel a lot. With thousands of ReMax offices across the US, I'm often on the road meeting with brokers and owners, so I work from wherever I can.

I'm intentionally simple with the number of tech products I travel with. I see people with extra keyboards and multiple iPads and notebooks, which for me isn't as efficient. I think having too many devices turns them into toys.

Though I consider myself to be tech driven, I'm not a tech-accessory junkie. I carry a MacBook Pro, my iPhone, Bose noise-canceling headphones, AirPods, and a portable camera light for on-the-road camera needs. I also have a small pocket full of adapters so I can connect anything just about anywhere.

I set up news alerts for industry topics based on current events and subscribe to real-estate industry-trade outlets like Inman, RealTrends, and HousingWire as well as The Denver Business Journal. I don't necessarily check them habitually each morning, but the alerts keep me up to date on the latest happenings in real time.

I use Trello for my to-do list, team priority list, and direct reports

It has a terrific desktop and mobile experience — it's like electronic sticky notes and it's very easy to archive. I also calendar block my personal time and don't waver from it. Being able to say no is really important.

I'm also a huge shortcut guy. I spend time learning all the secret shortcuts when software updates come out and it helps me work twice as fast.

From the moment I start work, I move fast

No two days are the same, but the one constant is efficiency. To me, being "busy" is an excuse. You'll never hear me say we should wait and think about it until next week. Let's try it now.

I start each day by prioritizing the most urgent tasks and messages

I'm constantly scanning all of my devices and ways people reach me (phone, text, Slack, email) and assessing what's a priority and what I should respond to first. It's not about starting with the oldest email in the inbox.

At some point during each workday, I spend time checking in with the rest of the ReMax leadership team, my direct reports, and ReMax brokers and owners across the country.

Another habit that's made me much more efficient with my time is that I don't accept recurring meetings. The vast majority of people follow routines, but I believe that following priorities works better.