52-year-old billionaire CEO: I've woken up at 4:30 a.m. to work on vacations—so I can spend the days with family

Work doesn't wait for Todd Graves, even on vacation.

Sometimes, the billionaire co-founder and CEO of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers starts work at 4:30 a.m. while traveling, so he can join his family at the beach by the time they wake up around 11 a.m., he says.

Graves defines work-life balance as scheduling family time into his calendar, to avoid getting lost while growing his company. He could ease his workload if he was happy or comfortable with his level of success, he adds — but he's unlikely to stop trying to grow his restaurant chain, which could finish this year with nearly $5 billion in sales, anytime soon.

"I'm as busy as anybody I know, I travel as much as anybody I know, but I can work my schedule where I can make most of the things I need to be at with kids, family or important friends," says Graves, who has helmed Raising Cane's since opening its first location nearly three decades ago in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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Running a reportedly billion-dollar company while spending time with his wife and two children is a matter of "extreme logistics," he says — setting family time in stone in his calendar, and making a conscious effort to be present during those times, even if he's tired. At times, his wife has even brought their two kids to his office for dinner and playtime, so he could see them before their bedtimes, he told CNBC Make It last week.

"There's always something to work on and you'll just constantly do it, so it's being very diligent on planning," says Graves. "You might be tired, but you're not going to be dragging around ... You're going to be just as enthusiastic for those special times [with your family]."

Graves' "extreme logistics" approach includes elements of timeboxing, a productivity strategy where you set allotted times in your schedule for specific tasks, and when each time is up, you move to the next box on your calendar — no matter what.

Using a timebox calendar can help with procrastination, bestselling author and behavioral design expert Nir Eyal told CNBC Make It in June: "If you don't have time for exercise, time with your family, time with your friends, time for focused work, it's not going to get done."

You can similarly schedule wellness days into your life, psychologist Casey Tallent told CNBC Make It in September. Intentionally dedicate your days off work to specific goals, she recommended: connecting with others, catching up on sleep, focusing on yourself, a day with less social media and a day with no schedule.

"Our society focuses so much on keeping up and doing things for others, but bringing that back to you so that you have more to give on those other days is so important," said Tallent.

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