In the quest for self-actualization and realizing our full potential, personal productivity emerges as a key player. It's about mastering the art of execution, ensuring that our daily and weekly actions are not just planned but also performed with precision. This part of the journey involves deep engagement with our tasks, habits, life tools, and the rhythm of our day-to-day and week-to-week activities. Here are some powerful productivity techniques that you can you to master your weeks and days.
Task management Set up:
Task Types
Review the list of tasks that were assigned to this day based on weekly plan; you will have all sorts of tasks, like the following:
#1 Daily Task: This is your top priority for the day. If you do this and nothing else, your day will be productive. They are high impact and high effort/resistance tasks. They are also referred to as frogs. Doing it when you are high on energy and will power is the best. Morning are the best time for them.
Quick Big Wins: These are high impact task with low effort. These tasks follow the Pareto’s 80/20 Law: 20% of tasks that yields 80% results. You should do them soon after the # daily tasks.
Deep Focus Tasks: These task are like your daily #1 tasks but the impact is not high. Usually you should do it after lunch and set up at least 1.5 to 2 hours time slot for them.
Other Tasks: These are usually short tasks with low impact. List other personal or work tasks that need attention, in order of urgency. You usually do them in the empty time slots during the day.
Events and Appointments: Include any scheduled events, meetings, or appointments in your daily plan. You can use empty time slots for events and appointments.
Recurring or Repetitive Tasks: You may need to do some tasks on a regular frequency (daily, weekly, monthly). Longer frequencies are not worth thinking about.
Captured Ad-Hoc Tasks: These are unexpected and usually urgent tasks that may arise during the day. They could be personal or work related.
Time Slots and Daily Themes
· Create time boxes for each day.
· Allocate specific time slots for each of your daily rituals. This will help ensure that you allocate time for essential activities like learning, meditation, exercise, meals, sleep, leisure, maintaining relationships, and journaling.
· Your days could also have a theme like sales day, marketing day, recovery day, etc. where most of your task will focus on the theme of the day. This will allow you to be in a specific zone or frame of mind and improve your productivity throughout the week.
· Also assign a 2 to 3 hours slot for your number one daily task and this task can also follow your daily theme.
· Assign 2 – 3 empty slots for free time during the day. Try to have more of them if possible.
· Also assign slots for weekly recurring personal tasks like finance and budgeting, grocery shopping, fun and recreations, meal preps, etc.
· Assign time slots for Daily and Weekly planning and review.
· Each time slot must be of 60 to 180 minutes have 5 to 15 minutes gap in between.
· You can choose to assign time slots for your recurring professional tasks as well, like for checking emails or conducting weekly meetings.
· You can also choose to have time slots based on task types.
· Ensure to have ample of time at the end of the week for recovery. Half a day for a Stride week and a full day for a Sprint week is ideal.
· Allocate Three to five 1-hour empty time slots for other work tasks that are on your daily list. These tasks can benefit from time constraints to maintain focus and productivity.
Task Categories:
You should spend more time in what you are good at and what generates maximum value for you and the people you are working for or with. Based on your profession or work, you may decide to create a list of task categories with values attached to them. For instance most creative entrepreneurs might have the following task categories ranked in the order below:
Research & Value Creation
Strategic Planning
Operational work
Value Delivery
People Management
Major Personal Tasks
Administration & Maintenance
Capability Improvement
Other Minor Tasks
Minor Personal Tasks
You can assign values to them and also write descriptions for them as per you need. I highly recommend creating some sort of broad categories of task for yourself. This will require understanding your strength, passion, potential, and weaknesses.
Task Segmentation
Personal Tasks & Appointments: These are you personal tasks and appointments and are not connected to any gameplan or key steps. They don’t include your personal habits but everything else. You don’t need to prep them, or assign any priority.
Professional Tasks: These tasks are not directly connected to quests but are connected to your work or profession. They could include one time or recurring functional activities.
Important for this Quest: By default any task that is connected to a key step is an important task. Prep them immediately.
Important Recurring Tasks: Some tasks are important for your key results but they are recurring by nature. They are not your personal habit tasks. Habit tasks are managed separately. These recurring tasks are connected with your quest and sometimes adventures. You may continue doing them even after the quest is achieved. Prep them immediately.
Can be done by others: If a task is important but less impactful and more arduous then you can think of delegating them. I don’t suggest adding any unimportant task to the task tracker, but if a task is not important but urgent and you are accountable for it then try to delegate such tasks to someone else as well.
Someday Maybe: Sometime, you will capture a task that looks appealing, but you are not ready for it or it’s not connected to you current quests, in such a case simply archive them for later gameplan. It may be a task that is not actionable right now but could be in the future.
Non-Actionable at All: If it’s not actionable at all then simply delete it.
Task Prioritization:
Like task categorization or segmentation, task prioritization also happens during the weekly or daily planning phase. To prioritize a task, you must use the following parameters:
Importance: Is it important? Importance basically means that this task will take you towards your quest or purpose. As already mentioned, any task that is assigned to a key step is an important and you should not put any unimportant tasks to your tracker anyway.
Urgency: Is it urgent? There will always be tasks that are more urgent then others. Finish them first.
Impactful: This is based on the Pareto’s 80/20 Principle. Any task that yields 80% of results must be focussed on first.
Effortless: Focusing on task that needs more effort or has more resistance will only delay other impactful and effortless tasks. So prioritize them first.
Managing these 4 parameters will give you what you should prioritize more and create maximum impact.
Design Your Ideal Week
Your days could also have themes like sales day, marketing day, recovery day, etc. where most of your task will focus on the of the day. This will allow you to be in a specific zone or frame of mind and improve your productivity throughout the week.
Allocate specific time slots for your daily personal rituals. This will help ensure that you allocate time for essential activities like learning, meditation, exercise, meals, sleep, leisure, maintaining relationships, and journaling.
Also assign slots for weekly recurring personal tasks like finance and budgeting, grocery shopping, fun and recreations, meal preps, etc.
You can choose to assign time slots for your recurring professional tasks as well, like for checking emails or conducting weekly meetings.
Also assign a 2 to 3 hours slot for your number one daily target and this task can also follow your daily
Assign time slots for Daily and Weekly planning and review.
Ensure to have ample of time at the end of each day and week for recovery and enjoy your reward. 2 hour every evening is good for daily recovery and reward. Half a day for a Stride week and a full day for a Sprint week is ideal.
Weekly Task Planning:
Refine Your Game Plan & Key Results
Update the status of the Gameplan and Key Results, if necessary.
Evaluate last week’s overall insights to analyse the changing circumstances
Adjust or refine your game plan for the next week to incorporate the learnings from last week.
This means you must add, delete, or modify Key Results.
Change the input or output metrics as required. As you progress, thing will change and you would need to adjust input and out to tackle with those change. This is the most important part of planning for VUCA world.
Readjust the priority of key results based on Resources vs Results matrix.
Readjusting timelines is most common because of delays, change in priorities or uncertainties.
Weekly Capturing & Clarification Tasks
Break the input metrics of key results into One-time & Recurring Tasks, if not already done so.
Assign these tasks to appropriate weeks.
If necessary, create additional one time or recurring task that are not a part of Key Results.
If a tasks can be delegated to others, then create tasks to assign the actual tasks to others, intimate them of this task and follow up.
Create tasks for the weekly challenge, if necessary.
For backlog tasks, create a new task or simply reschedule them.
Clarification of task includes setting task category, segment, key results, & priority.
Review the task assigned to this week and clarify them, if not already done so. Task clarifying includes task segmentation, task categorization, and task prioritization.
Other Items to Plan
Add additional details for the task if you wish to. I personally do that during the daily plan.
Decide if the week is a sprint (fast paced week with a lot of tasks) or a stride (slow paced with some more free time). You must alternate between the two for mental recovery.
Select reward and reward criteria for the week.
After clarifying,
Based on the scheduling tips, assign tasks to the appropriate day of the week.
You can follow the day’s theme for this.
Weekly Review:
Write overall insights from this week to suggest course correction for the next week.
Did you achieve you weekly objectives? If not, why?
Look at the progress and tasks columns. Reflect on whether you successfully accomplished all your weekly tasks.
Identify the backlog tasks that you didn't complete then click on defer button.
Analyze what went well and where you faced challenges.
Compare your actual outcome with your initial outcome metrics. Most often they are not same. Identify areas for improvement or adjustments needed to your game plan. Reflect on the lessons and insights gained during the week and how you can apply them in the future week.
What was this week like?
Look at all the activities, contact logs and all types of journal entries during the week and write your overall summary of week.
It must include the top challenges you faced, highlights of the week, learnings during the week and way forward.
Also include if you were able to complete the weekly challenge and insights gained from it.
Weekly Personal Review:
Take time to review your Core Values, Stats, Monsters & Demons, Identity Codes, SLOPS & Habits.
Ensure that your thoughts, behaviours and feelings align with your Identity Code.
Evaluate your adherence to established SLOPS.
Evaluate your habit record
Inculcate any new self-realization, insights, knowledge or principles to your Identity Codes, SLOPS and habits.
Reward:
If you have achieved your weekly reward criteria then you can give yourself the reward that you decided on.
Weekly Review of Identity Codes and SLOPS:
· Take time to review your Core Values, Identity Codes & SLOPS.
· Ensure that your thoughts, behaviours and feelings align with your Identity Code.
· Evaluate your adherence to established SLOPS.
· Inculcate any new self-realization, insights, knowledge or principles to your Identity Codes and SLOPS.
Incorporating these elements into your Weekly Plan and Review will help you maintain a structured approach to managing your goals, ensuring that your actions are aligned with your values and objectives. It also allows you to regularly adjust your plans based on changing circumstances or priorities.
Remember that flexibility is key, and the ability to adapt your plans based on your weekly review is a fundamental aspect of maintaining productivity and effectiveness.
Daily Task Planning
Daily Capturing & Clarify Tasks
Have a system for quickly capturing unplanned tasks and actions that come up during the day. This ensures you don't forget them and can review them later.
If it’s an action that you can do it in 2-5 minutes, do it then or else just capture it.
You may have to add additional tasks during the daily planning session like personal tasks and appointments, unplanned emergencies, etc.
After reading your emails, you may have additional tasks that you will need to capture and prepare.
Assign the right week to the task so that you can clarify it during the next weekly planning session.
If the task needs to be done before the next weekly planning session, then clarify the tasks now.
As discussed before, task clarification includes task segmentation, task categorization, and task prioritization.
Once the captured task is clarified, assign the day for task preparation and scheduling.
Task Preparation
Before you schedule a the task on the calendar, you must spend few minutes to prepare the task. To prep a task is to add all the necessary information to the task. Preparing a task is the best way to gain clarity and fight procrastination. Following are the points you must cover while preparing the task.
Next action step:
For key tasks (Daily#1 & Quick Wins) write the concrete action steps needed, starting with the next immediate action.
This will get you started and give you more clarity and control over the task.
It will also give you motivation and fight procrastination.
Breaking tasks:
Breaking a task in to smaller tasks is also important for task execution. Set duration and recurrence for a task.
Decide how many days you would need and how much time you will invest each day on it. An approximate number is fine. With time you will get better at predicting the time you actually need to do a particular type of task.
Add Details:
This is an optional parameter. Here you add any helpful information related to the task.
This could be contact details of the person the task was delegated to or any files or resources necessary for the task
Prepare contingency plans (plan b) for your Daily #1 & quick wins Task. What will you do if your initial plan doesn't work out? Having backup options can prevent disruptions.
Task Scheduling
If a task is not scheduled on a calendar with a specific time then it’s not a task. It’s simply a plan which will not be executed. When your task is clarified, and prepped, it’s time to schedule them on a calendar. Here’ are some criteria to consider while scheduling a task.
Everyday you should start with an almost empty calendar.
Apart form recurring task, habits, and time slots, you should not schedule your daily tasks in advance.
Of course some essential tasks and appointments should me scheduled.
You can set up a day for the task, but scheduling a task should happen at the daily planning time.
This is again for keeping the VUCA nature of life in mind.
You may have a task planned weeks before the action date but the probability of the task really being relevant or actionable till then is quite low.
That’s why I suggest to clarify and assign a day within a week for the task during that week’s planning session.
Then on the day you schedule the start and end time time for the task. This is when you prepare the task as well.
This way is much easier, natural and sustainable.
Schedule based on daily theme and Impact vs Effort matrix
Daily Actions & Focus
Recalling Identity Code: Unbreakable Intentionality through
Steps:
Read your quest statements and visualize your quests as much as possible throughout the day.
Morning Ritual:
Reading your quest statement in the morning, right after waking up, sets a positive tone for your day.
It helps you start your day with a clear focus on your quest and intentions.
This morning ritual can serve as a reminder of what you want to achieve and can help you align your thoughts and actions with your quest from the outset.
Afternoon Reset:
The afternoon session, which might occur after lunch or during a break, serves as a reset or check-in point.
By revisiting your quest statement at this time, you can rekindle your motivation and ensure that you're staying on track.
It can be particularly helpful in combating midday fatigue or distractions.
Evening Reflection:
Reading your quest statement before sleeping is a powerful practice because it allows your subconscious mind to process your quest statement while you sleep.
Your subconscious mind continues to work on problems and challenges even when you're not consciously thinking about them.
By focusing on your quest before bed, you may increase the likelihood of dreaming about solutions or insights related to your quest.
Entering the Flow State:
Fighting Resistance: Start by overcoming any resistance or reluctance to begin the task. This could involve setting a clear intention and motivation for the task.
Eliminating Struggle: Use the Pomodoro Technique to work on your task for 25 minutes. This helps break the initial struggle phase of the task. After the first Pomodoro, you can feel that the mental tension is released, and you can enter the flow state effortlessly.
Deep Work: Dedicate 2-3 hours for deep work on your task to make the most out of this flow state. This is when you're most focused, creative, and productive. You may take a 2-minutes break, when necessary, without breaking the flow state. To do this, you can pace around the room thinking and stretching your body before you get back to work.
Energy Recovery: After the deep work, take time to replenish mental energy. This could involve a longer break, a walk, or a brief relaxation activity.
Productivity Tactics:
Utilize various productivity tactics to enhance your efficiency and effectiveness:
Music: Use music that helps you concentrate and stay motivated.
Remove Distractions: Create an environment that minimizes distractions, both digital and physical.
Impulse Control: Practice discipline in resisting impulsive actions that divert your attention.
Tasks Tied to Triggers: Associate tasks with specific triggers or cues to prompt action.
Environmental Design: Organize your workspace to support your productivity.
Focus on Results: Think about the results of your task; this will increase you speed and quality of work.
Give Yourself Time Constraints: Use time limits to complete tasks and prevent overthinking. This will also increase the time you need to complete the task and fight perfectionism.
Energy Management: Focus on managing your energy levels rather than your time. Pay attention to your natural energy peaks and lows and align your tasks accordingly.
Daily Review & Journaling
Your Daily Review & Journaling component is essential for tracking your progress, maintaining self-awareness, and making improvements. Here's how you can structure this part of your personal productivity system:
Mental Work Metrics
On a scale of 1 to 3 rate the following metrics:
Envision
Your ability to imagine your outcome and ideal self as already achieved and then to hold that thought/intention throughout the day every day without craving, will reprogram you and the quantum field of creation or consciousness.
Effort
Effort represents the actual time and focus you put in taking action towards your goal. You can either waste time through distractions, laziness & procrastination or be indistractable, engaged, focused and actually take actions. If you constantly waste a lot of time, then you must improve your enthusiasm, motivation, discipline, and productivity techniques (maybe better use of this system).
Emotion
In your heart, constantly feel like your avatar. Carry the feelings that aligns with your quest. If you feel like your new self, you will act attracts serendipity and synchronicities, feeling like your old self will keep you in the old reality. When in doubt remember your experience in the visualization, use emotional release technique, & expect the results, feeling is manifesting, etc.
Energy
Your body affect your mind. Energy represents your physical ability to take action and stay motivated. Constant lack of energy can hamper your productivity. If you constantly have low to medium energy, then you must make some lifestyle changes (maybe better sleep, breathworks, chakra meditation, recovery breaks, diet, exercise, sports, etc.).
Embody
Embody your Avatar, your ideal self. Don’t think; be. Consciously choose to Act based on your personal code, SLOPS & habits, instead of reacting based on conditioned unconscious programming of the past. Be mindful and don't let your emotionally conditioned chimp system control you. Align your thoughts, actions, self-worth, self-efficacy, mindset, body language, and mannerisms with your avatar.
Enrich
Enriching entails doing things that can enhance your chances of manifesting your quest. This may involve changing your environment, stepping out of comfort zones or doing unexpected things. It also involves using intuitions to gain insights or identifying clues of manifestation. Self-hypnotic cultivation, affirmations, music, etc. to enrich yourself. It's about having a taste of new life in advance & to use the power of the unconscious mind to gain insights & guidance.
Habit Tracking
Track your progress on specific habits you're trying to develop or maintain.
Did you stick to your habits today? Monitor your habits and ensure you're on track with your desired routines and behaviors.
Use a habit-tracking system or app to assist with this.
Progress Tracking & Course Correction
Assess your progress on daily tasks and goals. Identify areas where you may have deviated from the plan and consider adjustments for the following day. Ask yourself introspective questions that encourage self-awareness and self-improvement. These questions are as follows.
Highlights of the Day: Describe the most significant or positive moments from your day. This can help you focus on your achievements.
Challenges & Solutions: Document any challenges or difficulties you encountered during the day. This helps you identify areas for improvement. Reflect on your actions and decisions. What could you have done differently?Are there things you could have handled differently or more effectively?
1% Improvement: Identify one specific area where you think you can improve or be more productive tomorrow. Focus on making small, continuous 1% improvements daily. Even small changes can lead to significant progress over time.
Other Journaling:
Dreams: Document your dreams right after waking up and analyse them.
Ideas and Insights: Write down any creative or innovative ideas that come to mind.
Hunting Monsters & Demons: Explore your thoughts and feelings, and analyze any negative emotional, cognitive, or behavioral patterns. Also, plan do some research and write down solutions for removing them. Reflect on your overall feelings, thoughts, and experiences throughout the day. Consider what went well and what you want to work on.
Gratitude: What are you grateful for and how will you express gratitude for the things you appreciate in your life?
Health: Keep track of your diet, medical records, and exercise routines.
Finance: Recording large expense, making financial goals and plans and making budgets.
Learning: Document what you've learned, or any new knowledge gained in a format that can be used to teach others. Record a lesson or insight you gained from today that can help you in the future. Include it in you Identity Code, SLOPS or habits on a weekly basis.
Memorable Life Events & Achievements: Capture significant events or experiences, and consider including photos to make your journal more visual. Celebrate your daily accomplishments, no matter how small.
Conversation Logs: Making conversational logs for important conversations that you had with important people.
The Essence of Engaging with the Game
At its core, engaging with the game of life is about transforming our plans into actions. It's a dynamic interplay between setting intentions, executing tasks, and reflecting on our journey. By mastering our weeks and days, we set a foundation for achieving our quests and ultimately realizing our core purpose.
As we navigate this process, we find that personal productivity is not just about doing more but about doing what aligns with our deepest values and ambitions. It's about making each day count towards the grand vision of who we aspire to be, turning life's game into a meaningful adventure towards self-actualization.
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