What You Really Need To Be Productive: Read This Before You Get That New Planner or App

Yes, I admit: I’m pretty much a sucker for the latest productivity app.

In fact, while writing this, I hopped into the iPhone app store to see if I could find how many productivity apps there are. I couldn’t find that number. But I did download today’s featured productivity app that allows you to take visual notes … I mean, how awesome is that?  

But I digress. 

I know I’m not alone in my productivity-app love. It’s not accidental that productivity is a featured category in the app store (regardless of device affiliation). Productivity apps are moneymakers.

And if digital isn’t your jam, there’s a universe of analogue options: from ingenious productivity journals, to classic moleskin notebooks, to gorgeous planners.

The promise of improved productivity in the palm of your hand – whether digital or physical – is enticing, to say the least.

Yes, I download A LOT of productivity apps. But, I also admit: I don’t use most of them. 

It’s easy to get seduced into thinking that an app is going to save the day, or that a planner will get you accomplishing things like there’s no tomorrow. 

But, many of these cool tools end up abandoned after the novelty wears off. 

Why? Because they’re the cart – not the horse…. And you need the horse, if you want to get anywhere. Obviously.

Now, I’m not here to dash your productivity dreams, or dish on apps and organizers. Far from it.

I’m here to bring a dose of reality to the magical thinking that makes us believe (again) that a cool tool or groovy gadget is the magic bullet. 

““I’m here to bring a dose of reality to the magical thinking that makes us believe (again) that a cool tool or groovy gadget is the magic bullet. ”

The best paintbrush won’t have you turning out masterpieces. The high-tech speedo won’t have you laps ahead of your competition. 

Yes, these tools may aid. They’re the cart. But they’re powered by the horse – the artist’s or athlete’s method. The way they play their game. Their technique. 

If you want to power up your productivity and make accomplishment a daily routine (count me in): you need a method. Your own “workflow” method. 

To be clear, you have a method. Everyone has a method (even if they don’t call it that). Mostly, we don’t notice how we get things done – we just get busy….

Most people have some sort of jerry-rigged habits – conscious and unconscious – that get them through the day. Maybe the method includes:

Working out of the inbox

Writing (or rewriting) a daily to-do list

A schedule packed with meetings

Reacting to whatever comes up (you know, being responsive)

Putting tasks on the calendar (and then moving them forward when they don’t get done)

Using a blend of sticky notes and their awesome memory

Holding check-in meetings

And so on . . . 

Look at the past few days… and you’ll start to detect your method. You do have a method, a technique, the way you do stuff, the way you handle your work and life.

The question is: Does your method work? 

Does your method reliably deliver the results you want? 

Does your method leave you satisfied at the end of the day? 

Does your method keep you focused on what matters? 

Does your method give you confidence that you’re on top of things and nothing is “falling through the cracks”? 

Does your method put you in control? 

Does your method keep you energized?

Does your method have you playing your game the way you want?

Or… is their maybe, possibly, some room for improvement?  

As the saying goes, if you want a different result, you have to do something differently. 

Or put another popular way: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result. 

If you want a different – better – result, then look at your method, your technique – and refine it, upgrade it. 

So before you download another productivity app, get your productivity game together. 

Make sure you have a workable method you trust. Establish an effective technique to achieve your goals, aspirations, and intentions – on the daily, as they say. 

A method is made up of some basic rules you follow – rules of engagement. (And for those rule-resisters, remember these are YOUR rules.)

Consider your workflow method as setting up the game board of work (and life). Without rules, there’s no way to win – you’re just looping aimlessly through Candy Land, or filling up your car with pink and blue pegs in the Game of Life…. 

Your method (in the madness) should help you:

1| ACHIEVE CRYSTAL CLARITY. 

If you’re going to bet on a horse, put your money on Clarity. 

Imagine trying to use your GPS to get somewhere – but you’re not exactly sure where you’re going…. OR the exact coordinates of where you are now. Sure, you may know you want to go in that general direction (let’s say, “West”), and you know the vicinity of your current location. But, GPS doesn’t really work that way. Siri will end up driving you up a wall, but not to your destination. 

Many underestimate the power of clarity until they experience the immediate boost, the sense of progress (and relief) that happens simply by getting clear. (Now THAT’S magic).

I see this all the time with my clients. The first step of getting crystal clear has them flying high. All of a sudden, what seemed vague, or looming, or overwhelming, or inscrutable is now doable, possible, within reach.

Without clarity, you’re smack dab in the fog. You know you’re busy and have a lot on your plate – but you’re not quite sure of the best move to make. 

Your method should deliver crystal clarity about what is actually on your plate – the actions, projects, goals, requests, responsibilities you have committed to. 

Only then, will you be able to

make clear-headed decisions on the fly,

direct and redirect your efforts,

say yes or no with confidence,

communicate persuasively,

and see the forest AND the trees.

With the escalating pace and volume of information, it’s easy for things to get muddled quickly. The constant flow of new requests, opportunities, challenges, and demands can cloud and confuse. Clarity is gold. And it’s at a premium in today’s noisy world. 

Clarity allows you to navigate with confidence. Clarity fuels that horse.

And one more thing. When it comes to clarity, you can’t fix it and forget it. Clarity requires an everyday, dynamic engagement with your world. Things do change. Fast. And so your method must give you the capacity to recalibrate to clarity quickly. 

Clarity is a virtue and will take you far. The vague rarely wins the day. Without clarity, you’ll be a cart without a horse, up a creek without a paddle… you get the idea.  

So get a method that delivers clarity. Every day.

2| MAKE DECISIONS.

Decisions are the meter of progress. Each day, you're confronted with…

So. Many. Decisions. 

Yet, it's easy to put decisions off for another day. In fact, in my work with others (and myself), I’ve noticed a rampant lack of decision-making. This takes a toll, not only on progress – but also on energy. When indecision piles up, it drains, stresses, and overwhelms.

Typically, people avoid making decisions (even in the simplest things) for two primary reasons: 1) They don't want to limit their options; or 2) They don't want to make a mistake.  

Here's the interesting thing about decisions: They almost always help you move forward, even if the decision is "wrong." It’s far easier to redirect when you're moving, than when you're standing still, or sitting out. Basic physics. 

Your method should help you make smart decisions.

For example, people’s email is a pile of indecision. What if you had a rule that when you read an email you must make a decision about what you will do next  – rather than push that decision into your future…. by going on to read the next email – that, of course, is more interesting than the one you’re reading now…? 

Radical, yes. In fact, it might revolutionize your productivity. Just a little rule about making decisions on email could change your game for the better. 

3| PRIORITIZE CONFIDENTLY.

It’s easy to show up each day and get busy. There’s no end to the things calling your name. But are you doing the things that matter – or defaulting to the loudest voice? 

Your method should help you determine what is priority for your time and attention. 

Now, let’s be real. A priority isn’t etched in stone. No task or project is inherently a priority. A priority exists in relation to the whole– everything elseyou need to do. Priorities fluctuate and shift with the constant tide of information and constraints of time, energy, and resources.

You need a method that helps you assess these factors on the run, and determine where to put your focus at any given moment.

4| OPTIMIZE ENERGY.

Without energy: game over. It’s that simple. (No horse. No cart. No go.)

Your method should optimize your energy. At the end of the day, you should feel energized. Not drained.

All living things have a biological clock, their own beat, their own ebb and flow. And while humans generally fall into certain typical patterns related to times of robust versus receding energy, each person has their own chronotype – their own circadian rhythm. 

Yes, there are external realities that we may not have control over. However, your method should help you match your energy to the task, as much as possible. 

For example, when your energy is strongest (often at the beginning of the day), do the work that requires concentration and cognitive muscle, rather than waste it on scrolling through email or Instagram.

When your energy is lagging, do those easier, routine tasks. 

Your method should help you design your day to bring your best game, the optimum energy for the play.

5| MAKE PROGRESS ON THE STRATEGIC.

In the default mode, the urgent and immediate always win. That strategic thing, that bigger effort that isn’t in your face but could have real impact – gets relegated to, you know, another day. 

Your method should promote step-by-step progress on those big things that will make a difference. 

6| FOCUS.

Productivity requires focus. And yet, it’s no secret that focus is hard to come by – with all the bells and whistles, dings and pings that accompany your day. Your attention span continues to dwindle as the notifications accelerate. And if something or someone isn’t interrupting you, it’s likely you’ll interrupt yourself with a quick check of your phone or the news or the latest productivity app. 

Like the blinders on a racehorse, your method should help you protect against the daily distractions, and keep you moving forward in your lane. 

7|  RUN YOUR EMAIL (INSTEAD OF LETTING IT RUN YOU).

If there’s anything that’s crying out for a rule, it’s email. Left unchecked, it takes over and calls the shots. 

Hanging out all day in your inbox puts you squarely in the reaction mode, at the effect of other people’s agendas. 

Email also earns the award for Best Procrastination Device Ever. It lulls you into thinking you’re doing something when really you’re just avoiding that paper you have to write, or that plan you need to create, or that difficult conversation you need to have, or that hard stuff. 

Run right, email is a fantastic tool of the trade. Without rules, you become email’s tool – hopping with every notification. 

So, before you reach for that new productivity app or planner….. 

First, make sure you have a good horse (a sound method). Then, you can add the cart (that app or planner). 

We love the cart – but we need the horse. Get a clear, workable method, some simple rules to power your efforts, to play your game…. and progress and accomplishment will become routine.

PS If you’re thinking that maybe an upgrade to your method is in order, I encourage you to consider the online course, Workflow Mastery: The Disciplines of Accomplishment

Question: Would you like to learn the basic techniques - a solid, simple method  - to: 

Achieve clarity…

Make decisions …

Prioritize confidently …

Focus…

Optimize your energy …

Make progress on the strategic …

Run your email (instead of letting it run you) …

And more… 

….as a matter of routine, so that you can achieve what matters most to you?

If so, the Workflow Mastery course may be for you.

I've taught this course to (by now) thousands of professionals in businesses and organizations globally. For some time, I've been wanting to bring this course to more people and not limit it to private training events only. 

And: TADA! There’s a self-paced, online version of the popular course.

Designed to fit into your (obviously) busy schedule.

Click below for more information. See if this course might be just the help you need to get a method that really works. 

Want to bring a live (virtual or in-person) Workflow Mastery course to your team? You can. You can request more information, including pricing details, below.

Send Me Info

Send me Info About Workflow Mastery for Businesses and Organizations

Goals and the Rise of the Resistance

January 1

It's the happy new year day and, I'm not gonna lie, I LOVE THE VIBE. The first day of the year has a distinct, awesome feel. It's rolling in possibilities. It's soaked in optimism. It's unencumbered by past failures. It's forward facing and promising. And people are wishing each other happiness. I mean, WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE about the first day of the year? 

And yet, I know some of you smart people may want to object to this kind of new year's naiveté. I mean, after all, it's just another day. Still has those 24 hours. The sun still rises and sets like all the other days. There's nothing to see here. Move along. 

While this may be a compelling argument, there is a difference. This difference is, in a word: perspective. Somehow, we've conspired to organize time into these (perhaps arbitrary) units of 365 (or 366) days. And when you're at the start of a unit (perspective), it feels good, expansive, hopeful. Yes, it's a mind game. But mind games matter. 

And as I've been partying with the possibility vibe, I've been thinking about goals. Today, my Instagram feed reflects basically two sides of the goal coin.

There is pretty post after post after post about resolutions and goals. People are posting their word for the year. Or their theme. Everyone and their cousin are offering courses on goal-setting. There are more planners than you could shake a stick at. And some planners have stickers. (Again, what's not to love?)

Then, there are those few posts that disparage the futility of resolutions and declare goals are dead (or something akin). 

Perhaps trying to distinguish themselves amongst the crowd of new year's goal-getters, there are those who strike a maverick, rebellious tone. One person posted that they are not a Resolution Person. They are more of a Choices Person. Whatever it takes . . . 🥳🤗Some posts use sad statistics about the likelihood you will not fulfill your new year's resolutions and goals as scare tactics - perhaps so more people join the ranks of the jaded. 

This is why I love Instagram. Especially at the beginning of the year when we're all basically taking about the same thing (which again, tells me the beginning of the new year has some power. Just sayin')

So here are my two cents. Goals have become so commonplace in the modern lexicon that they almost seem passé. But the truth is, when you really think about it: goals are radical. Goals are the language of the hero, of the creator, of the maker. I would even say, of the maverick.

Goals are imagining - conjuring up - a new reality and then deliberately taking actions to make it happen. Goals are a sneaky, little way to disrupt the status quo. Goals = Change. You cannot pursue goals while clutching your current reality. 

“Goals are a sneaky, little way to disrupt the status quo. Goals = Change. You cannot pursue goals while clutching your current reality. 
”

And here's where the story of goals gets super tricky. Goals are, by nature, a commitment to change. And so, they are inevitably met with resistance. 

We are wired to secure our safety at every turn. Change is unknown, risky. There could be mistakes or failure involved. And so the prospect of change - however positively it is spun (such as a goal you want to achieve) - still makes some secret part of your psyche a little, well, uncomfortable, triggering a whole stealth army of defenses. 

You get bored. Or sidetracked. Or doubtful. Or confused. Or distracted. Competing rationales arise out of nowhere. Business as usual takes over and you forget. Or you decide that goals are so 2018. This is the resistance at work. Goals are revolutionary. Goals change life (or work) as you know it - in ways small or large. And there are no guarantees. 

So when thinking about goals, it's important to get smart to the resistance it will inevitably stir - either from others or, more insidiously, from yourself. 

And this is why goals are the language of the hero. The hero must anticipate and meet the challenges of the journey. The hero is not daunted by resistance but fueled by it. Challenged by it. 

Goals = Change. And this change is not only in creating a new measurable reality. The change is in you. To create something new - to achieve a goal - however material it may be - inevitably requires trading the security of autopilot with the demands of presence and responsbility.

And this may be the greatest feature of goals. While creating the change, the creator changes. 

As you cook up your goals for 2019, consider how you will meet the resistance. What might the resistance look like? And what will you do when you come face to face with it? What will you change and how will you change?

Oh, and
Happy New Year! 

---

PS If you would like to test out ways to make progress on your goals (and disarm the resistance), consider joining me and some other goal-getters in the online Power Start program that beings the week of January 14. You can get information here: https://productivity-power.teachable.com/p/power-start

How Will You Make the Most of This Year?

The confetti is cleaned up, the holiday decorations are put away, the resolutions are made. The celebrations are over, and now it’s getting real. The festive pause and optimism of the holiday season gives way to the cold truth that time waits for no one.  

So the existential question we face once again as we look toward a new year is: how will I make the most of my time?

The answer is simple: Get a plan. Without a plan, you may meander your way to achievement. But it will be unintentional, and most likely, not nearly as satisfying or impactful.

Creating a plan is the first step to harnessing the clarity, focus, and aspiration you need to create something out of nothing, to make your own "dent in the universe" as that dreamer and doer Steve Jobs called it.

“Creating a plan is the first step to harnessing the clarity, focus, and aspiration you need to create something out of nothing, to make your own “dent in the universe” as that dreamer and doer Steve Jobs called it.”

A plan is power. It is fuel. A true plan is not a perfunctory, bureaucratic exercise.  Rather, it is a living map for progress and accomplishment. What do you want to achieve by end of of the year? Your plan sets this vital, creative conversation in motion.

A plan in your mind is just a nice idea. Write it down. Give it form. Writing down your goals increases the likelihood of achieving them by 42%, according to a 2015 study conducted at the University of Dominican in California. It seems foolish not to take advantage of that kind of leverage.  We all know that the days can easily fill up with a million things to do. It stands to reason that having a written plan increases your focus day to day to stay on your course.

I recommend that you build a plan in the following time blocks:

YEAR: What do you want to achieve by December 31st?

SEASON: What do you want to accomplish in 90 days?

SPRINT: What do you want to accomplish in 2 weeks?

 

The Year: The Blueprint

The year timeframe establishes the destination and a rough blueprint to get there. Below is a sequence of steps to identify your blueprint for the year. You can brainstorm answers and then refine.

Step 1- Vision: See it

• It is December 31 of this year.  Write (without censoring) what you have achieved in:
  • Your professional work.
  • Your personal life.

STEP 2 - Focus: Structure it

•  List the areas in your professional work that you will focus on this year.
• List the areas in your personal life that you will focus on this year.

STEP 3 - Goals: Define it

• For each area, come up with 1 to 3 goals/results for the year. Be specific. Use numbers as applicable.
• For each goal, identify why the goal is important. This will help validate whether the goal is worth your effort and connect to it’s purpose in the larger scheme of things.

Step 4 - Projects/Deliverables: Map it

• For each goal, identify the key project(s) you will initiate to achieve it.
• Assign each project to a 90-day season(s). When will you work on this project? (e.g., January through March; April through June; July through September; October through December) This is a guestimate so that you begin to see the sequencing of activity throughout the year.

Step 5 - Verify: Refine it

• Review your plan and refine it. Consider:
  • Is it ambitious enough? If not, up the ante.
  • Is it too ambitious? If yes, simplify.
  • Are you missing something? If yes, add.
  • Are you satisfied with how it addresses the parameters and expectations of your stakeholders (e.g. organization, bosses, team, clients, family, friends, etc.). If not, adjust.
  • Is the general timing right? If not, adjust.

Remember, your plan does not need to be perfect. It needs to be the right mix of aspirational and reasonable. Throughout the year, you will make adjustments or perhaps completely revamp it as new information and circumstances come your way. Your plan sets a broad framework for an ongoing “conversation” about your direction, progress, and tactics.

Have fun with the planning process and make it work for you. Are you a digital type? Then use Evernote, Trello, Asana or other online tools to help you create your plan. Or create a document, spreadsheet, or slides. Are you an analogue type? Then get out the stickies and markers and white board and have at it. Are you ambidextrous? Then create with stickies and white boards and document with your digital tools. 

The Season: 90-Day Focus

When it comes to day-to-day activity, yearly plans and goals can begin to feel abstract and irrelevant. This is why many espouse the value of 90-day goals and plans. Achievement in a 90-day window suddenly gets real. It’s imaginable. It’s in your face.

The 90-day timeframe supports you to zero in on achieving the key the results that help you progress to your goals for the year. The 90-day segments, or seasons, provide a timeframe that is long enough for tangible achievement, while short enough to generate focus and momentum.

You can divide your year into four 90-day seasons. For example:

Season 1: January through March

Season 2: April through June

Season 3: July through September

Season 4: October through December

 

Step 1 -  90-Day Goals

• Keeping in mind the goals and projects you identified for the year, identify the key results or goals you want to achieve by the end of 90 days (the end of the season). Be specific and use numbers (quantify) when possible.

 

Step 2 - 90-Day Projects+Key Tasks

• Identify the projects that are part of achieving those goals.
• Identify the key tasks for each project.

Consider using the 90-day season to narrow your focus to make significant progress on one or a few of your goals for the year, rather than trying to make incremental progress on all of your goals. 

Your plan for the upcoming season may result in your adjusting your annual plan – as the timeframe will help you get real about what is possible and what is important. As a result, you may adjust, expand, or simplify your overall plan for the year as you work within seasons.

In your yearly plan, you approximated the season for your projects. However, you do not need to create the plan for each season at the start of the year – just the upcoming one (or the one you are in!).  What happens and what you learn in this season will impact how you plan for the next. Keep the focus on the next 90 days.

The Sprint: 2-Week Focus

When it gets down to day-to-day work, consider focusing in 2-week sprints. This timeframe intensifies the focus of the 90-days even further. With this immediate timeframe, you translate your goals/projects for the 90-days into concrete, day-to-day action.

 

Step 1 - 2-Week Goals + Steps

• At the start of each sprint, identify what you want to achieve within the next two weeks to advance you toward your 90-day goal(s).
• Identify the steps you will take and, press go! 

A plan is art and science.

The art part happens in the creative, intuitive thought that goes into projecting into the future, seeing what does not yet exist, and mixing the ingredients of time, energy, resources, skills, and environment.

The science part happens as you see each project, sprint, and season as an ongoing experiment and apply the lessons you learn from the data of day-to-day action. As you progress through the sprints, seasons, and year, you will fine-tune your plan for meaningful achievement in a real world. 

But mostly, a plan is conversation. It is an ongoing dialogue with the future. And the only reason to talk to the future is to change the present. Happy planning!

“But mostly, a plan is conversation. It is an ongoing dialogue with the future. And the only reason to talk to the future is to change the present. ”