Productivity Schedule

Transcription

1 Prductivity Schedule The One-Page Key t Increased Prductivity By Dnald Miller and the Stryline Team 2013 Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

2 INTRODUCTION What if prblems like writers blck and prcrastinatin were less abut yur shrtcmings and mre abut hw yu structure yur wrk day? The Stryline Prductivity Schedule is a system I created that mre than dubled my prductivity. It has wrked wnders fr me and I believe it will wrk fr yu, t. WHAT LIFE LOOKED LIKE BEFORE Nt many years ag I was stuck. I d put tw bks n the New Yrk Times Bestsellers list, but the days f sitting dwn at a cffee shp and easily firing ff wrds seemed gne. Instead, I d becme a hrrible prcrastinatr. I went frm writing a bk in six mnths, t writing a bk in a year and then it began t take tw years then three years and s n. Writing became a chre rather than a psitive wrk habit. I thught fr a lng time the prblem was me, in my inability t write. But in researching writers blck and prcrastinatin, I realized the prblem was in hw I was structuring my day. Fr instance, befre creating the Stryline Prductivity Schedule my day lked like this Mrning Instead f writing my bk, I d return s, write blgs, g fr walks and wait fr creative inspiratin t strike. It never did. Afternn I d eat lunch and get nappy, then cancel my evening appintments t write. But by then I was t distracted and tired. Evening I d get a little writing dne, but it wasn t fcussed, and the prcess was a chre. I d tell myself I culd try again tmrrw. This pattern cntinued fr years and I failed t prduce anything wrthy f publicatin. I was in a jam. Turns ut, publishers dn t like it when yu take fur years t write a bk Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

3 THEN I REALIZED THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM I realized my career was ging t fall apart if I didn t d smething, s I rdered every bk I culd find abut the creative prcess, prcrastinatin, psitive wrk habits and willpwer. I think I read nearly twenty in all. Sme were better than thers but frm each I made changes t the way I apprach my jb. Each bk referenced untld scientific experiments and studies helping me understand why peple prcrastinate, what time f day the brain is mst prductive, and what it really takes t finish a large prject. Here s what I realized Alng with managing my time, I needed t manage my mental energy. What I discvered was the brain wrked like a muscle, and the whle time I was fighting my mind t sit dwn and wrk, I was wearing dwn the muscle. I didn t need t manage my time better, I needed t manage my mental energy better. I needed a new way t structure my day s I was getting the mst ut f my mind when my mind was the strngest. SO I CREATED A GREAT TOOL T be mre prductive, I created a ne-page sheet t fill ut each mrning. Unlike a nrmal day-planner we might use t manage ur time, my schedule managed my mental energy. Dr. Henry Clud says the three keys t extreme prductivity are T attend - This means t fcus n ne thing until serius prgress has been made. T inhibit - This means there must be a strng ability t inhibit distractins frm getting thrugh. A wrking memry - This means we need t be reminded thrughut the day f what we are suppsed t be wrking n Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

4 When ur wrk is frazzled, when we say yes t everything and when we fail t fcus n what s imprtant, we get less dne. Smething had t change in the way I did my wrk and the Stryline Prductivity Schedule did the trick. Here are sme things that make the Stryline schedule different It frces yu t wrk n yur mst imprtant prjects first. It frces yu t nly fcus n three imprtant prjects per day. It kills ff the mental bugs that cause prcrastinatin. It reminds yu each day f yur life theme and s creates a decisin filter. It limits the number f appintments yu will take. It builds in rest and reward s yur mind recharges and is capable f wrking harder in the lng run. It allws pen-ended wrk sessins s the clck wrks fr yu rather than yu wrking fr the clck. Each mdule in this small, easy-t-use system is designed t vercme sme bit f creative struggle and make the creative prcess fun and prductive. AND DID THE TOOL HELP? The result? Within fur mnths I d finished a new bk. N kidding. That s the fastest I ve ever written a bk. It tk me anther tw mnths t edit it and the bk was ff t the printer. My publisher said it might be the best bk I d written, s my new methd als meant I wasn t sacrificing quality. Withut the Stryline Prductivity Schedule, I dubt I d have been able t take new grund. Gne are the days f being frzen and afraid and back are the days f creating whatever I want, whether it s a bk, a new speech r even a new divisin f my cmpany. I m fcussed and prductive Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

5 YOUR WORK MATTERS The Stryline Prductivity Schedule is yurs fr free. At Stryline, we re devted t helping peple and brands understand and tell their stries. The Stryline Prductivity Schedule plays a significant part in that missin. We think it s a tragedy when brilliant peple aren t able t get their ideas int the wrld. Whether yu re a painter, a small-business wner, a writer, life cach, marketing executive, a physical trainer r have any kind f jb in which yu need t cnsistently create new material, this ne-page planner that repeats every day will be f use t yu. Our hpe is yu use it t take a massive amunt f new grund in yur wrk. I m grateful fr what yu d, and grateful yu ve allwed us t help. Dnald Miller Funder f Stryline and StryBrand 2013 Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

6 HOW THE STORYLINE PRODUCTIVITY SCHEDULE WORKS Each wrking day, fr the next 30 days, fill ut the simple, easy-t-use Stryline Prductivity Schedule. If yu d this thirty times, yu ll develp new habits, becme mre prductive, vercme prcrastinatin and cmplete prjects that have been gathering dust. Once yu ve cmpleted thirty days, yu can cntinue using the SPS but yu may nt need t. The idea here is t change the way yu structure yur time and apprach yur wrk. By the time yu ve dne this thirty times, appraching yur wrk this way may becme habit. Feel free t use it again t reinfrce yur new wrk structure. Here s what each page lks like The Stryline Prductivity Schedule (SPS) wrks best fr peple wh need t manage their wn time. If yur wrk day invlves the need t make prgress n several large prjects, the SPS will be f benefit. The SPS is designed t help peple becme mre prductive, vercme prcrastinatin, stp cmparing their prductivity t an ideal and enhance creativity. The SPS frces time t wrk arund yur brain rather than yur brain t act as a servant t time. Here is hw each f the cmpnents yu ll fill ut each day wrk 2013 Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

7 INSTRUCTIONS FOR DAILY USE Print ut 30 SPS pages, three-hle punch them and insert them int a binder. Fill ut the entire page every day befre yu start wrking. Fill ut the page in this rder 1. Tday s Date 2. If I culd d tday ver again I d 3. Things I get t enjy tday 4. Appintments 5. My Life Theme 6. Prject One and fllwing When yu re dne with yur day, transfer incmplete prjects t the fllwing day. This can als be dne the next mrning. HERE S WHY EACH SECTION IS IMPORTANT IF I COULD LIVE TODAY OVER AGAIN I D After yu fill in tday s date, fill in this sectin befre yu even think abut yur wrk. An integral part f the SPS, invlves asking yurself what wuld happen mst if yu culd live tday ver again. This idea was first prpsed by Dr. Viktr Frankl, a Vienese psychlgist wh wrked with depressed and suicidal patients. Asking them t cnsider what they d d differently the first time arund was a mental trick that allwed them t assess what was really imprtant and learn frm their past mistakes even befre they made them. Yu ll find asking yurself this simple but prfund questin will keep yu frm getting caught up in trivial prblems and will allw yu t fcus mre n what really matters. Mst peple wake up wrried abut all the stuff they have t get dne, but if yu think abut what yu d d differently if yu pretend yu re living tday ver again, yu ll find yurself realizing mst f the stuff yu wrry abut isn t wrth it and instead add mre relatinal elements int yur life. It shuld be nted Dr. Frankl cared fr mre than 30,000 depressed 2013 Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

8 patients and nt ne cmmitted suicide under his watch. Asking yurself what yu d d differently if yu were living tday ver again is ne f the keys t living a mre meaningful life and assessing pririties. Dr. Neil Fire is ne f the wrld s leading experts n prcrastinatin. He s spent decades studying why we tend t put ff ur wrk and has wrked with thusands f clients t help them becme mre prductive. Interestingly, ne f the reasns Dr. Fire says we prcrastinate is because we believe by ding ur wrk, we re missing ut n smething fun r enjyable. He fund when he had his clients make a list f all the enjyable things they get t d later in the day, they tended t be mre willing and able t get their wrk dne because they knew they were still ging t get t enjy life. Use this sectin t make a list f a few things yu get t enjy later in the day-such as dinner with yur spuse, a walk with yur dg, a ftball game r even a great meal. Yu ll find yurself much mre willing t wrk when yu knw yu re actually nt missing ut n a gd life. Nt t mentin, yu ll get much mre enjyment ut f thse rewards later, after yu ve earned them. Writing dwn Things I Get t Enjy Tday helps yu Gain a sense f calm by reminding yu life is, in fact, enjyable. Fcus n wrk nw because yu knw yu get t enjy smething later. Be mre present with thers later in the day knwing yu gt yur wrk dne earlier. Of curse we all have appintments thrughut the day, s we ve made space fr yu t write dwn up t 7. If yu have mre than 7, yu ll want t recnsider hw available yu re making yurself t peple. Is it affecting yur 2013 Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

9 ability t d yur wrk? If s, scale back yur availability and make sure yu re nt using appintments t put ff the wrk yu knw yu shuld be ding. LIST Creating a shrt T D list will keep yu frm wrrying abut all the stuff yu need t get dne that day. Once it s n paper, there s n mre cnfusin. Dn t use this space fr majr prjects, as thse will g elsewhere, but instead use them fr things yu knw yu need t d but can put ff until after the imprtant wrk is dne. Only tackle yur T D list after yu ve taken new grund n yur mst imprtant prject. Keeping a T D list helps Relieve stress by getting smaller items ff yur mind and nt paper. Increase yur dependability by insuring yu ve gt the little stuff. written dwn and can fllw thrugh after yu tackle the big stuff. Increase prductivity by daily writing dwn and accmplishing tasks. Keeps yu frm frgetting the little stuff. MY LIFE THEME If yu ve gne thrugh the Stryline Life Planning Prcess, yu already knw yur life theme. If yu haven t, simply state what it is yur life is abut r what yu d like t have been knwn fr befre yu die. Use yur life theme as a filter frm here n ut. Des each f yur prjects fit within yur life theme? If nt, stp wrking n them r change yur life theme. T many f ur clients spend t much time wrking n prjects that have nthing t d with their decided purpse. Yur life theme is yur decisin filter Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

10 Writing dwn yur Life Theme helps yu Gain clarity by giving yu a decisin filter thrugh which yu can weed ut prjects and tasks that aren t yu. Build self esteem by reminding yu each mrning yu are n the planet fr a reasn and a purpse. Live free frm regret by insuring yur wrk is mving in the directin f yur life theme. What is that majr prject yu need t fcus n? In their bk Willpwer, Ry F. Baumeister and Jhn Tierney make a cmpelling argument that the brain wrks like a muscle, meaning it gets fatigued as the day ges n. Fr this reasn, a prductive persn will tackle their mst imprtant prject first. In fact, if it s pssible t get an hur r tw s wrth f wrk dne befre any significant cnversatins, answering and, fr sme, even breakfast, yu ll find yur prductivity will dramatically increase. We knw peple wh will nt turn n their phnes until after their first wrk sessin is cmplete. Often ur clients claim they get mre dne during their first tw hurs than they will ver the next 12. If a writer, fr instance, writes 1,000 wrds each day befre 9AM, they will cmplete mre than 6 full-length bks each year. Yu d the math. Prtect this first wrk sessin like it s yur retirement, because it is. After a gd night s sleep, the brain is sharp, fresh and ready t wrk in the mrning. Dn t let that time g t returning s and helping ther peple get their wrk dne. Or wrse, dn t let it g t reading dumb internet sites. Yu can d that later. Under Prject One, write the name f the prject yu ll spend the first tw hurs r s wrking n then get t it straight away Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

11 Tips fr Tackling Prject One Develp a mrning rutine and repeat it 5 r 6 days each week. Example Get up, take a walk, take a shwer, make cffee, then wrk n prject ne. Ignre all mrning criticism. The mre self criticism yu fight, the mre weary yur brain becmes. Delay all negative thughts until after yur mrning sessin. Yu ll find it much easier t fight these thughts first thing in the mrning because it s during these hurs yur mind is the strngest. Unless answering is part f yur prject, save it fr later. And dn t engage in significant cnversatins that might sidetrack yur mind. The idea is t get int the chair and start wrking as fast as pssible befre anything can interrupt yu. If yu have t take the kids t schl, tackle prject ne immediately when yu get t the ffice. Writing dwn the title and gal f Prject One every mrning helps yu by Helping yu fcus n the ne majr prject that must get dne. Making the whle day feel great because yu gt the imprtant wrk dne early. Increasing prductivity by fcussing n ne thing, every day, until it s dne. REST/REWARD Because the mind wrks like a muscle, it fatigues easily and needs regular breaks. Yu ll find if yu take a break t rest yur mind, yu ll cme back t yur wrk rested and ready t start anther sessin. These breaks shuld happen every 90 t 120 minutes and shuld last apprximately 15 t 30 minutes. Cnsider each break a reward and write them dwn in advance. Yur break may be as simple as ging fr a walk, taking a nap r even having cffee with a friend. Yu ll als find when yu d smething that takes yur mind ff yur wrk, yu ll cme back with fresh and new ideas. Many prductive peple find themselves stuck, then walk the dg and cme back with a terrific new idea. Mark dwn yur rest/reward breaks in advance s yu ll knw yu re nt a slave t the wrk but rather it s part f a prductive, enjyable day Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

12 Writing dwn Rest/Reward breaks between prject sessins helps yu Take intentinal breaks t rest yur mind. Increase prductivity because yu recharged. Stimulates creativity by getting yur mind fcussed n smething else, allwing inspiratin t cme n its wn terms. TIME MANAGMENT Many peple experience guilt when wrking within a nrmal timemanagement system. If they say they ll wrk frm 8am t 10am n a prject and are interrupted, they feel guilty fr nt fulfilling their mrally neutral expectatins. Dr. Neil Fire believes this creates a negative attitude abut ur wrk that cntributes t prcrastinatin. Because f this, the SPS has n set time fr when yu will start r stp a prject. Yu simply start wrking when yu like and stp wrking when yu feel like yu ve accmplished enugh. Nt nly this, but with the SPS, yu actually mark dwn hw lng yu wrked n a prject nce yu ve cmpleted that sessin. If yu wrked fr 90 minutes, simply mark H1 M30 and yu ll have plenty t feel gd abut. Marking hw lng yu wrked n a prject AFTER yu ve cmpleted each sessin allws psitive emtins t be assciated with yur wrk, cntributing t yur sense f accmplishment and increasing the chances yu ll want t cme back t d mre wrk. Prject Tw may be a cntinuatin f Prject One r anther prject all tgether. Simply repeat the prcess as yu mve thrughut yur day. It s unlikely yu ll be able t devte ptimum mental perfrmance t mre than three prjects per day, s we ve nly included three Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

13 We ve included this small icn f a brain t reveal hw much mental energy yu lse thrughut yur day. It s a subtle reminder t wrk n yur imprtant prjects first and, as the day ges by, t gain grund n ther prjects that are less imprtant. NOW LET S GET STARTED Tmrrw mrning, fill ut yur first SPS frm beginning t end and cntinue t d s each wrking day until yu ve cmpleted all 30 pages. We firmly believe this simple, elegant, thughtful tl will dramatically increase yur creative prductivity. Here s t allwing yur brilliance t take new grund in the wrld! 2013 Dnald Miller Wrds, LLC

14 SCHEDULE KEY The Stryline Prductivity Schedule wrks best fr peple wh need t manage their wn time. If yur wrk day is a blank canvas in which yu have t make prgress n several large prjects, the SPS will be f benefit. The SPS is designed t help peple becme mre prductive, vercme prcrastinatin, stp cmparing their prductivity t an ideal and enhance creativity. The SPS frces time t wrk arund yur brain rather than yur brain t act as a servant f time. Here is hw each f the cmpnents n the daily schedule wrk Thrughut yur day, yur mental capacity diminishes with use just like any ther muscle. Prcrastinatin ften takes place when we put ff an imprtant prject until the end f the day, making it much mre difficult t accmplish because we are tackling it with less mental capacity. Therefre, ur first prject f the day shuld be ur mst imprtant. Because yu tackle it (r a prtin f it) first, yu ll experience greater success and yu will sn begin t assciate it with prgress rather than frustratin. H M Many peple experience guilt when wrking within a nrmal time-management system. If they say they ll wrk frm 8am t 10am n a prject and are then interrupted, they feel guilty fr nt fulfilling their mrally neutral expectatins. Reverse scheduling allws fr the freedm and flw f a given day. Simply use this space t mark hw much time yu spent n the prject nce yu ve cmpleted that wrk sessin. This insures yu ll feel gd abut yur wrk and begin t assciate the prject with psitive feedback rather than cmparisns t unrealistic expectatins. Yu ll be mre likely t give hurs t it and this number will likely grw. Rest/Reward Because the mind wrks like a muscle, it fatigues easily and needs regular breaks. These breaks may be as simple as ging fr a walk r even taking a nap. If having cffee with a friend recharges yu, feel free. The idea is t take yur mind cmpletely ff yur prject fr a perid f time befre either cming back t it r mving n t anther prject. Prject tw may be a cntinuatin f prject ne r anther prject all tgether. Simply repeat the prcess as yu mve thrughut yur day. It is unlikely yu ll be able t devte ptimum mental perfrmance t mre than three prjects per day. IF I COULD DO LIFE OVER AGAIN I D The prcess f cnsidering the day as thugh yu were reliving it cmes frm psychlgist Viktr E. Frankl. He develped this simple mental trick in rder t help his clients live mre meaningful lives. Clients wh were caught up in trivial prblems suddenly realized they d rather spend time with family r lved nes, wrk n prjects they enjyed and s n. Reverse scheduling is abut nt letting time manage yur life, but rather living the mst meaning-filled and prductive life pssible. We recmmend writing dwn a cuple f these per day t keep yu frm becming a slave t unfrseen and ften trivial pressures. Accrding t Dr. Neil Fire, prcrastinatin ften ccurs when a persn believes they wn t be able t enjy their lives because they have t wrk. Thse wh suffer this perspective ften neglect their wrk then feel guilty and s dn t enjy life either. T his clients, he simply recmmends listing the things they get t enjy each day befre tackling their wrk. He fund the success f this simple exercise prfund. His clients were mre mtivated t wrk because they felt they were nt ging t miss ut n life. Make sure t fllw thrugh n much f yur list s yu are sure t enjy life, t. Mst Stryline clients keep their calendars digitally r in a separate planner. Hwever, thse manage their wn schedules ften have less than five appintments per day. Use the appintments sectin t manage time-specific meetings r bligatins. TO-DO Use this sectin as a daily task list. MY LIFE THEME We ve included this bx t allw yu t write yur persnal life theme daily. A persnal life theme can evlve ver time, but it s t be a statement abut what yu want yur life t be abut. A persnal life theme is a primary cmpnent f a decisin filter. If a prject r task is nt in keeping with yur life theme, it may be best t let it pass. If yu ve gne thrugh Stryline 2.0, write yur persnal life theme here.

15 Prductivity Schedule TODAY S DATE / / Rest/Reward H M H M Rest/Reward H M Rest/Reward MY LIFE THEME

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45 STORYLINE is a registered trademark f Stryline Design, Inc. This cntent is nt affiliated nr assciated with Stryline Design, Inc.