Grip

1. Your calendar is your rock: Use it to set priorities and structure your workweek

"Your calendar only has so much room, and that can feel limiting. Just think: if there were more hours in a day you could park your whole to-do list in your calendar. But a calendar's limits are actually its most brilliant feature."

Schedule everything. Your calendar is the foundation of productivity. Use it not just for meetings, but for all your important tasks and activities. This visual representation of your time helps you prioritize and avoid overcommitting.

Protect your focus. Block out time for deep work, and be mindful of how you schedule meetings. Group similar activities together to maintain flow and reduce context switching. For example, cluster meetings on certain days or times, leaving uninterrupted blocks for focused work.

Be realistic and flexible. When scheduling tasks, estimate time generously and include buffer periods. Remember to account for:

• Travel time
• Preparation
• Follow-up actions
• Breaks and unexpected interruptions

2. Free your mind with a smart to-do list: Stop storing things in your head

"Your brain is a thinking machine, not a storage device."

Choose a digital system. Select a to-do list app that syncs across devices and is easy to use. Popular options include Things, Todoist, or Microsoft To Do. The key is to find one that suits your workflow and stick with it.

Capture everything. Whenever a task or idea comes to mind, immediately add it to your system. This frees up mental space and ensures nothing falls through the cracks. Organize your tasks into:

• Inbox: For quick capture
• Projects: Group related tasks
• Someday/Maybe: For future possibilities

Make tasks actionable. When adding items to your list, phrase them as specific actions. Instead of "Website project," write "Draft homepage content" or "Call designer about logo options." This clarity makes it easier to start and complete tasks when you have time.

3. Take charge of your inbox: Schedule email time and process messages efficiently

"Email's like an itch: scratching only makes it worse. The more messages you send, the more you receive (usually faster than you can respond)."

Set email boundaries. Schedule 2-3 specific times each day to process email, rather than constantly checking throughout the day. This allows for focused work and reduces stress from constant interruptions.

Use the 4D method. When processing emails, quickly decide to:

1. Delete: If it's irrelevant or no longer needed
2. Do: If it takes less than 2 minutes
3. Delegate: If someone else can handle it
4. Defer: Add to your to-do list or calendar for later action

Communicate proactively. When sending emails, be clear and concise. Provide all necessary information upfront to reduce back-and-forth exchanges. Use specific subject lines and consider including action items in the first sentence.

4. Create a safety net with a weekly recap: Look back and plan ahead every Friday

"A weekly review—or as I call it, my Friday recap—is about creating a safety net under your workweek. No matter how chaotic your days get, with cascading meetings and fires to put out, a Friday recap gets you back on track."

Review the past week. Set aside 30-60 minutes each Friday to reflect on your accomplishments, challenges, and loose ends. Go through your calendar, to-do list, and notes to ensure nothing was overlooked.

Plan the week ahead. Use this time to:

• Schedule important tasks and meetings
• Review and update your goals
• Prepare for upcoming projects or deadlines
• Clear your inbox and organize your workspace

Continuous improvement. Ask yourself reflective questions like:

• What went well this week?
• What could I have done better?
• Am I making progress on my most important goals?
• What's one thing I can do next week to improve?

5. Discover what drives you: Align your passion, skills, and mission

"Your passion centers on the question What can the world offer me? the craftsman mindset centers on What can I offer the world?"

Identify your passion. Reflect on activities that energize you, topics you can't get enough of, and what you'd do if time and money were no object. This reveals what truly excites and motivates you.

Assess your skills. Consider both your natural talents and developed abilities. What are you consistently good at? What do others compliment you on? These are clues to your unique strengths and potential contributions.

Define your mission. Think about the impact you want to have in the world. What problems do you want to solve? What legacy do you want to leave? Your mission connects your passion and skills to a larger purpose.

Find the intersection. Look for opportunities and roles where your passion, skills, and mission align. This sweet spot is where you're likely to find the most fulfillment and make the greatest impact.

6. Set achievable goals and make yearly plans: Think big, start small

"Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Set SMART goals. Make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This clarity increases your chances of success and allows you to track progress.

Create a yearly plan. Set aside a day to review the past year and plan for the next. Consider:

• Highlights and lowlights
• Progress on previous goals
• Areas for improvement
• New opportunities and challenges

Break it down. Divide your yearly goals into quarterly milestones. For each quarter, identify 2-3 specific objectives and the key actions needed to achieve them.

Review and adjust. Schedule regular check-ins (monthly or quarterly) to assess your progress and make necessary adjustments. Be flexible and willing to adapt your goals as circumstances change.

7. Boost accountability with a partner in crime: Share your progress weekly

"Having a good accountability partner—or what I like to call a partner in crime—makes that kind of evasion hard. A partner reminds you of your resolutions, offers new insight, encourages you in what you're good at, and points out where you have room to grow."

Find the right partner. Choose someone you trust, who is supportive but willing to challenge you. This could be a colleague, friend, or mentor who shares similar goals or values.

Set a regular schedule. Meet weekly, either in person or virtually, to discuss your progress, challenges, and plans. Consistency is key to maintaining momentum and accountability.

Structure your sessions. Use a standard set of questions to guide your conversations, such as:

1. What progress did you make on your goals this week?
2. What challenges did you face?
3. What are your top priorities for the coming week?
4. How can I support you?

Follow through. Take action on the commitments you make during these sessions. The knowledge that you'll be reporting back to your partner can be a powerful motivator.

8. Improve yourself continuously: Change behavior and self-image incrementally

"Changing your behavior in small steps is an incredibly effective way to hone your skills."

Identify areas for growth. Regularly assess your strengths and weaknesses. Seek feedback from others and be honest with yourself about where you can improve.

Set micro-habits. Break down desired behaviors into tiny, manageable actions. For example, if you want to become a better writer, start with writing just one sentence per day.

Use triggers. Attach new habits to existing routines. For instance, if you want to practice gratitude, do it right after brushing your teeth each morning.

Track your progress. Use a habit tracker or journal to monitor your consistency. Celebrate small wins and learn from setbacks.

Be patient. Remember that lasting change takes time. Focus on consistent small actions rather than dramatic overnight transformations.

9. Listen more, talk less: Seek advice and learn from others

"We don't talk a lot about listening, and that's strange. Because no matter how much you know, there's always infinitely more you don't know. And listening can help fill that gap."

Seek diverse perspectives. Actively look for opportunities to learn from people with different experiences and expertise. This broadens your understanding and challenges your assumptions.

Ask better questions. Prepare thoughtful, open-ended questions before important conversations. Focus on understanding the other person's perspective rather than proving your own point.

Practice active listening. Give your full attention to the speaker. Avoid interrupting or planning your response while they're talking. Instead:

• Make eye contact
• Use non-verbal cues to show engagement
• Summarize and reflect back what you've heard
• Ask follow-up questions for clarity

Apply what you learn. Take action on the advice and insights you gain. This shows respect for the person who shared with you and accelerates your own growth.

10. Solve problems strategically: Get to the heart of issues and overcome bias

"Want to come up with better solutions? Then spend more time grappling with the problem. The better you understand what's wrong, the better your solution will be."

Define the problem clearly. Take time to articulate the issue precisely. Use techniques like the "5 Whys" to dig deeper and identify root causes.

Research existing solutions. Look at how others have tackled similar problems. Study both successes and failures to gain insights and avoid reinventing the wheel.

Generate multiple options. Brainstorm a variety of potential solutions without immediately judging their feasibility. Quantity often leads to quality in ideation.

Evaluate objectively. Use criteria like effectiveness, cost, and feasibility to assess your options. Be aware of cognitive biases that might skew your judgment, such as:

• Confirmation bias: Favoring information that confirms existing beliefs
• Sunk cost fallacy: Continuing a course of action because of past investment
• Availability heuristic: Overestimating the likelihood of events you can easily recall

Test and iterate. When possible, start with small-scale experiments to validate your chosen solution. Be prepared to adjust based on feedback and results.

11. Think big and start small: Break ambitious goals into manageable steps

"Personal triumphs are the sum of a long chain of tiny acts."

Dream audaciously. Allow yourself to envision big, inspiring goals without immediately worrying about how to achieve them. This opens your mind to new possibilities and motivates action.

Break it down. Once you have a big goal, divide it into smaller milestones and actionable steps. This makes the goal less overwhelming and provides a clear path forward.

Focus on the next action. Always identify the very next concrete step you can take, no matter how small. This maintains momentum and prevents analysis paralysis.

Embrace incremental progress. Celebrate small wins along the way. Recognize that consistent small actions compound over time to create significant change.

Stay flexible. Be willing to adjust your approach as you learn and circumstances change. The path to big goals is rarely linear, so adapt while keeping the end vision in mind.

Last updated: September 24, 2024