Category: Plan

  • Dig the Well Before You’re Thirsty: A Tech Parable for Proactive Planning

    Introduction

    In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, the ancient proverb, “Dig the well before you’re thirsty,” resonates with profound significance. This wisdom, often applied in various life scenarios, holds a special relevance in the tech industry. In this blog post, we’ll explore how this adage is not just a guiding principle for personal foresight but a crucial strategy for tech professionals and businesses.

    The Parable of Alex and the Software Crisis

    Once in a bustling tech city, there was a skilled programmer named Alex. Alex, known for his exceptional coding skills, worked for a rapidly growing tech company. His days were filled with writing elegant code and his nights with learning new programming languages. Despite his hard work, Alex never took the time to back up his code or document his processes, thinking it unnecessary.

    One day, disaster struck. A critical software update went horribly wrong, causing a major system crash. The company’s data was in jeopardy, and the backup systems were inadequate. Alex, along with his team, found themselves in a dire situation, scrambling to recover lost data and restore system functionality.

    It was then that Alex remembered the old proverb his mentor once told him, “Dig the well before you’re thirsty.” He realized that had he prepared for such a crisis by implementing robust backup systems and thorough documentation, the disaster could have been averted or at least mitigated.

    Lessons for the Tech World

    Alex’s story is a cautionary tale that underscores several key lessons for tech professionals:

    1. Proactive Planning: Just like digging a well before you need water, in technology, it’s vital to anticipate challenges and prepare solutions in advance. This could mean having a solid backup plan, implementing strong security measures, or keeping up with the latest technological advancements.
    2. Continuous Learning: The tech industry is constantly evolving. Staying updated with new tools, languages, and trends is like keeping your well stocked and ready.
    3. Documentation and Backup: Regularly backing up data and maintaining thorough documentation are crucial. These practices are akin to maintaining and checking the well, ensuring it’s ready when you need it.

    Conclusion

    In the fast-paced world of technology, being proactive is not just beneficial; it’s essential. The parable of Alex teaches us the importance of foresight in tech practices. By digging our wells before we are thirsty, we not only prevent crises but also position ourselves for success in an unpredictable future.

  • Winning the Week

    Largely taken from the book Winning the Week: How To Plan A Successful Week, Every Week

    Table of Contents

    Introduction

    In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get lost in the daily grind. But what if we shift our focus from winning each day to winning the week? This blog post explores the benefits of a weekly approach to productivity and how it can transform your work and personal life.

    The Power of a Weekly Approach: More Paths to Victory

    Why It Works: A weekly approach offers a broader perspective, allowing you to see more opportunities for success. It’s like playing chess; you have to think several moves ahead.

    How to Implement: Instead of setting daily goals, set weekly objectives that align with your long-term vision. This approach provides flexibility, allowing you to adjust your strategies as the week progresses.

    Synchronizing Your Productivity: The Cohesive Whole

    Why It Works: Viewing your week as a cohesive unit encourages you to synchronize different tasks and projects, making your productivity more efficient.

    How to Implement: Use tools like a weekly planner or project management software to visualize how different tasks fit together. This will help you allocate time and resources more effectively.

    Leveraging Parkinson’s Law: Time Management Mastery

    Why It Works: Parkinson’s Law states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” A weekly approach helps you set realistic timeframes, preventing tasks from dragging on unnecessarily.

    How to Implement: Set specific deadlines for your weekly tasks. Use timers and reminders to keep yourself accountable.

    The Generous Lens: A Broader View of Productivity

    Why It Works: Zooming out to a weekly view allows you to evaluate your productivity more generously, reducing daily stress and anxiety.

    How to Implement: At the end of each week, take time to review your accomplishments. Celebrate the wins and learn from the setbacks.

    The Feedback Loop: Continuous Improvement

    Why It Works: A weekly approach provides a robust framework for feedback. It helps you focus on what’s truly important and keeps you aligned with Parkinson’s Law.

    How to Implement: Reflect on questions like, “What would perfect execution have looked like?” and “What worked well that I should continue doing?” Use these insights to improve your future performance.

    The Changing Landscape: Adapting to Modern Challenges

    Over the years, the dynamics of work and personal life have shifted, with both parents working and technology blurring the lines between work and home. A weekly approach to productivity is flexible enough to adapt to these changes.

    The Five Elements of Successful Weekly Planning

    1. Review and Reflect: Take 5 minutes at the end of each week to identify lessons learned. Use this feedback to make incremental improvements.
    2. Clarity on Priorities: Identify your “leverage priority” for the week—the task that will make all other tasks easier or unnecessary.
    3. Inventory Your Time: Acknowledge that time is a limited resource. Plan your week accordingly.
    4. Ruthless Triage: Evaluate all demands on your time and prioritize them based on their alignment with your weekly goals.
    5. Match Supply and Demand: Ensure that your time allocation matches the demands of your tasks, allowing for a balanced and productive week

  • Level Up Your Productivity: How to Gamify Your Day

    Do you find yourself struggling to stay focused and complete tasks? You’re not alone. The good news is that you can gamify your day to make it more engaging and productive. Here’s how:

    The Points System: Your Daily Scoreboard

    Assign point values to your daily tasks. The more challenging or crucial the task, the higher the points. Keep a tally throughout the day to measure your productivity. Aim to beat your high score each day!

    Unlock Levels: Your Productivity Milestones

    Start your day at Level 1 and ascend by completing tasks. Each level can have its own set of rewards, like a 5-minute break or a favorite snack. The higher the level, the better the rewards.

    Daily Challenges: Your Mini Boss Fights

    Set up daily or weekly challenges that act like mini boss fights. Completing these challenges could earn you special rewards or bonuses, making your day more exciting.

    Earn Badges: Your Productivity Achievements

    Create a set of badges that you can earn for achieving specific milestones. For example, earn an “Early Riser” badge for starting your work before 8 a.m. or a “Task Slayer” badge for clearing your to-do list.

    The Leaderboard: A Friendly Competition

    If you’re up for some friendly competition, set up a leaderboard among friends or family. It adds a competitive edge and can be a great motivator.

    Time Trials: Beat the Clock

    Use a timer to track how long it takes to complete tasks. Challenge yourself to beat your previous times, turning each task into a race against the clock.

    Embark on Quests: Your To-Do List Adventure

    Transform your to-do list into a series of quests. Each quest can have smaller tasks or “missions” that you need to complete to move on to the next adventure.

    Power-Ups: Your Productivity Boosters

    Earn power-ups by completing tasks or challenges. Use these power-ups for short breaks, snacks, or even a quick walk to recharge your energy.

    Social Sharing: Celebrate Your Wins

    Share your daily achievements on social media or within a productivity app that allows for social interaction. It adds a layer of accountability and gives you a chance to celebrate your wins.

    The Reward Shop: Treat Yourself

    Set up a shop where you can redeem the points or badges you’ve earned for real-world rewards. Whether it’s a special meal, a new book, or some quality leisure time, make sure to treat yourself.

    Create Your Storyline: The Narrative of Your Day

    To add an extra layer of engagement, create a storyline that evolves as you complete tasks. It could be as simple as saving a fictional kingdom from peril or as elaborate as a journey through a productivity galaxy.

    Gamify – Conclusion

    “Gamify Your Day” is a concept that involves turning your daily tasks and activities into a game-like experience to boost motivation, productivity, and enjoyment.

    In conclusion, gamify your day can be highly effective in enhancing your routine by adding an element of fun and challenge to even the most mundane tasks. By setting goals, creating rewards, and tracking progress, you can turn your day into an engaging adventure.

    Remember that the key to successful gamification of your day is to strike a balance between achieving your objectives and enjoying the process. So, whether you’re tackling work-related tasks, fitness goals, or personal projects, consider gamifying your day to make it more engaging and ultimately more rewarding.

  • You Don’t Actually Know What Your Future Self Wants

    Table of Contents

    Introduction

    We often make plans, set goals, and envision a future that we think will bring us happiness and fulfillment. We invest in retirement funds, choose career paths, and even select life partners based on what we think our future selves will want. But the truth is, you don’t actually know what your future self wants. This isn’t a pessimistic view; it’s a liberating one. Understanding this can free you from the shackles of over-planning and open you up to a life of spontaneity, adaptability, and true happiness.

    The Illusion of Predictability

    Why We Think We Know

    Human beings are wired to seek predictability. It’s a survival mechanism that has been ingrained in us through evolution. We like to think that if we can predict what will happen, we can control it. This leads us to make decisions based on assumptions about what our future selves will want or need.

    The Reality

    The reality is that life is inherently unpredictable. Circumstances change, people come and go, and most importantly, you change. The person you are today is not the same person you were five years ago, and you won’t be the same person five years from now.

    The Trap of Over-Planning

    The Fear of Missing Out

    In our quest for predictability, we often fall into the trap of over-planning. We’re afraid that if we don’t plan for every contingency, we’ll miss out on opportunities or end up in undesirable situations.

    The Cost

    Over-planning can lead to stress, anxiety, and ultimately, disappointment. When things don’t go as planned, we feel like we’ve failed, even when the new outcome might be equally good or even better than what we had originally envisioned.

    Embracing Uncertainty

    The Power of Now

    Instead of obsessing over what your future self might want, focus on what you want now. This doesn’t mean you should be reckless or ignore the future entirely. It means you should be present and make decisions based on your current state of mind and circumstances.

    Adaptability is Key

    Being adaptable allows you to navigate through life’s unpredictabilities. When you’re flexible in your plans and open to new experiences, you’re more likely to find happiness and fulfilment, regardless of what the future holds.

    Conclusion

    You don’t actually know what your future self wants, and that’s okay. Embrace the uncertainty and focus on the present. Be adaptable, be open, and most importantly, be yourself. Your future self will thank you.

  • Time management

    largely taken from

    and https://www.udemy.com/course/productivity-and-time-management/learn/lecture/3958682#overview

    My takeaways:

    • We have 168 hours in a week which is a lot of time.
    • There is Time, Build the life you want from the time you have.
    • Let presume you are in a full time job =40 hours
      • sleeping 8 hours a night = 56 hours.
    • That Leaves 72 hours for other things.
    • Think about turning of Tech i.e phones and Tv
    • Could you find 8 hours in your week if your car broke down while driving your child to school? So time is there if it’s a high enough priority.
    • Time is highly elastic you cannot make more time, it can though stretch to accommodate what we choose to put in it. (Parkinson’s law)
    • So the key is prioritize those really important items and treat it with the importance of a broken car.
    • For the average person, I don’t have time really means it’s not important enough.
    • Tops tips use Top priorities for the day and week.
    • Plan your day, block out time, turn off phone and close slack and emails
    • Don’t try and multitask, stay focused on 1 core task at a time. You will get stuff done quicker overall as with a distraction on average it takes 15 mins to get back in the flow
    • Don’t let email and Slack interrupt and overly dictate your day.
    • Try and find solutions to save your time through things like automation
    • use Parkisons law to your benefit (think about working hard to a deadline )
    • the Jack Dorsey approach – think about having a theme for each day & batch activities i.e emails , training etc
    • Make use of “Dead” time (for example while you are travelling to work, 10 mins between meetings)
    • Think of your day as being like a Formula One race, you need to build in pit-stops (breaks) to get the most out of the race (day). You cannot run at 100% the whole day and race.