When David Sparks (aka MacSparky) started writing about Apple tech, he was a full-time litigation lawyer. He did his “MacSparky” work of writing books, podcasting, and blogging in his spare time.
As MacSparky grew, he left his law firm and started his own practice. He did so with the intention of spending about half his time doing legal work and half on MacSparky work.
As his MacSparky work grew even more significant, he found himself “running downhill” most of the time, feeling like he was headed for a crash. This “too much to do and insufficient time” situation drove him to undertake his productivity journey.
In the Productivity Field Guide, MacSparky tells the story of his journey. Readers learn how and why he developed each part of his roles-based productivity system. The story helps readers to understand and value each step of the process.
This is not your typical productivity course. It’s not “Three Easy Steps to Productivity” or “Ten Productivity Tips You Can Use at Work.” It’s not a rehash of typical productivity hacks. It’s unlike anything you’ve encountered before.
Instead, MacSparky gives you the tools to follow a unique process on your productivity journey. It’s holistic, unique to you, practical, and may transform your life (not just your work), as it has mine.
It’s a Productivity System That Embraces All Aspects of Your Life
MacSparky’s life roles-based productivity system covers all aspects of your life, not just what you do at work.
Most productivity material I’ve reviewed deals only with what you do at work. The system David Sparks teaches also deals with work productivity, but much more.
> MacSparky’s systems are not just about how to be productive at work but how to be productive as a human being.
It covers all areas of your life and the different roles you fulfill. What I do for my work is only one aspect of my identity. I’m also a Husband, Father, Son, Household Manager, Healthy Person, etc. MacSparky’s roles-based system applies equally to all of these roles.
Spark’s system helps me be more productive at my work, but it also helps me have a more intentional and better relationship with my wife. That’s valuable.
It’s a Productivity System That is Custom-Fitted to You
Most productivity systems are “one size fits all.” The author tells you about a system and encourages you to copy it.
Spark’s roles-based system is unique to each person. He suggests you list all your activities and then use those to help you identify your roles.
Next, you write a “best possible version of yourself” description for each role. This is your “arete” (Greek word for excellence) or vision of personal excellence for each role.
He describes systems you can use to improve your performance in each of your roles. They are your roles in your life, not an imposed system.
The productivity systems that MacSparky teaches apply to who you are, not somebody else. They can be custom-fitted to your unique roles.
It’s a Productivity System That is Practical
From the initial focus on roles, Greek philosophy, and arete vision statements of your best possible version of yourself, one might think this is a highly theoretical and esoteric course. It’s not.
While Sparks presents a theory of productivity (which most productivity materials ignore), it is also a highly practical system. He provides several carefully crafted systems and processes that are extremely practical in any productivity system.
For instance, he describes in detail his shutdown routine in which he closes out the work day and how he does daily planning. He includes sections on how and when to do what he calls “hyper-scheduling,” or time-blocking a calendar. There are instructions on how to do weekly, monthly, and quarterly reviews (with templates you can adapt and use).
Even if someone wasn’t interested in identifying their roles and writing their arete “best version of themselves” statements, there is abundant practical material in the course that could be used.
You don’t have to have a roles-based system to benefit from making a daily plan or hyper-scheduling your calendar. Likewise, the material in the review sections could be used with any system.
It’s a Productivity System That is Inspirational and Can Make You a Better Person
Understanding Spark’s personal productivity journey and using his methods and systems can inspire you to go on your own journey. Following it can transform your life and make you a better human.
The Productivity Field Guide is not just a collection of productivity hacks rearranged. It starts with the importance of asking the “Big Why” questions that are mainly ignored. Why worry about productivity at all? What is my purpose in life? What should I be doing in my life?
Since I’m retired, I’m not that busy with work. I work as a teacher, volunteer, and have other personal interests, but my work life is not so complicated and busy that I need a super productivity system.
What primarily attracted me to Spark’s productivity system is that it gives me a way to identify what’s important to me and helps me become the best person I can be in all areas of my life. It helps me to have a sense of purpose, productivity, and improvement as a human being.
Sparks describes how he answered this question in his own life by identifying his life roles and writing a “best possible version of himself” for each role as an ideal to shoot for. His system was developed to help him live a more intentional and balanced life.
I have been using his system for the past three years. It has been transformative in my life. It’s helped me to become a better Creator, a better Husband, a better Father, etc. Spark’s system helped me regain my sense of purpose and fulfillment after retirement.
Where to Buy the Productivity Field Guide
I urge you to start your own journey to life productivity. There’s no better guide to this journey than Spark’s Productivity Field Guide.
The Standard Edition of the Field Guide comprises a 100+ page PDF/ePub book and a series of 50 video tutorials for over 6 hours of video content.
There’s also a Plus Edition of the Field Guide. It includes everything in the standard version and adds fourteen webinars on each aspect of Spark’s productivity system.
Webinar participants will follow the webinars and create their unique productivity systems step-by-step. In these webinars, participants can interact with Sparks and ask questions, and there is also access to a community message board.
The Standard Edition usually sells for $50.00, and the Plus Edition is $100.00. However, at launch, there is a 10% discount available. Click on “Add coupon code” when you order and insert the code: PFGLAUNCH for $5 off the Standard Edition and $10 off the Plus Edition.