Start with Why, Not How
The majority of material in the productivity realm focuses on the “what” and the “how” of productivity.
Apps, hacks, and software systems are the meat and potatoes.
These typically overlook the key question of “Why?”
Why be productive? What’s the point?
About five years ago, I found an approach that helped me define my “why?” and keeps me on track today.
Here’s what helped me.
From Overwhelmed Attorney to Purposeful Creator
David Sparks first released the Productivity Field Guide to the public in January 2024, but it had been in the works for over 7 years.
Sparks had struggled for years to balance his full-time litigation attorney job with his growing MacSparky interest in Apple technology.
At one point, he left his law firm and established his part-time practice, hoping that would free up more time for his MacSparky work. However, he still could not produce and ship the work he wanted to as MacSparky due to his legal work, family, and other obligations.
As a result, he went on a productivity quest.
He read lots of productivity books, but he felt something was missing.
He found the answer in a system he developed over the years that helped him discover his purpose in life through the roles he played, define his best behavior in each role, and intentionally strive to improve.
The release of the Productivity Field Guide was a passion project for him. He devised a system that helped him and thought others might find it helpful.
Sparks had previously released parts of his core system in videos and podcasts over the years, but it wasn’t until the Productivity Field Guide that he put the whole system together in one comprehensive explanation.
Why “List Your Values” Never Worked for Me
The Productivity Field Guide helps you to define your values, but it’s not the typical “circle your values approach.”
Typically, productivity workshop leaders hand out a page with 25 to 50 values listed and tell you to circle your top 10, then your top 5. Next, you’re told to pick the one value that was your overarching value.
That never worked for me. It always seemed too nebulous and esoteric, and led to some very impractical overarching values.
One popular productivity course was based on this “circle your values” exercise. One participant eventually identified their “overarching value” as “doing everything with love.” That didn’t seem very helpful or practical to me, especially for more mundane, routine tasks.
In fact, the “list your values” system has absolutely no scientific basis, as Chris Bailey points out in his recent book, Intentional.
Instead, Bailey cites well-established scientific findings that there are twelve fundamental values that represent a complete motivational continuum of what drives our behavior:
“They are: conformity, security, tradition, self-direction, stimulation, power, achievement, benevolence, universalism, pleasure, humility, and face.”
Instead of circling your favorites from a list of 50 values (almost all of which are not true fundamental values according to the research), Bailey recommends taking a Core Values Finder test or looking at what you do to determine your core values.
The Productivity Field Guide system uses the “looking at what you do” approach to determine what’s truly important to you.
Roles and Ideals That Actually Work
The system I learned from David Sparks had me start by defining what I do and how it fits under the roles I have.
You define your values by looking at what you do. That’s what’s important to you.
You compile a list of your roles, and then you write ideal behavior statements for each role.
For example, in my role as husband, one of my ideals is, “I give my full attention to Lanette when she speaks.” Do I succeed in doing this behavior perfectly? She can tell you I don’t!
These are ideal statements. They’re not attainable.
They’re compass directions, not yardsticks to beat yourself up with. The measure is not whether we’ve perfectly achieved the ideal, but whether we’ve moved closer to it.
Your ideals are your “Why?” in productivity. As David Sparks wrote in the Productivity Field Guide booklet,
“The Productivity Field Guide is about identifying who you want to become in every role you play, and building systems to get there…That’s not productivity. That’s a life worth living.”
When you understand what your roles are and how you want to improve in each role, you have a basis to choose which tasks you say yes or no to.
If a task helps you to move in the direction of your ideals, then it’s likely something you want to do. Likewise, if a task doesn’t fit under one of your roles or doesn’t move you closer to your ideals, it’s a good candidate for a “no.”
What’s New for 2026
Sparks recently released an updated version of the Productivity Field Guide for 2026.
The field guide includes:
• A 42,000-word PDF or EPUB book
• 80+ focused video tutorials totaling over 8 hours
If you get the Plus Edition, it also includes 8 webinars where Sparks walks participants through the process and answers questions. It’s like a cohort experience, giving you accountability and community.
Every webinar is recorded. So if you can’t make one, it’ll show up automatically in your course materials.
The 2026 version includes new videos and written materials. These are the lessons Sparks has learned from teaching this material for two years.
He’s found that some concepts have repeatedly been difficult for learners. The additions to the Productivity Field Guide are his attempt to help by addressing each of those and making it easier for learners to implement the system.
Fair warning: this takes time. Identifying your roles and writing ideal statements isn’t something you knock out in a weekend. It takes real time and thought.
And you’re never truly done—as your life changes, your roles and ideals will need regular review and revision.
Take the First Step Toward Purpose-Driven Productivity
You don’t need another app or hack to be more productive.
You need to know why you’re doing what you’re doing in the first place.
The Productivity Field Guide won’t give you a to-do list template or a time-blocking system (though it covers those). What it will give you is something far more valuable: clarity about who you want to become and a practical framework to get there.
If you’re tired of productivity systems that feel empty—or if you’ve been productive for years but still feel like something’s missing—this might be exactly what you need.
If you’re ready to move beyond productivity hacks and build systems rooted in purpose, I’d recommend starting with the Pro Version at $199. The webinars make a huge difference.
If you bought an earlier version of the Productivity Field Guide but never implemented it, I’d suggest upgrading to the 2026 Pro Version and making attending the webinars a priority. That will break the process into manageable weekly sections for you and help you to make progress.
But if you prefer, the Essentials Version at $99 includes everything you need to understand and implement the system and to start working on your own “Why?”
Note: I’ve been working part-time to provide administrative support for David Sparks since June of 2025. I don’t make a commission on Productivity Field Guide sales. I believe in it and have practiced the system myself since January of 2021.
AI Note: I wrote this blog post myself, using my own words and thoughts for the initial draft. I used AI only to suggest headlines, section headings, images, and text improvements.
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