A Table That Changed My Weekly Review

Reading Time: 3 minutesA Different Kind of Productivity Book What if your weekly review could be faster, more visual, and more motivating? A simple table I discovered in Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s new book, Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World, changed the way I reflect each week—and I think it might help you too. Although …

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Why “Did I Do My Best?” Is A Trap: Rejecting Impossible Balance and Perfectionism

Reading Time: 6 minutesThe Problem with “Always Doing Your Best” Many productivity gurus insist we always do our best in all areas of life. But is that truly helpful—or even realistic? The mindset in the business world of “excellence in all we do” has been adopted by productivity and personal growth teachers who insist that we always do …

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From Planning to Doing: A Step-By-Step Guide to Implementing Quarterly Action Items

Reading Time: 5 minutesI do a quarterly review and planning session each quarter. I thoroughly review the prior quarter and plan for the next near the beginning of every quarter. I follow the system described by David Sparks in his Productivity Field Guide. I use a template (provided by David Sparks in the Productivity Field Guide) with questions …

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Part 1: Getting Started With a “Carrying Water” List — Working Through the Productivity Field Guide

Reading Time: 6 minutesThis is the first blog post in a series about my experiences working through the Productivity Field Guide by David Sparks, available in the Plus and the Standard editions. I intend to write 10-12 posts covering each of the major topics in the Field Guide. The Productivity Field Guide comprises a 100+ page PDF or …

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Transforming Quarterly Reviews With Dictation: A Step-By-Step Process and Evaluation

Reading Time: 7 minutesLast week, I performed my regular quarterly review and reflection retreat. However, I used an entirely unique method than what I’ve used in the past. I used dictation to answer the questions on my Quarterly Review Template. Normally, I write out my answers on a copy of the Template. The day before I began my …

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A Review of Deepstash: Pros, Cons, and Overall Value

Reading Time: 4 minutesDeepstash is a service that lets you read shortened versions of different media types. The App Store description states, “Learn something new in just 5 minutes, with daily bite-sized knowledge from books, articles, videos, podcasts & more.” I heard about this app during a MacSparky Labs member meetup earlier this month. One of the participants …

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The Key to Creative Success

Reading Time: 5 minutesAccording to writer Todd Henry in Daily Creative, steady, deliberate progress is the key to creative success. It takes three things to get things done and bring about creative success: 1. Commit to steady, deliberate progress; 2. Do it every day, and; 3. Work even when you don’t feel like it. The key to creative …

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Reflections About Hot Sex, Love, Friendship, and Productivity On My 50th Wedding Anniversary

Reading Time: 6 minutesDuring the first week in December, my wife and I when to Disneyland to celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary (we’re not really that old — we married when we were 5 😉). The event and discussions with friends about it have prompted some thoughts I’d like to share. Don’t panic, it’s not all mushy stuff. …

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