Optimizing Productivity: My System for Impactful Work Without the Overhead

Finding the balance between planning and executing

Today I'm sharing the productivity system I developed over the past 3 years that shapes the way I work. If you, like me, have often felt that you spend more time planning than actually doing, or if you've been searching for a method that prioritizes impactful work over meta-work (think: scheduling, planning, task management), then this read is for you. Below are concrete tools, methods, and examples that I found useful to streamline my workflow, while still keeping an eye on the big picture.

1. Consolidating Planning Time: Less Is More

Rather than scatter my planning throughout the day(s), I've zoned in on three critical planning junctures:

• Daily: 5-minute sessions every morning to map out the day.
• Weekly: A 15-minute deep-dive every Sunday to set the trajectory for the week.
• Monthly/Quarterly: 1hr on a set day and time for aligning with long-term visions and making course corrections. I have recurring calendar events for each of those to identify and block time for them.

2. A Hierarchical Task Management System

Bill Gates said “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”, to me it seems we've already switched time horizons today, with people overestimating what they can do in a day and underestimating what can be done in a year. With this in mind, I break down yearly or multi years goals into more concrete actions that can be taken in months and weeks, and ultimately days.

• High-Level Vision: A visual representation of my major goals (I've got mine on a stash of papers I review & adjust every now and then).
• Task Breakdown: Each week, I outline the smaller tasks that'll lead me to my grand goals. The grind? It's all about what's achievable that day.
• Unified Tooling: Using tools like Habit Tracker or Notion, I navigate between daily tasks and my big picture. Tools like Toggl help me track time allocated to each item to make sure my estimates were correct or otherwise correct next estimations (really helpful for getting better at estimating how much time a task should take)

3. Roll with the Punches

Some days, despite all the planning, things go sideways. It's cool, it happens. The system's there to guide, not dictate. Embracing this flexibility has been great for my peace of mind.

4. Periodic Meta-Work Checks

Every few months, I check how much time I'm spending on planning versus executing. These brief audits help keep things balanced and highlight areas for improvement.

Your Workflow, Your Rules

There you have it, folks! This system is a living thing I keep improving, but here's the thing: the best workflow is the one you refine and adapt to suit you. Feel free to tweak, test, and transform any of these methods. After all, personal development is just that – personal.