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Achieve Laser FOCUS + PRODUCTIVITY With The System Legendary Fastlaners Use...

LightHouse

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Bump for those of you coming out of your turkey coma's in the US and can't get focused rolling into the end of the year.

Whether you use this system or not, use SOMETHING....!!

The best system in the world is the one you use every day.

Consistency and perseverance are big cornerstones to success and most peoples area of imporvement.

Don't try to finish everything today, just get working towards something and don't stop.
This!
 
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Rauschmi

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I tend to try to group task types together to avoid a switching penalty as much as possible. A switching penalty is when your mind is changing from one line of thinking to the next, what you might think takes you only a few minutes, actually implicates maybe 45 minutes of lost focused time making you far less effective during the day.
That switching penalty is SOO very real. I suffer from this severely in my current job. Switching from one train of thought to another wastes so much if my time at work. But hey, my company doesn't seem to mind. But I don't plan on letting it happen in my business venture.
 

Hai

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That switching penalty is SOO very real. I suffer from this severely in my current job. Switching from one train of thought to another wastes so much if my time at work. But hey, my company doesn't seem to mind. But I don't plan on letting it happen in my business venture.

I found that starting a pomodoro timer will negate the effects of task switching. Once I click on start, the focus is zoomed into the task, no matter what happened before.
 
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LightHouse

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I found that starting a pomodoro timer will negate the effects of task switching. Once I click on start, the focus is zoomed into the task, no matter what happened before.
The timer is the tool to aide what is really helping you, your discipline. You COULD choose to switch focus even with a timer on, but the timer helps set you short term focus and responsibility to the task you set out and anchor to the short time frame in which you want to work on it.

The reason I point this out is it helps you understand that you are in fact in control you and you can in fact, stay focused if you choose to. That is 100% in your control, vs pairing your ability to get through things being only because you had a timer app running. If your ability to focus is tied to a tool, and that tool isn't present, you could believe that your ability is now diminished... which isn't true.

Good for you for making that association and using it to your advantage!
 

Rauschmi

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I will have to try Pomodoro method when switching tasks. I have only used the Pomodoro a few times and it never stuck with me. I will have to get a better timer system in place. Does anyone have any good Pomodoro app suggestions? Or is it just setting timers and remembering to set the timers when it is time to start the Pomodoro time frames?
 

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I will have to try Pomodoro method when switching tasks. I have only used the Pomodoro a few times and it never stuck with me. I will have to get a better timer system in place. Does anyone have any good Pomodoro app suggestions? Or is it just setting timers and remembering to set the timers when it is time to start the Pomodoro time frames?
I use Pomofocus.
The thing is I don't use it in the conventional sense. It's just about clicking on start and forget everything else.

The brain goes like this: "Okay, I have a lot of other stuff going in my mind, but let's forget everything for just 25 minutes and focus on this task".
Once the 25 minutes are over you might be in flow state and can just continue to work without the timer even.
 
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Hai

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The timer is the tool to aide what is really helping you, your discipline. You COULD choose to switch focus even with a timer on, but the timer helps set you short term focus and responsibility to the task you set out and anchor to the short time frame in which you want to work on it.

The reason I point this out is it helps you understand that you are in fact in control you and you can in fact, stay focused if you choose to. That is 100% in your control, vs pairing your ability to get through things being only because you had a timer app running. If your ability to focus is tied to a tool, and that tool isn't present, you could believe that your ability is now diminished... which isn't true.

Good for you for making that association and using it to your advantage!

True. I'm experimenting with it. Saw your e-mail about the group! Will check it out :D
 

Gasyhustler

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I tried to use those years ago, but they made me more sluggish. So I stick to checklist wrtitten with pen and paper or on bloc-note.
 

Kak

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I know I am late to the party here, but I am implementing @LightHouse method here.

It’s not really for an obscene amount of taskwork that needs to be accomplished, but for a mind that needs freeing. I feel like trying to juggle everything in my head makes my mind less effective when I do have to get something done.

I am trying to implement some systems that I can actually live with and I’m already seeing this as something that is easing the mental taxation.

Thanks to @LightHouse for putting this rockstar system together.

I’m curious about those of you who really liked this in the beginning, have you made it habit and implemented it into your life? Have you slacked on it? Have you found tweaks that make it serve you better?

This thread was due for a bump.
 
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LightHouse

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I know I am late to the party here, but I am implementing @LightHouse method here.

It’s not really for an obscene amount of taskwork that needs to be accomplished, but for a mind that needs freeing. I feel like trying to juggle everything in my head makes my mind less effective when I do have to get something done.

I am trying to implement some systems that I can actually live with and I’m already seeing this as something that is easing the mental taxation.

Thanks to @LightHouse for putting this rockstar system together.

I’m curious about those of you who really liked this in the beginning, have you made it habit and implemented it into your life? Have you slacked on it? Have you found tweaks that make it serve you better?

This thread was due for a bump.

Awesome to hear Kyle! If you need help, give me a text/call.

I have been promising an up-to-date version of this forever, which is only partly complete. However, the basis of this never dies, it's a fantastic starting point and most will branch out and figure out their own workflow to modify it to personal success.

The key to this, or any system, is the least amount of friction for input.

The faster and easier it is to dump things out of your head, the better as you will end up relying on the system. In this case, relying on it is what ties you to using it long term which is necessary.

So my best piece of advice (I may have already mentioned it in this thread) is to use whatever app or tool that you can be 1 click away from input. For some of you it will be implementing with an executive or personal assistant, which works well as they become the single "click" via a message or email.
 

Black_Dragon43

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I’m curious about those of you who really liked this in the beginning, have you made it habit and implemented it into your life? Have you slacked on it? Have you found tweaks that make it serve you better?
When I was managing a team of 18 people for my agency, I was using @LightHouse ‘s system. It was valuable and helped you prioritize and not forget tasks. I did not slack on it at the time.

Nowadays I only manage 3 people and I use a much simpler system. What’s the most important thing I should be doing? I decide that, then do it.

There is a certain time allocated for email, social media, and creating content which happens daily. Other rote tasks such as sales calls or maybe even networking calls can also pop up in their allocated time blocks. But that’s it.

Lean and mean. Plan is to scale lean and mean to $50M/year in 3 years. We’ll see where the dices land.
 

Kak

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Awesome to hear Kyle! If you need help, give me a text/call.

I have been promising an up-to-date version of this forever, which is only partly complete. However, the basis of this never dies, it's a fantastic starting point and most will branch out and figure out their own workflow to modify it to personal success.

The key to this, or any system, is the least amount of friction for input.

The faster and easier it is to dump things out of your head, the better as you will end up relying on the system. In this case, relying on it is what ties you to using it long term which is necessary.

So my best piece of advice (I may have already mentioned it in this thread) is to use whatever app or tool that you can be 1 click away from input. For some of you it will be implementing with an executive or personal assistant, which works well as they become the single "click" via a message or email.

Thanks brother! This really is great.

A show listener texted me, an app called Notion that has a lot of different templates for what they call pages. There is one template that they called their "to do list" that can be altered to your GSD columns exactly like Trello. It isn't as pretty as Trello, but it also has a shit load of other features that I believe will help be the "extension of my mind" that I am looking for (note taking, calendars, habit trackers, project management, CRM, ETC). Just thought you might want to check it out as well.

This is really helping my ADD tendencies!
 
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LightHouse

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Thanks brother! This really is great.

A show listener texted me, an app called Notion that has a lot of different templates for what they call pages. There is one template that they called their "to do list" that can be altered to your GSD columns exactly like Trello. It isn't as pretty as Trello, but it also has a shit load of other features that I believe will help be the "extension of my mind" that I am looking for (note taking, calendars, habit trackers, project management, CRM, ETC). Just thought you might want to check it out as well.

This is really helping my ADD tendencies!

Notion is a really powerful app. I was going to re-do this thread with either notion or clickup, but both have learning curves that might not be as drop in as I'd like considering the range of experience that people come in with.

Anything can work fantastic if you put time and effort into your workflow at the end of the day.

When you get a bit down the road with it, post a redacted screenshot of what you do, it helps others gain reference that may help them define a better personal system as well :D
 

LightHouse

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When I was managing a team of 18 people for my agency, I was using @LightHouse ‘s system. It was valuable and helped you prioritize and not forget tasks. I did not slack on it at the time.

Nowadays I only manage 3 people and I use a much simpler system. What’s the most important thing I should be doing? I decide that, then do it.

There is a certain time allocated for email, social media, and creating content which happens daily. Other rote tasks such as sales calls or maybe even networking calls can also pop up in their allocated time blocks. But that’s it.

Lean and mean. Plan is to scale lean and mean to $50M/year in 3 years. We’ll see where the dices land.
Awesome to hear!
 

Mckenzie

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Awesome to hear Kyle! If you need help, give me a text/call.

I have been promising an up-to-date version of this forever, which is only partly complete. However, the basis of this never dies, it's a fantastic starting point and most will branch out and figure out their own workflow to modify it to personal success.

The key to this, or any system, is the least amount of friction for input.

The faster and easier it is to dump things out of your head, the better as you will end up relying on the system. In this case, relying on it is what ties you to using it long term which is necessary.

So my best piece of advice (I may have already mentioned it in this thread) is to use whatever app or tool that you can be 1 click away from input. For some of you it will be implementing with an executive or personal assistant, which works well as they become the single "click" via a message or email.
Please update @LightHouse. Thanks heaps
 
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JustMorpheus

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Do you constantly struggle to stay on task throughout the day?

Are you overwhelmed by the amount of things you need to do with your business or the launch process?

Have you tried "productivity" systems but fail to keep up with them or use them over time?


*Note: I am not selling you shit, so don't hit the back button yet; you WILL regret it.*


PREFACE:
Background: You are a producer. You are working on creating something amazing through a business you have or are building. The problem with your typical list based systems is you can not map the copious amounts of things that need to get done. Most current systems are not structured to pick things from different areas of business to prioritize because they are made for specialists, or folks that focus on one area of things so their task list is related.

*Note: I implemented this system shortly after FLSummit 2016 and it has done wonders for my productivity. I shared it with a few other Legendary Fastlaners who adopted the system and have seen similar results. Thus I am sharing it publicly to help create even more legendary fastlaners.


The SOLUTION: The Get Shit Done (GSD) System** Using Trello.com

fjUFOys.png


The list titles are as follows -

Goals / Projects / Top | Inbox | Today (MAX 3) | Wait / In-Progress (TEMP) | Finished [Archive] | Someday/Maybe



Single Point System:

xiGEvpu.png


Your GSD "Inbox" List will become the center of your productivity. I want you to enter everything into your inbox. This is a single stream coming into your mental ecosystem. If something takes more than 10 seconds to do, or comes in during your focus time, it goes to the inbox. PERIOD. You are working on removing distraction, so let GSD be your gatekeeper. (this works great paired with a well-trained VA as well.) You can also get apps that give you a quick add on Chrome, Desktops, and You can even integrate it into Google now (Link here). Additiaonl resources can be found here

You will work things out from here. If it is something for another project management board on trello (hit "B" to switch between trello boards) then you will do that during an organization period. You can set up a direct email to your trello inbox as well to forward emails that have tasks or things to do, right into your inbox as well (info here)

You can label them with colors if you want. I personally grade mine from hot to cold for priority. Red is HOT, orange, yellow, Blue is COLD. Fairly simple.


l0KyJTX.png


You can also expand the cards if the task needs a bit more info. Don't load this with data you want to reference, more so just notes. Like an email that needs to be sent to several people, make a list of the people inside the card, You can postfox the card title with "(details)" like i do to remind you there is addt'l data.



Visualize Your Projects and Goals:

ytsf6Mt.png


This is straight forward. Have your goals outlines and actionable. You will not interact with this much, this serves as a constant reminder of the direction your are working towords. Make sure you use the same card pre-fixes to keep everything easy. You can add additional sections for other things like Habits, or events as well if you need.


What you are doing TODAY - The idea of Kanban + The One Thing:

bHhoPYT.png


This section is taken from the kanban system. The idea is that you are limiting what you are working on to three things. PERIOD. You can not add anything until something moves from the list. This keeps your mind focused on what is important. Rather than spreading brain power across 10 things, you have an option of 1 of 3.

The Trick: Whatever cards are above the line (has to be at least 1 every day) are things that move you towards your bigger goal. This idea is taken from "The One Thing". It insures that no matter what you are doing day to day, you are working at least on one thing moving you towards your large goal.


Things Waiting - Don't Stop Your Flow:

rRtgnUv.png


This is simple, you do not want to waste time waiting on people or things. If something isnt coming back around for a period of time. Re-label it with the reason/action and move it to waiting to not hold yourself up. Typically things you do not know if the turn around time is going to be less than 24 hours or not (emails, account approvals, etc)

Satisfaction of Completion:

bJdjijf.png


This is where you want to be. You will find an easy addiction to moving cards right and this col being 10x your inbox. It is an easy constant visual reminder that you are actually "Getting Shit Done" and moving towards your goals every day.



FINAL NOTES: This is how the system works for me, this will work for you two but make sure you adapt it to anything specific to you as needed.

I promise you if you spend a day putting everything you have to do into this system, and remove it all from your mind. by day two and three you will not look back. This system will work like your task memory in your brain. So add everything and look at it often. I made it an app shortcut on my taskbar to lauch and keep in an app window all the time.

Proof is in the Fastlaner: I'll invite a few friends here to share their experience and any additional notes. @AllenCrawley @JasonR @Eskil @Iwokeup


(** This is a modified version of what i started with from Victor Savkin, link here)
A few days into using this system and it works like a charm. My productivity indeed has increased a bunch. Thank you so much for this post.
 

LightHouse

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Thanks brother! This really is great.

A show listener texted me, an app called Notion that has a lot of different templates for what they call pages. There is one template that they called their "to do list" that can be altered to your GSD columns exactly like Trello. It isn't as pretty as Trello, but it also has a shit load of other features that I believe will help be the "extension of my mind" that I am looking for (note taking, calendars, habit trackers, project management, CRM, ETC). Just thought you might want to check it out as well.

This is really helping my ADD tendencies!


I logged into my old Trello account yesterday to walk a client through something and saw this ol demo board. It reminded me to follow up here..

@Kak How are you getting along with this, did it fall off or still going strong?
 

LightHouse

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LightHouse

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Bump this for those of you working to get organized for the new year and re-center and get back on your grind!
 

srodrigo

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Hey @LightHouse, I've got a question (sorry if I missed it in the sea of 15 pages): how do you handle time tracking? Say I like to track how long I spend on each task, and then make some figure to visualise progress better. I use Excel for this, and this is one of the reasons why I stopped trying GSD. It works really well for managing everything, but I'm struggling to make some specifics work. I ended up duplicating tasks on GSD and the project-specific Excel sheets, which was bad because it created some overhead. Do you have any ideas on how to solve this?
 

LightHouse

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Hey @LightHouse, I've got a question (sorry if I missed it in the sea of 15 pages): how do you handle time tracking? Say I like to track how long I spend on each task, and then make some figure to visualise progress better. I use Excel for this, and this is one of the reasons why I stopped trying GSD. It works really well for managing everything, but I'm struggling to make some specifics work. I ended up duplicating tasks on GSD and the project-specific Excel sheets, which was bad because it created some overhead. Do you have any ideas on how to solve this?

Hey,

On time tracking, I do not personally track my time, only results. That being said, there are apps that integrate to all these platforms that make things a lot easier. Doing it manually is probably a huge time suck.

In terms of using one vs the other....

The best system for you is the one you use most consistently.

So I would say that if excel works and helps keep you focused and organized, don't force a new system just because. If it isn't helping you or there is a gap, you'd need to fully commit to a trial of a different system to see if you get better results. The system won't MAKE you do anything though.
 
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srodrigo

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Hey,

On time tracking, I do not personally track my time, only results. That being said, there are apps that integrate to all these platforms that make things a lot easier. Doing it manually is probably a huge time suck.

In terms of using one vs the other....

The best system for you is the one you use most consistently.

So I would say that if excel works and helps keep you focused and organized, don't force a new system just because. If it isn't helping you or there is a gap, you'd need to fully commit to a trial of a different system to see if you get better results. The system won't MAKE you do anything though.
Thanks for your reply. I guess it's just a matter of trying one, the other, or a combination, to see what works. I think some in-between will be the sweet spot as I find both tools useful depending on the case. I think using GSD for the bigger picture (goals, projects), keeping the Someday column but leaving the smaller tasks Inbox out for big projects, keeping them in excel, might work out. Or maybe having no Inbox defeats the purpose a bit. I'll give it a shot and see.
 

Panos Daras

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Do you constantly struggle to stay on task throughout the day?

Are you overwhelmed by the amount of things you need to do with your business or the launch process?

Have you tried "productivity" systems but fail to keep up with them or use them over time?


*Note: I am not selling you shit, so don't hit the back button yet; you WILL regret it.*


PREFACE:
Background: You are a producer. You are working on creating something amazing through a business you have or are building. The problem with your typical list based systems is you can not map the copious amounts of things that need to get done. Most current systems are not structured to pick things from different areas of business to prioritize because they are made for specialists, or folks that focus on one area of things so their task list is related.

*Note: I implemented this system shortly after FLSummit 2016 and it has done wonders for my productivity. I shared it with a few other Legendary Fastlaners who adopted the system and have seen similar results. Thus I am sharing it publicly to help create even more legendary fastlaners.


The SOLUTION: The Get Shit Done (GSD) System** Using Trello.com

fjUFOys.png


The list titles are as follows -

Goals / Projects / Top | Inbox | Today (MAX 3) | Wait / In-Progress (TEMP) | Finished [Archive] | Someday/Maybe



Single Point System:

xiGEvpu.png


Your GSD "Inbox" List will become the center of your productivity. I want you to enter everything into your inbox. This is a single stream coming into your mental ecosystem. If something takes more than 10 seconds to do, or comes in during your focus time, it goes to the inbox. PERIOD. You are working on removing distraction, so let GSD be your gatekeeper. (this works great paired with a well-trained VA as well.) You can also get apps that give you a quick add on Chrome, Desktops, and You can even integrate it into Google now (Link here). Additiaonl resources can be found here

You will work things out from here. If it is something for another project management board on trello (hit "B" to switch between trello boards) then you will do that during an organization period. You can set up a direct email to your trello inbox as well to forward emails that have tasks or things to do, right into your inbox as well (info here)

You can label them with colors if you want. I personally grade mine from hot to cold for priority. Red is HOT, orange, yellow, Blue is COLD. Fairly simple.


l0KyJTX.png


You can also expand the cards if the task needs a bit more info. Don't load this with data you want to reference, more so just notes. Like an email that needs to be sent to several people, make a list of the people inside the card, You can postfox the card title with "(details)" like i do to remind you there is addt'l data.



Visualize Your Projects and Goals:

ytsf6Mt.png


This is straight forward. Have your goals outlines and actionable. You will not interact with this much, this serves as a constant reminder of the direction your are working towords. Make sure you use the same card pre-fixes to keep everything easy. You can add additional sections for other things like Habits, or events as well if you need.


What you are doing TODAY - The idea of Kanban + The One Thing:

bHhoPYT.png


This section is taken from the kanban system. The idea is that you are limiting what you are working on to three things. PERIOD. You can not add anything until something moves from the list. This keeps your mind focused on what is important. Rather than spreading brain power across 10 things, you have an option of 1 of 3.

The Trick: Whatever cards are above the line (has to be at least 1 every day) are things that move you towards your bigger goal. This idea is taken from "The One Thing". It insures that no matter what you are doing day to day, you are working at least on one thing moving you towards your large goal.


Things Waiting - Don't Stop Your Flow:

rRtgnUv.png


This is simple, you do not want to waste time waiting on people or things. If something isnt coming back around for a period of time. Re-label it with the reason/action and move it to waiting to not hold yourself up. Typically things you do not know if the turn around time is going to be less than 24 hours or not (emails, account approvals, etc)

Satisfaction of Completion:

bJdjijf.png


This is where you want to be. You will find an easy addiction to moving cards right and this col being 10x your inbox. It is an easy constant visual reminder that you are actually "Getting Shit Done" and moving towards your goals every day.



FINAL NOTES: This is how the system works for me, this will work for you two but make sure you adapt it to anything specific to you as needed.

I promise you if you spend a day putting everything you have to do into this system, and remove it all from your mind. by day two and three you will not look back. This system will work like your task memory in your brain. So add everything and look at it often. I made it an app shortcut on my taskbar to lauch and keep in an app window all the time.

Proof is in the Fastlaner: I'll invite a few friends here to share their experience and any additional notes. @AllenCrawley @JasonR @Eskil @Iwokeup
Just added parts of your system to my Kanban. Most notably the Goals with Deadlines, the Today list which I call "Today 80/20 + the 1 thing", and the on hold. Also guys instead of using Trello for this I use Notion + Notion AI and it really supercharges the system! It literally gives you ideas on the spot of what the next steps inside your projects should be! From my side, a big thank you and a sign of approval :)
 

LightHouse

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Thanks for your reply. I guess it's just a matter of trying one, the other, or a combination, to see what works. I think some in-between will be the sweet spot as I find both tools useful depending on the case. I think using GSD for the bigger picture (goals, projects), keeping the Someday column but leaving the smaller tasks Inbox out for big projects, keeping them in excel, might work out. Or maybe having no Inbox defeats the purpose a bit. I'll give it a shot and see.

Definitly the goals and tasks are separate peices. Also the inbox could be anywhere. Whereever it has the least friction of input for you is the best. The most leverage here comes from having a place to dump things out of your mind and organize visually.

Give each iteration a go for a few days and when you feel like one seems easy to do, stick with that atleast 4-5 days and see. Ultimately your own experience will tell all. (vague, I know. Everyone is wildly different and this is just the jump off point.)
 
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LightHouse

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Just added parts of your system to my Kanban. Most notably the Goals with Deadlines, the Today list which I call "Today 80/20 + the 1 thing", and the on hold. Also guys instead of using Trello for this I use Notion + Notion AI and it really supercharges the system! It literally gives you ideas on the spot of what the next steps inside your projects should be! From my side, a big thank you and a sign of approval :)
Awesome, there actually is a linked template board for Notion in this thread, you just reminded me I need to add those to the main post so they are seen.

V2 will be using clickup, and I will have to see if it's replicable in notion without a ton of issues.
 

srodrigo

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Definitly the goals and tasks are separate peices. Also the inbox could be anywhere. Whereever it has the least friction of input for you is the best. The most leverage here comes from having a place to dump things out of your mind and organize visually.

Give each iteration a go for a few days and when you feel like one seems easy to do, stick with that atleast 4-5 days and see. Ultimately your own experience will tell all. (vague, I know. Everyone is wildly different and this is just the jump off point.)
Thanks man! I'll do that :)
 

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