T H E

PRODUCTIVITYIST
WORKBOOK
B Y

M I K E

VA R D Y

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION

TA S K M A N A G E M E N T

EMAIL MANAGEMENT

13

IDEA MANAGEMENT

20

TIME MANAGEMENT

26

CONCLUSION

34

INTRODUCTION

The general who advances without coveting fame and

retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is
to protect his country and do good service for his
sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.

Sun Tzu

I think it would be a safe bet to say that when we want to move, we

want to move forward. And we want to move forward in a positive

Further to that, many of us rarely do what I call "The Front End

Work" when first expressing the desire to be more efficient and

way.

effective with work (and ultimately, life). Instead, we dive into a new
paper planner, start making overwhelming to-do lists, and taking on

But sometimes those two things dont align.

Sometimes we have information coming at us so fast that we move
ahead without really thinking things through.
Sometimes we take too much time to think about the moves we want
to make ... and we dont wind up moving at all.
The idea of personal productivity almost compels us to think that we
must move forward at all times and at all costs. When this occurs,
we end up just checking off boxes as opposed to checking off the
right boxes.

far more than we could ever hope to achieve in a timely fashion.

That's where The Productivityist Workbook comes in.
The workbook focuses on the following areas of productivity:
1. Task Management
2. Email Management
3. Idea Management
4. Time Management

All of these elements play a crucial role in your daily lifenot just in
the workplace, either.
Each section focuses on one of these elements, and as you wrap up
each section, you will come away with a fresh set of eyes and a new
perspective on each of these areas.
Youll find each section has exercises for you to complete. I strongly
encourage you to complete these exercises as you go, as they will
help cement what youll be hearing through the speakers of your
audio device.
Feel free to print out the exercises if you work better on paper than
on screen. Please do whatever it takes for this workbook to help you
achieve the readiness youre looking for.
All right ... enough with the introductions.
Its time for you to get ready, so that you can get set and go forward
in the best way possible.

TA S K
MANAGEMENT
In this section, Mike will work with you in a way that allows them to not
only clearly identify what a task is...but to identify how to manage all the
tasks they deal with today and going forward.

W H AT Y O U L L
LEARN

What is a task?

What a task is and what it isnt.

something multiplicative in nature.

How to focus on task and not on time.

Exercise: Are you a digital or an analog?

A task is defined as a usually assigned piece of work often to be

finished within a certain time. But the thing thats most important
to notice here is that the word task is a singular item. Timewhich
is what we often try to manage firstis something much larger,

This is why you need to focus on the singularity of a task and the
realization that time is far larger in scope. When you do that, youll
understand that managing a task is far more manageable than

How to prioritize so YOU come first.

managing time. What will happen is that you end up managing one
thing at a time rather than something that is far greater in size.

Exercise: Creating your Crucial Cube

Failing that, remember this:

What tools you can use to manage your tasks.

You can master a task, but you cannot master time.

You can take on a task over and over again and reasonably expect
that you have a chance to come out on top. You cant take on time in
the same manner and expect the same result nearly as often.
We place too much importance on the time weve got, and not
enough on the task at hand. What we need to do is worry about
figuring out how to do a great job with the tasks were given rather
than with the time were given.
Thats how you can really become not just more productivebut a
better kind of productive in the process.
Much of our work is ruled by deadlines. We have due dates, and we
are to finish our work by those dates. Sometimes we are given such
work far in advance, sometimes we are given it with little to no
notice, and sometimes the work is part of a greater routine we
6

follow on a regular basis. Regardless, all of this work is generally

ruled by time.

EXERCISE

In order to be more productive and get to the good stuffthe stuff

that we really want to dowe have to stop using this mindset. We
have to stop focusing on being ruled by time and have to focus on
being ruled by task instead. Thats the only way we can really get

A r e Yo u A n A n a l o g
or a Digital?

ahead and get to the important stuff on our lists. Being ruled by time
leaves you dealing with items of urgency. Being ruled by task allows

1. I am at this level of comfort with technology:

you to deal with items of importance.

a) I live in the world of technology.

Shifting from a Time Mindset to a Task Mindset

b) I am very comfortable.
c) I am somewhat comfortable

The first thing you need to do when making a shift in your mindset

d) I am not comfortable.

like this is to stop focusing on what the end will look like and start
focusing on what the next move will look like. This may fly in the
face of what many say you need to do in order to cross the finish
line, but visualizing isnt enough. You need to take small steps rather
than huge leaps, and when you focus on the task at hand instead of
the time on hand youll be better equipped to do that.
The ideal scenario for ones personal productivity is to be both
efficient and effectivenot forsaking one for the other.
Task management and time management are very different.
Knowing what you have to do and knowing how much time you
have to do it require different mentalities. You need to learn how to
manage your tasks first, then youll be in a far better position to
manage your time.
Ive created a quiz that will help you decide what tools you should be
looking at in order to better manage your tasks: digital tools (devices,
apps, etc.) or analog tools (pen, paper, etc.).

2. I have the following types of devices and use them often:

a) Laptop/Desktop Computer and mobile phone.
b) Mobile phone.
c) Laptop/Desktop computer.
d) None of the above.
3. I remember things better when I...
a) Type it into my mobile phone or computer.
b) Email myself a reminder.
c) Record me saying it in a recording device.
d) Write it down on paper.
4.When I look at my handwriting, I think...
a)I have no idea what this says.
b) Whats that word supposed to be?
c) This is quite readable.
d) My penmanship is really great.
7

5.Your paper day planner is...

Task Yourself By Asking Yourself

a) Getting pretty full.

b) Is really great, but refills are expensive.
c) Has barely been touched since I got it.
d) Whats a paper day planner?
6. I read news and books using...
a) My mobile device.
b) My computer.
c) Print editions.
d) I dont read news and books.
7. I like to keep all of my to do items...
a) Easily accessible, but not in my face all the time.
b) Ready to be viewed if I havent done them, and out of sight
if theyre done or arent urgent.
c) In my face, all the time.
d) I dont keep a to do list.
8. I keep my files organized by...

One option is no option. Two options is a dilemma.

Three options is a choice.

Anthony Robbins

Now that youve decided which tool(s) are going to work best for you
in our journey to better task management, its time to look at how to
best prioritize them.
I love that Tony Robbins quote because it is so true. Selection of the
right things at the right times leads to a life of fulfillment and
wonder, which means exploring the known and unknown together.
A lack of options to select from limits all of that.
When you have problems prioritizing, its not always a bad thing. Its
because you have too many options. Its time to whittle those down.

a) All my files are organized, be they paper or digital.

But how do you do that?

b) Scanning my paper files and putting them in my computer.

c) Putting them in a file folder and cabinet regularly.

Give yourself an honest self-assessment.

d) Umm...not organizing them.

Know your habits. Know your strengths. Know your weaknesses.

The more you know how youll handle working towards a more

Give yourself 3 points for every A answer, 2 points for every B

answer, 1 point for every C answer, 0 points for every D answer
0-6 pts: Youre definitely an analog person. Use pen and paper.
7-12 pts: Youll use digital, but youre still more analog. Use a mix.

productive lifestyle, the easier the hurdle will become.

Once youve given yourself that assessment, its time to map things
out according to how you see them fit into the grand scheme of
things.

13-18 pts:Youll use analog, but youre more digital. Use a mix.
19-24 pts:Youre definitely a digital person. Use an app.

The Eisenhower Matrix (later adopted by Stephen Covey) breaks

things down into four quadrants:

negotiations were at a crucial stage)adds instant power to the

word it wouldnt otherwise have, but the effects are still the same.

1. Urgent and Important

When something is said to be crucial, you know its important. When

something is said to be important, well ... results may vary.

2. Not Urgent and Important

3. Urgent and Not Important
4. Not Urgent and Not Important
This is all good and well, and I think that using the matrix as
intended (and there are tools that use this method) is a great thing to
do. But theres a problem with the word importantand its not
what you might think.

Getting clear on whats crucial is the most beneficial thing you can
do to enhance your productivity, your balance and your life. Doing
so could be the productivity wake-up call you need, the jumpstart to
getting where you know you can beand want to be. Moving
beyond the word important and making a conscious choice to use
the word crucial will power up your life in a simple, yet profound
way.

The problem with the word important these days is that it is thrown
around with little regard to what it means. Because of that, things
that are important often are just things that have to get done, but
have little resonance beyond thatthey arent attached to anything
deeper or more meaningful in the greater scheme of things.
Anything with the word urgent attached to it will always feel
stronger because of the need for it to be dealt with sooner rather
than later. Even in passing, when someone says the word urgent, it
creates a feeling or sense of immediacy.
Enter the word crucial.
Crucial doesnt get thrown around as much. Better still, when
someone uses the word in the same manner as they used important
as mentioned above, you can really sense how much it matters to
them all the more. When something is said to be crucial, it means
that it is of great importance (by definition alone). Its possible that
the other manner in which the word crucial is useddecisive or
critical, especially in the success or failure of something (e.g.,
9

EXERCISE

URGENT/IMPORTANT

NOT URGENT/IMPORTANT

C r e a t i n g Yo u r
Crucial Cube
This next exercise involves what I call a Crucial Cube.

THE CRUCIAL CUBE

By adding it to the four quadrants, the focus shifts to whats crucial

to you overall rather than what isnt. Placing it in the center draws
focus, allows you to start there and finish on the outer realms (or
vice versa). The key is to get you looking at what you really want to
achieve and still displays the supporting things you can do to get
there. The Crucial Cube feeds off of the remaining quadrants and the
quadrants are fueled by whats in the Crucial Cube.
Id like you to use the Crucial Cube template to the right and map out
all of your priorities by either starting with whats crucial to you
first or what isnt, and then work your way into the remaining
boxes. (You can also create your own template if youd like. Just use

URGENT/NOT IMPORTANT

NOT URGENT/NOT IMPORTANT

the format shown on the facing page as a guide.)

Ready? Good. Lets go.

10

Task Management Tools

On the following pages, youll find a list of several task management
tools.

Things

Choose one of them based on what you feel best suits your work
style and stick with it for seven days. If you still like it, then use that

pretty powerful all the while.

tool of choice for another 30 days. Should you decide after the
additional 30 days to switch, repeat this process. Otherwise,
congratulations! Youve found your task manager and have done the
front-end work for that tool.

Another heavyweight in this space, has what is largely

considered a simpler interface than OmniFocus and

ToodleDo

Another popular app, best suited for those who want

power in a task management application that is cross-

Keep in mind that these are some of the tools Ive looked at
personally and feel can work for people. I may be missing some, but

platform.

it is only because I wasnt a fan of them, or simply havent tried

them yet. I also have not listed pricing here as that can change over

Remember The Milk

time. For more resources, including an up-to-date list of tools that

you can use, visit the Task Management page on Productivityist.com.
New and useful options will be added to the list regularly.

Ideal for collaborative projects/tasks and keeps you

out of your email inbox. Also has a mobile version
and iPhone app.

OmniFocus

Another incredibly popular app, favoured much in the

same way that ToodleDo is favoured...its power and
versatility.

Flow
Asana

An effective and elegant collaborative task

management app that has a lot of power under the
hood and looks really good while helping you get
things done.

Eisenhower

A very robust and powerful task management

application that is used by many across the Internet,

A different approach to the task management niche in

that it relies on the 4 Quadrants approach originally

meaning there are plenty of resources out there,

including Asian Efficiency's OmniFocus Premium Posts.

popularized by Dwight Eisenhower. (You can also

order its paper-based equivalent.)
11

Evernote

One of the most widely used (and adaptable)

productivity apps out there. Even if you dont use it
for task management, grab it regardless. Its
incredibly useful for note- keeping and storing
research. (To really get to know Evernote, I highly
recommend Evernote Essentials by my friend Brett
Kelly. Its a simply stellar eBook that delivers the
goods on Evernote.)

30/30

I use this app as a companion app in terms of task

management. Ive written about it in more detail
here.

Paper-based Tools
If youre into paper, checkout Aaron Mahnkes Get
Frictionless products and David Seahs Emergent Task
Planner.

12

EMAIL
MANAGEMENT
In this section, Mike will put you in the position to think outside
of the inbox. He will share the tips, tricks, and tactics you can
use to treat email in a way that allows you to efficient and
effective both inside your email app...and beyond it.

13

W H AT Y O U L L
LEARN

A Closer Look at Email

Its time to really think about emailfrom the inside out.
Email is defined as follows:

What email is and what it isnt.

... messages distributed by electronic means from one computer

user to one or more recipients via a network.

What the REAL problem is with email.

via Apples native dictionary application

Exercise: Getting Out of Your Inbox

Lets break that down in a bit. But what I found pretty disturbing

Why you should NEVER use your email application

as a task manager.

Some canned responses to help you manage

email.

from the get-go is the sample sentence offered with the definition:
Reading email has become the first task of the morning.
Ugh. Not exactly the most productive way to start the morning. But I
digress.
Email is an abbreviation of electronic mail, which brings us back
to the term mail, which is:
... letters and packages conveyed by the postal system.
via Apples native dictionary application
All of this may seem rather obvious to many of you. But let me ask
you: Have you ever stood by the front door waiting for the mail to
arrive? You may have on occasion, waiting for a particular package
or letter to arrive. But have you done so every day, checking every
so often to see if the mail has arrived? Probably not.
So why do so many of us do that when it comes to email?
The instantaneous aspect of email has created a reaction in many of
us that would be preposterous if we applied it to regular old snail
14

mail. Trying to break away from reacting this way to email is

difficult because its not just your own habits that need to be broken,
but the habits of those who are sending you the messages. Trying to
explain to them that you are going to be less reactionary when your
inbox signals a new message has arrived is a challenge, and it will
be a very tough pill for many to swallow.
But it has to be done.
Email is one of the greatest time sucks that we have coming at us
every day of the week. Thats why many people consider email to be
problematic for their personal productivity.
When the problem with email comes up, what people often discuss
are the problems that email has created (as well as the problems
email has solved). There also has been more talk online about how
we must work to tame email in order to fix the problems that it
creates.
But the problem isnt email. Email doesnt need to be tamed.

The problem, quite simply, is how we treat email.

Individuals and companies treat email in ways that go against the

it is almost one of the first things we mention that we do during our

day.
Think about this: do you wait for the postal worker for all hours,
opening and closing the door to check the mail nonstop every day?
Of course you dont. That would be a waste of time and energy. You
know when the postal worker arrives (approximately), so if youre
expecting something then you have a general idea of when it will
arrive. Because of that, you dont sit by the door all day waiting. You
go about your day, doing the actual work you have on tap rather
than let the possibility of an important delivery get in your way.
Do you do the same thing with email? Likely not.
Instead, you keep your email application open, waiting for that
imminent notification alert to come so you can check and see what
new thing just got delivered to your inbox.
Perhaps you dont do this. Perhaps you check email 23 times per
day, and thats it. Perhaps you treat email in a way that it allows you
to treat your other work better.

Perhaps.

grain of what email should be used for: to communicate in long

form without using the phone. Its not a replacement for the phone,

No matter what email app or service you useunless you put the
discipline and boundaries in place when it comes to using this

its not a means to get in touch with someone immediately. Yet the
expectation is that it isor should be.

valuable communication toolyoure doing it wrong.

People seem to think that since you receive the email almost
instantly that you should reply in kind. But for most people (there
are some jobs where the work is email management) managing
email is merely one aspect of their joband a small one at that. Yet

So whats the email problem?

Its not the technology; its the people using the

technology.
And until we fix that, email will always appear broken.
15

EXERCISE

Getting Out of
Yo u r I n b o x

Take the next five minutes to write down the first thing you need to
do for the next five daysand make sure they dont involve email.
Look at your next five working days and mark one crucial thing for
each day that you will start your day with, and make sure you do
those things before checking your inbox. Then do it again for the
next three weeks on your schedule.
Cross off each day that you complete this on the form below and
then initial the week indicating what you did (and didnt) do.

3
4

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

16

The Other (and Better) Communication Methods

backlog. They also organize their emails in folders far more often
than those who dont use email to manage their tasks.

Once youve started to treat email in a way that puts your crucial
items first, youll have a better chance of assigning the more

Basically, they consider emails to be ... tasks.

appropriate communication methods. To clarify, heres an idea of

what you should use rather than email in many situations:

The idea of using your email app as a task management app is

1. Instant messaging. Should be used when a response is needed

immediately. Think of it as the phone for the 21st century.

counter-productive. You spend an inordinate amount of time with

your email app open, allowing it to steal focus from you every time
an email hits the inbox. But spending time in your task management
app is the ideal. You keep on top of the tasks that are crucial to

2. Telephone. Still works better than email to convey the importance

of matters at hand. Instant messaging is more efficient at allowing

enhancing your productivity. An email app keeps you connected to

others but disconnected from your tasks, whereas a task

people to track conversations, but the phone is more human.

management app disconnects you from others, butmore

importantlyconnects you to your tasks.

3. Social networks. Takes things outside of your regular email inbox

and often works better for sharing items. As long as privacy isnt the
main concern, social network sites like Facebook, Twitter and
Google+ can keep your inbox clutter down.

And self-connection is key to progressive personal

productivity.

Your Email App isnt a Task Management App

It may seem counterproductive to bring an entirely new app for task

management when you feel you can do it within the email app itself.

Ive never been a fan of using an email application to manage tasks.

In fact, many organizations compel you to manage tasks with the

email app by having you set up folders and other things that work

Thats because Ive tried and know that it doesnt workat least not
in a standalone manner. So I dont use email as my task manager.
Instead, I have used apps that are meant solely for task and project
management. They manage to integrate into email in a variety of
different ways, but they keep email at bay so that I can work on the
bigger picture stuff and deal with communication later.

for them. But that really wont work for you (or for them, either).
As with anything, good front-end work is what is needed here. You
will need to adopt new habits in order to get out of your email inbox
and into your task inbox. Give it timeand look at the options Ive
mentioned in the section on task management.Theres some real
gold in there, and many of the options produce far less friction than

But that can be a problem.

youd think.

For those who use their email app to manage what they have to do,

Youre ready for this. I know it.

they tend to react and deal with their emails almost instantly
meaning they handle them as they come in and have less of a

17

Email Management: Canned Responses to Use

Take an axe to your inbox with these 3 ruthless canned responses
that will annihilate your email and get your mind out of your inbox
and back onto what matters-and allow you to avoid email
bankruptcy in the process. Each response is appropriate for certain

Follow-up Email Needed

That said, while Im interested in what youve offered,

my time is at a premium these days. Ill give the matter
further thought and will get back to you within the next
[X] business days. If you require an answer sooner than
that, simply respond to this email and give me a
timetable so I can see if I can make something happen
on my end.

circumstancesof which there are really only three:

1. Timely follow-up correspondence is needed.
2. No follow-up correspondence needed.

Again, thanks for your email and I look forward to

hearing back from you shortly.

3. No need for the correspondence at all.

Feel free to use these email responses so that you can push through
your inbox and get on with what you need to focus onjust make
sure you replace the generic text with what you need to address, as
well as the appropriate salutations and signature. Save these either
as a text file, as a TextExpander snippet or in Gmail as a canned
responseor whatever works best for your setup.
Start using these responses today and youll find that your time in
your email inbox will be lessened and your time delivering

Thank you for your email. Im glad you reached out to

contact me regarding [INSERT SUBJECT HERE].

actionable results will be enhanced. Youll escape the rapture of the

inbox and reap the rewards of conquering it.

Follow-up Email Not Needed

Thanks for your email regarding [INSERT SUBJECT

HERE]. I appreciate the time youve taken to give me a
heads up on this.
Unfortunately, its not something that Im willing to
take on at this time as I have other matters that require
my attention.
Again, thank you for reaching out to me and good luck
with [INSERT SUBJECT HERE].

No Need to Respond
Yes, deleting an email is a response. Either to you or to the
sender, depending on the subject matter. On that note,
heres what you do: Delete it. NOW.

18

Email Management Tools

Beyond the task management apps that are now incorporating some
form of email management into them (such as Flow, Asana, and even
the clipping power within OmniFocus and Things), there are several
standalone email apps and add-ons that will better help you manage
your email so that you can not only get out of your inbox more
efficiently and effectively, but also enjoy the time spent in there.
Keep in mind that these are some of the tools Ive looked at
personally and feel can work for people. I may be missing some, but
it is only because I wasnt a fan of them, or simply havent tried them
yet. I also have not listed pricing here as that can change over time.
For more resources, including an up-to-date list of tools that you can
use, visit the Email Management page on Productivityist.com. New
and useful options will be added to the list regularly.

Postbox

This was my email client of choice until just

recently. With its ability to integrate with Evernote,
its Focus Pane feature, and the fact that it is multiplatform, Postbox is a solid choice for managing
your email from the top down.

Airmail

Airmail is the closest that I've gotten to Sparrow in

an email client on the Mac. I can use Dropbox with
it. I can have multiple accounts (and therefore,
inboxes) with it. I can Send and Archive with one
click. I can write in Markdown if I want. And -- after
mentioning to the developers that this feature was
missing -- I can sort my inboxes so that the oldest
email appears first rather than last. The great thing
I've found about Airmail is that it is simple and yet
still scales, meaning that those who are power email
users can really get a lot out of the app.

Drafts

Drafts is where you can prep, refine, and send text

for a task called Email Actions, allowing you the
ability to send emails right from inside the app.
Using Drafts will also lessen the amount of time you
spend inside Mail, which is always a good thing.

Dispatch

Dispatch is the iOS email app that is now in my dock.

It allows you to actually deliver your email
messages to a place where they can become actions
(OmniFocus, Things, Evernote, Asana, Drafts, etc.)
rather than simply "snooze" them. Sure, you can
forward emails to the addresses provided by some of
these apps, but Dispatch makes it a more frictionless
process. I think it's the best $2.99 you can spend on
an iPhone app.

Sanebox

Id like to think of SaneBox as Gmails Priority Inbox

on steroids but it works for all kinds of email
platforms. Because of its algorithm, SaneBox
separates your most important emails from the ones
that can wait. This allows you to prioritize the way
you read your messages, saving you time and
frustration.

AwayFind

The idea behind AwayFinds service is to keep you

out of your email inbox by having their service
send you urgent messages and things that are
worth knowing about, while keeping the
unimportant messages away. I am a big fan.
19

IDEA
MANAGEMENT
The process of seeing an idea through from start to finish is
hard, and learning when to pursue an idea and when to let it go
is more challenging. In this section Mike will offer you tips, tools
and tactics that will help you do just that.

20

W H AT Y O U L L
LEARN
What an idea does for you and what it doesnt.
Using The IDEA Criteria. (Exercise)
What to do when you have too many ideas.
Building your Idea Calendar. (Exercise)
A closer look at idea management tools.

We Are All Idea Machines

Every day Im struck with new ideas, whether theyre for a new
writing project, an article I know that would resonate with a wide
audience or something that would help keep my family life flowing.
The problem with ideas is that until they are acted upon, they are
just ideasand arent worth much more than the thought they were
initially given.
Before we really dive into this section, lets do a mini exercise.
Grab a sheet of paper and write down as many ideas as you can
think of. They could be ideas that you've been putting on the back
burner for sometime. They could be ideas that youve got in
progress. They could be ideas that you havent even thought of yet ...
at least not until now. It doesnt matter. Just write them all down on
the sheet of paper in any way, shape, or form that youd like. Well
be coming back to them later, so keep them close at hand.
So if you find that you are an idea machine that churns out so
many ideas that you cant possibly find time for them all, how do
you know when to move forward on one?

The IDEA Criteria

The IDEA Criteria is something I use to evaluate each and every big
idea that I have, so that I know whether or not it is worth moving
forward onor how much time I want to invest at any given point.
It is broken down as follows:
As you can see, the four items spell out the word IDEA ... which is
clearly intentional. But it is really not forced in that all of those four
21

Ideals that I hold must be upheld by pursuing it.

Does not interfere with anything else that I am excited about.
In fact, it should complement it in some form or another.

Excitement about the idea must be lasting.

Able to generate direct or passive income.
things are what makes a good idea something that can take hold,
gain momentum, and lead to greater things for all involved.
Leaving something that is pretty much a sure thing and making
changes is scary stuff. Ive done it plenty of times and I still get
scaredwhich means that its something worthwhile. But I dont
just run into (or away from) something without weighing my
options.
Having this tool in my arsenal makes the scary stuff less scary. Or
perhaps it gives me an informed willingness to take on new things
rather than stay still and do the same old things. Either way, the
IDEA Criteria helps me make better decisions, and I have no doubt it
will also serve you well.

EXERCISE
A P P LY I N G T H E
IDEA CRITERIA
Take the first idea that you have written down from the idea
brainstorm you did earlier. Now apply the IDEA Criteria to that idea.
Then decide if it is an idea that is worth moving on now, later, or not
at all. Mark that down next to the idea by using a checkmark to
represent moving ahead now, an arrow pointing right to indicate
youll work on it later, and an x next to the ones that arent worth
moving on at all. (You could actually just cross out those not at all
ideas altogether -- which would be even better -- but if youre not
comfortable with that yet, just go with an x...for now.)
Continue doing this for at least ten ideas on your list. You can keep
going until youve applied The IDEA Criteria to all of your listed ideas,
but do at least ten for now. You can always do the others later.The
idea (pun totally intended) here is to build the habit of using the IDEA
Criteria for each and every idea you have from now on.

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What to Do If You Have too Many Ideas

do with it. If its something that sits in your review queue for
four weeks, drop it. Its clearly not crucial to you in the grand

Once youve curated your ideas using the above method, another
problem creeps inidea stagnation. I wind up doing a little bit with
each idea, and some are never seen through to completion. Its an
ongoing battle, and its something that Im not alone in.

scheme of things. And besides, if you let it go and it comes

back to you, then youll know its something that you need to

Theres nothing wrong with having too many ideas. But what you do
with them is far more important than just having them. Its like
having a lot of money but not doing anything with it. Sometimes
there are just too many options. Choice is good, but too much choice
can cause paralysis.
One of the best things about having ideas come to you regularly is
that youre never at a shortage of material to work with. But its the
working with part that is the hardest part.
Capturing your ideas is great, but thinking on them is what will keep
you from being trapped in overwhelm and bringing your ideas to
life.
If youre an idea machine, then learning to separate the projects
from the rejects is a skill worth learning. An idea on its own isnt
worth very much, and youre worth so much more than that.

act upon.

2. Adopt a mission statement

These come in handy when looking at what ideas youre
coming up with in that they keep you honest. If an idea fits in
with the mission statement youve adopted, youll have a
better understanding of whether or not it is something you
need to see through to the end. If there are any conflicts with
the statement, then its not something youre likely to build
or build well.

3. Create idea buckets

Put all of your ideas in a bucketand if youve got areas of
your life that are fundamental to your happiness (such as a
passion project, your work, or your family life), then create an
idea bucket for each. Every time you have an idea, throw it

1. Let them simmer until its time for a weekly review

into the pertinent bucket. When doing your weekly review

(which youre doing, right?) take a look at how many of those

When you have an idea, write it down. But dont do anything

with it until your weekly review daythe idea of such a

ideas are sitting in each bucket and how much progress has
been made on them. If they are sitting there with no actions

review was popularized by David Allen is his book Getting

Things Done. If the idea occurs to you less than two days

attached, it might be time to dump them. This tactic can be

used in conjunction with, or as an alternative to, the first

before your review day, dont do anything with it until the

following one. Let the ideas percolate and stand together with

tactic mentioned. I use both because once the idea has

simmered and its something that Im intending on doing, Ill

everything else you have to do. This will help you gain
perspective on the idea in terms of what you canand cant

put the idea in the corresponding bucket and turn it into a

project when the timing is right.
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4. Get Real
This one is by far the most subjective, as everyone has their
own way to do this. I look at all of my stuff (my task
management application, my calendar, etc.) and really look at
what I have time for. I connect with the ideas that Im fondest
of and know will bring about the most benefit to myself and
others. Then I start to cull. I adopt a mindfulness by doing this
regularly. Im not really meditating, but Im really getting in
touch with all that I have on my plate and decidingreally
decidingwhat can stay and what has got to go. This is the
hardest thing to do, usually because more ideas pop into my
head while Im doing it. But the ideas that come to mind
during this time rarely stick, as they are usually meant to keep
me from the objective at hand: to get real.

EXERCISE

What you need to do now is grab a calendaror just write down the
months of the year on a sheet of paper. Make sure you leave enough
room next to the name of the month so that you can put down the
idea on paper. Now, write an idea down for 9-10 of the 12 months in
the year (it's important to give yourself 2-3 months of breaks from
big ideas so that you can put your best work out there). You are
committing to bringing that idea to life in that month (or at least
starting the process of bringing it to life). The idea behind the idea
calendar is to make sure that you schedule when youre going to do
the bigger picture ideas in your life. You will want to keep this close
at hand throughout the year so that you can monitor your progress
and make sure that you stick to your committed months.
There is no cop-out here. Even if you are completing this exercise
outside of the month of January, you can use that sheet of paper
method and write down at least 12 months at a time. Then just
translate those commitments into the calendar of your choice when
the new yearly calendar is needed.

THE IDEA
CALENDAR
You wrote down a virtual ton of ideas during the initial meeting
exercise. You then put all of your ideas through the IDEA Criteria.
Now its time to start scheduling when you plan on making those
ideas happen.

Its time to put together an idea calendar.

This exercise is where the rubber meets the road.
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Idea Management Tools

Keep in mind that these are some of the tools Ive looked at
personally and feel can work for people. I may be missing some, but

Using the above exercises isnt the only way that you can manage
your ideas. There are certain pieces of technologyboth digital and

it is only because I wasnt a fan of them, or simply havent tried them

yet. I also have not listed pricing here as that can change over time.

analogthat will help you get the most out of the ideas that you
want to make happen and help you decide which ones arent worth

For more resources, including an up-to-date list of tools that you can
use, visit the Idea Management page on Productivityist.com. New

pursuing at all. Heres a list of those tools that I have used and
recommend.

and useful options will be added to the list regularly.

Unstuck

D I G I TA L
NeuYear Calendar

A N A LO G

This app is one that can help propel you forward,

but it does so through in-the-moment prompting.

The NeuYear calendar shows you the whole year at

once, meaning you can layout your goals for the year,

Unstuck has an amazing interface and is an

excellent app to have on your iPad for those

and see the big picture plans for your year in one
place. Its tailor-made to be used for an idea calendar

instances where you just get, well ... stuck.

and is also available as a dry-erase calendar.

Idea Bucket

Creatives Outfitter Stationary

This app lets you weigh ideas using real data, so the
look and feel may be more clinical, but sometimes

This store sells the analog wing of the Action Method

gear but also much more. With radiant and inspiring

thats just what you need when looking at options

for a new product or entrepreneurial pursuit.

colors, what they offer can really help make ideas

happen.

Knock Knock Stationary

With products like the Life Log Idea Notebook, these

products are a pleasure to use. Knock Knock really
does put the fun back in function.

25

TIME
MANAGEMENT
In this section, Mike will provide you with a better understanding of
how time plays a role in your productivity, and how you can really
take advantage of every moment you have.

26

W H AT Y O U L L
LEARN

How to make time work for you

Why being a night owl is just fine (Exercise)

What time chunking is and how to use it.

The Casino Experiment (Exercise)

Analog and digital tools for time management

Like Sand Through the Hourglass

...these are The Days of Our Lives.
Yes, it sounds cheesyespecially since that quote was taken from a
daytime soap operabut it is true. Time passes by without thinking
about who its affecting her how its affecting them. Just as we cant
control Mother Nature, we cant control Father Time.
But we can deal with time better. And thats what this section is all
about.
Its been said that the early bird gets the worm.
There are numerous articles on the web where writers tell you that
one of the best ways to become more productive is to get up early.
By doing so, you get a jumpstart on the rest of the world and reap
the benefits of a quiet work environmentamong other things.
Yet for the amount of articles about getting up early, there are many
people who struggle to do just that.
And Im one of them.
I tried time and time again to get up early, to reset my internal
clock to make that happen ... and I wasnt able to make it stick.
While failure isnt the worst thing in the world, after trying to
become an early riser more times than I can remember, this quote
came to mind:

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again

and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein
27

Now I wasnt doing the exact same thing each time I made an effort
to change my sleeping and waking habits, but I realized that the act

during the late hours the day beforehand; I am being proactive

in my own way.The notion that early risers are more

of trying to change my habits was the problem.

productive than night owls is a myth. They just do more

productive differently.

Thats where the insanity was coming into play.

I was frustrated that I simply couldnt do what I thought I should be
able to doand I couldnt figure out why it wasnt working.
And then it came to me: I was not meant to be an early riser. I am a
night owland I needed to embrace that rather than fight it.

Now lets look at another expression, one that is perhaps not so

common.

The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets
the cheese.

Why Its Okay to Be a Night Owl

Jeremy Paxman

To some that may mean that you should proceed with caution rather
than be first into the fray, but I tend to look at it differently.

Further to that, I examined how somebody whos a night owl could

essentially hack their day in the same way an early riser does.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the same benefits that apply to early risers
can belong to night owls too. Here are two examples of where this is
true, when enough foresight and thought are used in the process.
1.

Quiet Time. If youre up past the bedtimes of those in your

home, then youre going to get the same sense of quiet that the
early riser gets. I found that Im at my best in a creative sense
later in the day, once all of my essential actions and errands
have been taken care of. I call it my Finally Timeas in I
finally have the clarity of thought, quiet I need, and time I

There is no advantage to being an early riser over being a night owl

when it comes to increasing your productivity. Its all in how you
handle what comes at youday and nightand making sure that
you handle it in a way that suits you and your lifestyle. If you find
that you like getting up early, go for it. If you dont, then dont
change that.
Your body knows you better than the outside forces that compel you
to get up early or stay up late do. It knows when you're at your peak
and when you aren't. Listen to it and go with the flow.

want to get my great work done.

2.

Getting Ahead. While many are up at the crack of dawn and

getting an early start to their day, Im sleeping. And Im no
further behind because of it. Im no less productive than the
early riser because I did what they do in the morning hours
28

EXERCISE

1.

Over the next 7 days, make note of when you wake up and when
you go to bed.

DEALING WITH
YO U R B O DY C LO C K

2.

Review your history and honestly describe yourself as one of the

following: an early riser (regularly up and at em before 7 a.m.)
or a night owl (regularly up and at em past 12 a.m.). Make a note
of it in the space provided.

3.

As I mention in my manifesto, The Way of The Productivityist, you

shouldnt fight your body clock. You need to listen to your mind and

Now that you know what category you fit into (and if you fit into
both, then you need to commit to one or the otherthere is no
middle ground here) and commit to sticking to those times for 30
days. This way you will build a consistent sleeping and waking

body and drive yourself to do more when it works for you. Dont
drive yourself insane trying to do anything that doesnt. This exercise

habit that automates the process over the long haul.

should help set you up to figure out what your body clock is trying to
tell you. Heres the exercise:

SUN

MON

TUE

Rise: ________

Rise: ________

Rise: ________

Bed: ________

Bed: ________

Bed: ________

WED

THU

FRI

Rise: ________

Rise: ________

Rise: ________

Bed: ________

Bed: ________

Bed: ________

Questions
Are you regularly up and at em before 7 a.m.?

Turns out youre an early riser. Ideally you should go to

bed no later than 11 p.m every night.

Are you regularly up and at em past 12 a.m.?

Turns out youre a night owl.You should adjust your rising

time to ensure you get at least 8 hours of sleep per night.

S AT

Rise: ________
Bed: ________
29

The Process of Time Chunking

When you decide to start time chunking, I recommend you start

chunking by day of the week. Take certain days for certain things.

One of the best ways to manage not only your days, but your weeks
(and even larger portions of time), is to use a process called time

For example, you might want to make Monday the day that you do
all of your administrative work. That way you get the bulk of the

chunking.

have to stuff out of the way earlier in the week so that you can get
to the want to stuff for much of the rest of the week. On

Time chunking isnt a new process, but if it is new to you then its
worth examining how it has worked for me.
I have chunked my time on a daily basis, setting aside certain
chunks of the day for projects or tasks, depending on the time I had
at my disposal. But now I am now chunking by day of the week,
rather than by hours within a day of the week. I have dedicated
certain days to certain projects and tasks, allowing me to keep that
much further ahead of (or on top of) all that Ive got on my plate. In
fact, by switching to this method of time chunking, I was able to see
what projects I had room for in my life better than ever before. This
allowed me to make the decisions to stop working on those projects
with more confidence, since my time chunking process had shown
me what I had time for and what I didnt.
Also, by time chunking my week rather than my day, I have room
for more flexibility. I can play with the hours in a day now, whereas
I couldnt before.

Wednesday you could set aside some time to work on a project that
is really going to be exciting. That way you revitalize and recharge
in a way that can carry you through the rest of the work week.
Friday would be a great time to set some time chunks up for
reflection of the week gone by or a preparation for the week ahead.
Then you can go into the weekend with a clearer mind and actually
enjoy your time away from work more fully and completely.
Once youve gotten used to the idea of time chunking your days, then
you can break it down into hours of the day as well. This is where
tools like the Emergent Task Planner and apps like 30/30 for iOS
come into play. (But more on them later.)
Time chunkingand fine tuning the practicewill allow you to
work with optimum productivity. Its worth trying in some form or
another because it removes a decision from the process of doing:
what to do and when to do it.

(Yes, I work from home, but I know that a lot of people who dont
work from home can time chunk in the same manneror at least
use a combination of daily and weekly time chunkingso that they
can make better use of their work week. I know this because I did it
back when I worked in an office environment, and even when I
worked in retail management.)

30

EXERCISE
THE CASINO
EXPERIMENT
This may seem like a simple exercise, but trust me ... its not.
What I want you to do first is look at time chunking the next five
days. You can do this in any fashion, but the idea is to get the ball
rolling.
I only want you to time chunk by the day, not by the hour. The next
step is maybe a little ... unconventional.
On the first day that youve time chunked, I want you to remove all
manners of telling time from your work space. This includes the

Time Management Tools

On the following pages, youll find a list of several time management
tools.
These tools are ideally going to be helping you with your workflow.
Task management apps are generally what will help you deal with
the tasks you havewhich is a far greater indicator of personal
productivity than dealing solely with the time you have. Time
management tools are simply designed to help you make sure that
youre using your time wisely.
Keep in mind that these are some of the tools Ive looked at
personally and feel can work for people. I may be missing some, but
it is only because I wasnt a fan of them, or simply havent tried
them yet. I also have not listed pricing here as that can change over
time. For more resources, including an up-to-date list of tools that
you can use, visit the Time Management page on Productivityist.com.
New and useful options will be added to the list regularly.

following:

- the clock on your computer

30/30

- any mobile devices that can display time

This app will allow you to be very flexible with the

time you allow for tasks. That means you can spend

- any clocks that are within your working space

The idea is to get rid of any apparatus or any means that you may
have at your disposal to tell what time it is.
Next up: go about your day. Youve already put your plans in place
through time chunking, so just do those things. The idea here is that

one hour on one project and thirty minutes on

exercise, for example. Rather than use paper to put
down your most important tasks of the day, you can
use 30/30s lists to set these up in advance for daily
use.

you shouldnt be worrying about the time youve got on hand. You
should just be worrying about doing the work youve got on hand.
31

MyMinutes

A great way to track how long you have spent over a

longer period of time working on particular tasks.
This app is a great way to keep tabs on how long you
are engaged in deliberate practice.

@Timer

A simple timer that has pre-determined times ready to

go. If youre looking for something that requires no
set up and does one thing really well, @Timer is ideal.

The Emergent Task Planner

Created by Dave Seah, this is a great way to map out

your day on paper and keep it both manageable and
trackable.

Concentrate

The great thing about Concentrate is that you can go

really in-depth about what you want to be able to do
on your Mac at any given time. Its what I call a
forced discipline application, and it sure does the
trickI still use it to this day.

RescueTime

RescueTime gives you a comprehensive analysis of

the time you spend on your computer everyday, as
well as where you spend it. And all of that goes on in
the background so it doesn't require you to enter any
data.
32

CONCLUSION

I am ready and willing to seize the

opportunities life offers.

Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Its my hope that you found in these sections the fuel to get you
ready for what lies ahead. That said, this outlines the other

Within the pages of this workbook, weve gone over four

integral components that youll need to work on in order to

ingredient that you are going to need in order to have more

productive years to come.

boost your personal productivity. And if youve done the work,

then youre ready. Now all thats left to do is to get set ... and go

Youre going to need willpower.

Willpower isnt something that comes easy all the time. Thats in

bigger, faster, stronger than ever before.

Thanks for allowing me to help you get ready to go.

its very nature. But it definitely wont be any easier without the
right resources in place that will allow it to flourish. Thats what
these sections were designed to do: to give you tools, tips, and
tactics to allow that willpower that you have within you to come
out and help you get your work done.
And to get it done as efficiently and effectively as you possibly
can.

33