Stripping back to basics

This coaching tool is new to me, but it is helping me identify what are - each month - the most important areas to focus on and give my precious time and attention to. It is called The Get Productive Grid - and whilst it is full of messaging about productivity and being on top of things - I think the most useful message is about stripping back to the fundamentals of life: what are the top priorities and what does each need from me right now? It is a process of pruning life back to the basics, and getting a bird’s eye view on what I have room for, and what will need to wait.

Have a look at the picture below of a Grid I made up for October. There are 4 quadrants, which remain the same each time you use the grid. Above the horizontal line is anything that is about LIFE - be it family, home, fitness, friends or pastimes. Anything below the line is about WORK - whether you are employed, self-employed or even out of work and wondering what to do next. It could also include voluntary work and anything that requires a professional and working mind. I don’t love the distinction between these two - I’m not a fan of the phrase ‘work-life balance’; however it does provide some easy compartmentalisation to get going with.

Anything to the left of the vertical line is about what is EXTERNAL to us - where we have control and influence - that lies in our circle of concern (see resources on Steven Covey’s Circles of Influence coming up…). This might include different aspects of our job or business, new projects that you want to develop, social events to put in the diary, or an area of your home that needs your attention. To the right of the vertical line is anything that is INTERNAL to us - our thinking, our own development and learning, or anything that we need to feel resourced or nourished.

You can use this grid for long term thinking - to think about what you want to address across a year. You can use is to fine tune, and consider what needs your attention most urgently month to month. You can also use it for some more detailed weekly planning - even a day if that feels right. The Grid allows you to focus on the essentials, even noting the nice-to-haves.

The way to use it in practice is: to make is visible - and to highlight those things that get attended to, to give you a visual reward of progress and achievement. It will also help you prioritise your to-do list and ensure that that list includes things that will ensure you remain in balance - as far as possible - both with internal and external considerations, and how work fits into our broader lives.

Have a go - and I look forward to hearing whether it is a useful tool to help prune back to the essentials. In my case, I hope this type of pruning will create a new kind of planning habit that does not feel too onerous, has some in-built accountability and strategic thinking, and is quite forgiving - there is only so much room on the page! I’m storing up for more sustainable habits to grow later on.

Please have a look here for further information, more resources, and a link to the book and packages of support from Magdelena Bak-Meier.