In the current reality, just time management no longer works. A more comprehensive approach is needed. Structural, flexible, selective and conscious.
«The world is not so sunny and friendly. This is a very dangerous, tough place. And if you just give up, it will knock you over with such force that you will not get up anymore. Neither you nor I, no one in the world beats as hard as life. It doesnt matter at all how you hit, but it matters what kind of punch you hold, how you move forward»
Rocky BalboaThis book is about such an approach. When you do the right things in an organized way, and do not hold punches that can be avoided. It is written to help you take control of your life as much as possible. It consists of six chapters. Each chapter is devoted to one of the processes that are going into a cycle and help ensure system life. The book is primarily about thinking, not about tools. At first it will seem that there is too much information. But as you read, the design will add up to a single picture. In the end, when you can look at the whole approach, everything will fall into place, systematize and become simple. Each person can set up this way of thinking and follow an understandable path to the result. If you know how to drive, then remember yourself in the first lessons with an instructor. If you dont know how, then imagine that you are studying. Remember or imagine the same feeling and fear when you dont know what to grab and where to look, threats seem to be everywhere, and stress turns off your brain. The purpose of this book is to make sure that behind the wheel of your life there is a confident driver who does everything automatically, confidently drives a car and guarantees the safety of himself and passengers on any new route.
Review of the book
Chapter 1. Analysis
Before you start moving, you need to analyze the current situation. In this chapter, we will figure out how to do this, what resources, barriers and opportunities you have. What goals seem important, and how to understand which ones are really important. Lets analyze self-realization, values, skills, root causes of problems, and what you lack to achieve your goals. When we analyze the current situation, it is important to treat it correctly and tune in to the start. To do this, lets figure out how motivation works, how to properly prepare and strengthen confidence.
Chapter 2. Planning
When it becomes clear what we have in the current situation, and there is the right attitude, you need to plan your route. This chapter will be about how to set goals correctly and plan their step-by-step achievement. How to prioritize, set tasks and assess risks. Lets analyze what to do in conditions of uncertainty and how to apply Agile approaches in life.
Chapter 3. Management
When the movement along the route has begun, it is important to manage yourself correctly and use time effectively. In this chapter, we will set up our digital self-organization system. We will analyze the most effective tools and techniques of time management, learn how to make decisions, relax properly and make useful habits.
Chapter 4. Optimization
There will be obstacles, mistakes and time wasters along the way. In this chapter we will talk about how to optimize processes, automate routine, configure tools and space for rational usage of resources. I will share my experience and approaches that allow you to optimize anything.
Chapter 5. Reflection
After each iteration, you need to consciously stop and summarize everything. In this chapter we will talk about the benefits of retrospective reflection. How to properly reflect and draw the right conclusions to improve your path and yourself in the future.
Chapter 6. Training
When you get to this chapter, you will already know what you should learn and in which direction to develop. Here you will learn why learning is just beginning, how to study properly and what skills to develop in order to always be flexible and in demand.
Chapter 1. Analysis
Prologue
Do what you can with what you
have and there where you are
Theodore Roosevelt
Why do we start with analysis if we can start doing it right away? After all, they shout from every corner: stop thinking, dont be a coward, take it and do it. They say that all the boundaries are in our head, they advise us to believe and visualize. To answer this question, read two tasks:
1. Two planes were flying at the same speed. One plane was in the air for 2 hours, and the other for 4 hours and flew 1400 km more than the first one. How many km did each plane fly?
2. Imagine that you have come up with a teleport at an affordable price. Anyone can get anywhere in the world instantly. What work do governments need to do because of such changes?
The first task is standard. If you have been studying at school for a long time, then it will even seem like a difficult task for you, but for a student with a portable speaker, it is simple. The main thing is that the problem has a clear «given», accurate input data, there is an exact answer and an algorithm for solving using specific formulas. You take it and decide. The second task is non standard and abstract. There is not a single correct answer in it. There are many alternatives, components and uncertainties in it. It is immediately unclear how to approach her.
The same about ambitious goal and the whole life. Life is a constant process of replacing some goals with others with increasing complexity. This ensures movement along the path of life without a destination. Growing from goal to goal gives pleasure from this process and makes you happy. There is a starting point «A» (your current situation) and a final point «B» (your goal). When you set yourself a goal and know what you need to do to achieve it, then this is a simple task. You dont even have to read books for her. You just need to do it. Apply the well-known formula, as in the problem about airplanes. When you set an ambitious goal that you have not previously achieved and do not know how to do it, then this is a complex abstract task. Difficult goals give a strong result. The path to a difficult goal is always working with the future and what you do not know, do not know how, do not expect. Therefore, you cant just take a step from point «A» to point «B» because you start going with what you have in the current situation. Neither with a case of money, nor with extra hours in the day, nor with someones help. Just what you have and go ahead. Analysis is the starting action in any process that will allow you to build a reliable foundation for a bridge from point «A» to «B». If we do not know how to get to point «B», then this does not mean that we will read the tea leaves and learn to believe in the great success. We will analyze and try to get our «given» in a difficult task. This will help you plan not in a vacuum and build on real data. The main task of the analysis is to understand where we want to go, and what is there for this. Analysis gives awareness and reduces rapid irrational reactions to events. This allows you to plan the shortest route. And also see the possibilities that can simplify and speed it up.
«The main thing in chess is not how many moves ahead you think, but how you analyze the current situation»
Garry KasparovFor myself, I have identified important groups of resources and opportunities that are important to analyze at the beginning. These include: the spheres of life, environment, skills, motivation and mindset. I noticed that the changes in these groups began to have a positive effect on my life. And I have also repeatedly seen how problems in these groups prevented people from changing their lives for the better. Then well talk about each group in more detail. Fasten your seat belts, were starting.
Spheres of life
To analyze the current state of life, you can use the pop tool «Balance Wheel». Dont rush to close the book. Its not what you think. The balance wheel is used by different coaches, it has become boring to everyone and seems a bit childish. But no matter how cool and smart you are, this tool clearly shows the situation and raises questions about itself. More than once I observed the reaction «Oh, cmon, why do we need this wheel anyway» when people filled it in. And then they could not tear themselves away in reasoning about what this wheel consists of, and what kind of assessment should be put there. It doesnt matter in what form you do it, even if its just a list. The grades you set are important. For example, I just use columns, as in the equalizer in the player.
Balance equalizer
The main goal is not to balance the wheel, but to see your life settings. So, you can make an upper-level slice to move from the general to the particular. How to set a preset in the equalizer and make more subtle settings? For example, you select «rock» and the sliders fall into place. Then you tweak it for yourself and get a sound that suits you. So, lets use the concept of «Balance equalizer», not «Wheel». And we will also agree that our goal is to see the current state of the spheres of life, and not to balance them. I dont believe that the wheel can be balanced in general. It will change over the course of life, as values and the concept of happiness will change. Therefore, it will look different in different periods.
You know perfectly well what to do. Take a piece of paper or an online service. Draw 10 columns: «health», «energy», «time», «family», «love», «finances», «friends/environment», «career/business», «hobbies», «development». This is the base, and usually it is enough. Once it was decided that the balance of these spheres would make life happy. All people are unique and think in their own categories. Therefore, the wheel format raises questions again. Everything that you consider an important part of life, you can add as a new column. For example, I add «recreation», «sports» and «nutrition» separately. They are included in the «health» by default, but it is important for me to see and record the assessment separately. There is no need to delve into and come up with what is included in each item. If its hard to figure out, then divide one item into two different ones. When the columns are ready, then evaluate each sphere on a 10-point scale, where from 0 to 3 is a complete absence or minimal satisfaction; from 4 to 7 is an average degree, something has already been achieved, but not ideal; from 8 to 10 is maximum satisfaction.
It is important to identify fundamental problem areas. To improve anything, you need to understand what is wrong there now. Then fix it, achieve stability and then further growth. Very often, after watching enough successful posts or seeing an imbalance in the balance wheel, people immediately think about high goals and begin to take rash actions. For example, they buy a gym membership, and then it gets dusty on the table since there is a lot of work, no strength, etc. Its not their fault. This is how our brain works. It doesnt understand the past and the future. It perceives thoughts about a beautiful body as if you already have a beautiful body. Gives you a kick, you do harsh things, and then comes up with an explanation to save energy. At such moments, the owner of the fitness club rejoices and pumps the sphere of finance in the balance wheel at your expense. If you didnt know, then fitness clubs know about this mechanism, and this is their earnings model. You buy a subscription and dont go there. Just send your money and thats it. Its perfect. By this I want to say that before you aim at a big goal, you need to patch holes in fundamental things.
If you have from 1 to 3 on the balance wheel in the areas of «health», «energy», «time», «finance», then starting to move towards a big goal is like bailing out water with a bucket in a boat with a hole. It is always necessary to solve fundamental problems first in order to be in line for new changes. Evaluate your spheres of life, highlight the areas with the smallest ratings. Then line them up in a list from the most important to the least important. The top 4 must include: «health», «energy», «time» and «finance». If you have bad grades there, then forget about everything else for now and concentrate on them. Without them, you simply will not be able to start and finish the job.
Environment
Everyone knows the proverbs «tell me who your friend is, and Ill tell you who you are» or «two peas in a pod.» They are most cheerfully known as «London is the capital of Great Britain». Every second person utters them, but has never meaningfully thought about his environment and its influence. The environment is one of the strongest factors affecting you. Each person pays attention to social connections with 150 people. Real social connections, not all 600 friends on a social network. The figure of 150 was confirmed by the evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar back in the 60s. In his theory, he calls all 150 people friends, but in fact, real friends are about 5 people. Then there are 15 people of friends and acquaintances. They make up your close circle of friends.
Model of a persons social environment
At each level, you spend time communicating, giving emotions, energy and thoughts. And what is important you also get them from the environment. Someone is charging you and supporting you. Someone is just crying to you or complaining about life. Someone wants to discuss gossip or impose their interests. Someone has not achieved anything themselves and does not want you to achieve it. Someone is genuinely happy for you, and someone smiles into your eyes, and then discusses with their friends what an asshole you are.
Until 2013, I myself had never thought about the environment. Ive always been surrounded by my best friends. We had common interests and each others support. We studied, worked, had a cool vacation and made music. It was a great time; it was a separate life. Then some left Donetsk, and some lived far away. We rarely saw each other, and messengers were not so popular then. Most of the time I was working. I went to the factory, where most of my entourage were factory workers. There were a lot of cool guys there, but the composition of the shifts often changed, and I rarely crossed paths with them. Then I just got into the universe of workers, where many people think that no one can achieve anything on their own, that everywhere there are small salaries, the bosses are assholes, they all pumped themselves into cars and apartments, and the president does not worry about our well being, and we are simply used as slaves. There were shifts of 12 hours, so I listened to this attitude to life and the world almost around the clock. I couldnt not communicate, but I didnt support anyone either. I thought that if I dont think so, then I just listen to them like a radio, and it doesnt affect me. One day, in another conversation with my wife about buying an apartment in Donetsk, I caught myself thinking that I also began to think so. That everyone is to blame for me, and apartments cost a lot of money, and you cant earn money on them in an honest way. I just felt that I was becoming like these people at the factory. Whose goals in life do not go beyond a bottle of cognac on the weekend. After that, I just got sick of work, and I wanted to change everything. Country, city, job, everything to completely reset. So that Will Smith «flashed» me a device from «Men in Black», and I forgot all about these times.