The Incrementalist

Your start-up sequence - after you wake up - affects your mood and sets the tone for your day. While you can make shifts and practice good habits later in the day, it's better to get quick wins with your morning routine.

In episode 14 of The Incrementalist podcast, you will learn: 

1. A routine doesn’t have to be rigid. You could have different themes depending on your energy level, the focus of your day, the season of your life, or the season of the year. 

2. A routine may include fixed tasks or variable tasks. A fixed task is what you do every morning; maybe it's drinking water or tea, or taking a walk. A variable task is what you can move or drop depending on the situation; maybe it's eating breakfast or going to the gym.  You decide what’s negotiable and what’s not.  

3. The difference between a routine and a ritual. A routine is a sequence of behaviors and habits that you do in a certain order. They are things you do automatically and repeatedly without conscious thought.  A ritual requires focus and attention to the present moment.  Rituals are meaningful activities you do deliberately. 

4. Key things to include in your morning routine - 

• Movement
• Sunlight
• Quick wins, e.g. make your bed, drink water

5. Key things to avoid in your morning routine - 

• Online activity, e.g. social media, news, emails
• The snooze button or multiple alarms
• Sugary foods

6. Hal Elrod's 6 steps to create a morning routine and save you from a life of unfulfilled potential. They are Life S.A.V.E.R.S

• Silence
• Affirmation
• Visualization
• Exercise
• Reading
• Scribing

Resources cited: 

• Hal Elrod, The Miracle Morning
• The Incrementalist podcast, Ep. 2, Building Good Habits
• The Incrementalist podcast, Ep. 3, Breaking Bad Habits

Music by:

• Sebastian Brian Mehr

Dyan Williams
Check out the book: The Incrementalist, A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps
Visit website: www.dyanwilliams.com
Subscribe to productivity e-newsletter

If you find yourself rushing through tasks, worrying about things you’re not doing, or having items linger for weeks or months, you might think that to-do lists don’t work. Your to-do list didn’t appear by itself. You made it. So maybe the answer is not to stop making to-do lists. Instead, you need to be more intentional and organize it around your real priority or priorities.

In episode 13 of The Incrementalist podcast, you will learn 5 reasons why to-do lists might not work and what you can do to make them work better.

Reason #1: You’re using too many mediums or the wrong medium.
Solution: Choose one medium that’s right for you or use the lowest number of organizational task management systems that help you do the things you need to get done.

Reason #2: You have too many things on your to-do list.
Solution:  Keep it short and simple. Less is more. Use your weekly planning session to set your daily to-dos. 

Reason #3: Your to-do list doesn’t prioritize what really matters.
Solution: Be more selective and intentional when you make your to-do list. If you’re not eager to do a task, ask yourself whether it’s vital for you to personally complete. If it is, stop procrastinating and take action. If it’s not, dump it from your list, delegate the task, or move it to your someday/maybe list.

Reason #4: You define your items too broadly.
Solution: Break down goals and projects into manageable action steps. Divide big tasks into smaller sub-tasks that are actionable.

Reason #5: You have too many micro steps.
Solution:  Switch to macro steps. Tasks like clean the office, write blog post, and prepare notes for podcast episode are macro. You don’t always need to break up projects into small steps. Even though it works to make big changes in small steps, you start with tiny only when it’s necessary to gain traction. 

When created without much thought, your to-do list can make it hard to execute on important tasks or steer you toward low leverage tasks. But when made with intention, your to-do list can help you stay on track, get organized around your priorities, channel your attention, and make steady progress on what matters.  

Resources cited: 

• David Allen, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
• The Incrementalist podcast, Ep. 8, How to Plan Your Ideal Week
• The Inrementalist podcast, Ep. 9, Why Weekly Planning Works

Music by:
Sebastian Brian Mehr

Dyan Williams
Check out the book: The Incrementalist, A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps
Visit website: www.dyanwilliams.com
Subscribe to productivity e-newsletter

Linear thinking is the common, default mode when we work on projects and tackle problems. This includes making specific plans and listing action steps. It keeps us organized and on track. But linear thinking is not effective in addressing adaptive challenges with uncertain outcomes. 

To get unstuck and solve complex problems, you could blend Divergent Thinking and Convergent Thinking. This leads to creative problem solving, where you generate new, original ideas that are meaningful, valuable and practical. 

In 1956, American psychologist J.P. Guilford coined the terms Divergent Thinking and Convergent Thinking to describe two cognitive approaches to tackle problems and find innovative solutions. The interplay between these two contrasting styles of mental processing leads to optimal performance. 

Divergent thinking asks, “Why not?” Convergent thinking asks, “Why?” 

Divergent thinking generates different ideas and multiple solutions. You begin with a prompt and generate many solutions. Although the process is structured, you stay open-minded and open-ended as you brainstorm ideas and explore possibilities. There’s no analysis, no judgment, and no arguments being made.

Convergent thinking narrows down multiple ideas into a single solution.  You begin with information and converge around a solution that works best. You organize your ideas, evaluate and analyze them, weigh the pros and cons, and make decisions.

In episode 12 of The Incrementalist podcast, you will discover:

1) The four steps in JP Guilford's model of creative thinking

• Define the problem you wish to solve
• Apply Divergent Thinking to spark ideas and create choices
• Use Convergent Thinking to evaluate ideas and make choices
• Finalize the solution and prepare to implement it

2) Why you need to keep the two modes of thinking separate from each other

3) How to use Nominal Group Technique (NGT) for brainstorming sessions

4) Creativity tactics to generate ideas and innovation 

• Work under a lofty ceiling
• Make noise
• Dim the lights
• Get a good night's sleep
• Take a nap
• Do yoga. Or meditate

5) Two examples of Divergent Thinking and Convergent Thinking working together to create a successful service or product: Twitter (social medial platform) and 3M's Post-it® Note (sticky note). 

Resources cited:

• Anne Manning, Divergent vs. Convergent Thinking: How to Strike a Balance (May 10, 2016, Harvard Extension School, Professional Development Blog)
• Donald M. Rattner, My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation
• Dyan Williams, Mind Mapping: A Mental Tool for Generating Ideas and Solving Problems, ABA Law Practice Today

Music by:

• Sebastian Brian Mehr

Stay creative & logical,

Dyan Williams
Check out the book: The Incrementalist, A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps
Visit website: www.dyanwilliams.com
Subscribe to productivity e-newsletter

To solve problems, you must access and activate the neural networks in your brain.  There’s the task-positive network and the task-negative network. Task-positive is focused mode. And task-negative is diffused mode. You cannot use both at the same time. Instead, you move from one to the next to fully understand a problem and generate the best ideas to solve it.

In episode 11 of The Incrementalist podcast, you will discover:

• The difference between the focused mode and the diffused mode of thinking
• The reasons you need both modes to learn new things and solve problems
• The limitations of the focused mode, e.g. Einstellung effect
• The limitations of the diffused mode, e.g. lack of deliberate practice
• Salvador Dali and Thomas Edison's use of micronaps (hypnagogia) to get unstuck and generate ideas
• How to activate each thinking mode and move from one mode to the other
• Why mind mapping is better than linear note taking for connecting ideas and seeing the big picture

Resources cited: 

• Barbara Oakley, Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential
• Daniel Levitin, Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload
• Dyan Williams, Mind Mapping: A Mental Tool for Generating Ideas and Solving Problems, ABA Law Practice Today

Music by:

• Sebastian Brian Mehr

Stay focused & diffused,

Dyan Williams
Check out the book: The Incrementalist, A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps
Visit website: www.dyanwilliams.com
Subscribe to productivity e-newsletter

Work and rest are not competitors; they are equal partners. Active rest is a skill that you integrate into your day. It’s not just the absence of work. 

In this episode, you will learn 6 tips to rest deliberately even when you're busy: 

• Tip 1: Try napping for 20 minutes, preferably after lunch when you're in the afternoon slump. If you're in an office setting where naps are not convenient, sit comfortably in a quiet space, close your eyes, and rest.  
• Tip 2: Participate in deep play that is physically engaging, but not too mentally taxing. Physical activity and creative hobbies are highly restorative.
• Tip 3: Savor a real break instead of mix it with work. After every 90 to 120 minutes of focused work, it's ideal to detach and rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Unplug and leave the digital devices behind. 
• Tip 4:  Take a vacation or sabbatical. You reach maximum restoration with 7 to 8 days of vacation. The benefits of a vacation can last for 2 months or so. Aim to take one every 2 to 3 months for peak performance. At the very least, have weekends when you switch completely off from work. 
• Tip 5: Set clear boundaries between work and rest. If you do remote work, you could create a fake commute to transition from home to office mode. Keep a start-up routine to transition into work and a shut-down routine to move out of it. 
• Tip 6: Consider workplace cultures, structural changes and societal dimensions of work. Law firms and consulting services, for example, might need to shift from time-based to project-based billing to encourage optimal work-to-rest ratios. Personal productivity can only go so far if your work environment or organizational culture doesn't support deep work and deep play.

Resources cited:

• Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less
• Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, Shorter: Work Better, Smarter, and Less - Here's How 

Music by: 

• Sebastian Brian Mehr

Cheers,

Dyan Williams
Check out the book: The Incrementalist, A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps
Visit website: www.dyanwilliams.com
Subscribe to productivity e-newsletter

A Weekly Planning session gives you a broader perspective of what you need to get done. It also gives you more flexibility to get the right things done. It's often more essential than a daily to-do list or a daily action plan.

In this episode, you'll learn about why weekly planning works, and how it creates more clarity, control, focus and flow:

1. Clarity: Weekly planning reduces overwhelm and makes space for your best work with greater ease. It gives you more direction in how you will move forward on your high-level projects, while taking care of routine tasks and obligations to others. 

• The Five Projects Rule
• The four blocks to plan your days in each week: focus blocks, social blocks, admin blocks and recovery blocks

2.  Control: Weekly planning reduces stress and feelings of defeat because it puts you in control of the next 7 days. It not only gives you more flexibility, but also allows you to be more spontaneous.  You have a whole week, not just a day to accomplish key tasks. 

• The Eisenhower Matrix or Priority Matrix: important and urgent; important and not urgent; urgent and not important; not important and not urgent
• Do, defer (schedule), delegate, drop

3. Focus: Weekly planning gives you more freedom to focus. It makes daily planning easier because you can add, delete, and check tasks off as you move through the week. It puts you in proactive mode instead of just react to what comes up in the day or what’s coming up the next day. 

• Triage your calendar and task list
• Use weekly to-do list instead of a daily one

4. Flow: Weekly planning produces more flow, which is the optimal experience in which you’re so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. It's a key ingredient of a meaningful and happy life. 

• Synch with your natural rhythm
• Align with context and circumstances
• Consider the concept of state-dependent recall

Resources cited: 

• Kate Northrup, Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Ambitious Women
• Charlie Gilkey, Start Finishing: How to Go From Idea to Done

Music by:

• Sebastian Brian Mehr

Cheers,

Dyan Williams
Check out the book: The Incrementalist, A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps
Visit website: www.dyanwilliams.com
Subscribe to productivity e-newsletter

What do you want to have done in the week? What are the big things you can do to call the week a success and make it great? 

Unexpected things will come up. Tasks will take longer than you expected. Distractions and interruptions will pull you away. But you’re more likely to accomplish what you must when you plan for it and begin with the end in mind. 

In this episode, I discuss achieving more by doing less in a week. You will learn: 

1. How to consolidate by planning your Ideal Week 

• The concepts of batching and theming
• The categories of front stage, back stage, and off stage activities
• The use of color codes in your weekly plan or calendar to reflect focus areas

2. How to designate by prioritizing your tasks with the Weekly Review and Preview

• The best times to do a weekly review and preview
• The six steps in a weekly planning session: list your biggest wins; review the prior week; review your lists and notes; check goals, projects, events, meetings and deadlines; designate your Weekly Big 3 things to accomplish; and plan for self-care

3. How to streamline your to-do list

• The four areas to help you design your week and your weekly to-dos: body; mind; heart; and the cosmos. 
• The importance of margin or buffer time

Resources cited: 

• Michael Hyatt, Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less
• Kate Northrup, Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Ambitious Women

Music by:

• Sebastian Brian Mehr

Cheers,

Dyan Williams
Check out the book: The Incrementalist, A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps
Visit website: www.dyanwilliams.com
Subscribe to productivity e-newsletter

Time Blocking helps you to get unstuck, stop procrastinating, and move forward on a project. It makes time and space for tasks that need attention. It’s a way to chunk projects into smaller parts so it’s easier to start and make steady progress. 

You set time blocks with a start time and end time to work on a specific activity. You could single focus on one difficult, high-leverage project like a strategic marketing plan, or batch process similar, low-level tasks like responding to emails and returning telephone calls. You can move around time blocks if true emergencies and unexpected delays come up. You can schedule new time blocks if you need more to finish the task.

Scheduling a time block goes beyond making a to-do list. It tells you when exactly you will do a task, in what context and under what circumstances, and for how long. It encourages you to take deliberate action steps and to block out distractions and interruptions.

Time Boxing helps you to stay within scope, avoid perfectionism, and finish and deliver a project on time. It puts time constraints on projects that tend to take too long to complete. It takes advantage of Parkinson's law, which states that work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion. Having a cut-off time to stop working on a task makes you more mindful of the value you bring, rather than the hours you put in.

A timebox can be as short as 15 minutes to several months, depending on the activity or project. One project might take one or two steps, while another requires hundreds of steps. A timebox has project milestones, deadlines and deliverables. 

In this episode, I cover:

• The Pomodoro Technique, a popular method for time blocking
• How time blocks help you do deep work, improve your ability to focus, and make progress on the right things at the right pace for the relevant deadlines
• The core problem with the billable hour model
• How time boxes help you to be more efficient, intentional and results-oriented

Resources cited: 

• Francesco Cirillo, The Pomodoro Technique: The Acclaimed Time-Management System That Has Transformed How We Work
• Cal Newport, Deep Work (Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World)

Music by:

• Sebastian Brian Mehr

Cheers,

Dyan Williams
Check out the book: The Incrementalist, A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps
Visit website: www.dyanwilliams.com
Subscribe to productivity e-newsletter

It's a common belief that perfectionism is one of the main causes of procrastination. Does having high standards make it harder to start?  Many of my colleagues in the legal profession, for example, have perfectionist tendencies. Procrastination can get lawyers into trouble. It creates high stress and anxiety, and often leads to subpar work and serious errors.

But as it turns out, there’s no strong link between perfectionism and procrastination, says Dr. Piers Steel. He’s a professor and leading researcher on the science of motivation and procrastination. He’s the author of the book, The Procrastination Equation.

Dr. Steel has a mathematical formula that accounts for motivation and procrastination. It is [Expectancy (E) x Value (V)] divided by [Impulsiveness (I) x Delay (D)] = Motivation

The formula is based on 30 years of research and hundreds of studies. To have more motivation, and less procrastination, you want the numerators (E and V) to be high and the denominators (I & D) to be low. 

In this episode, I describe 4 ways to stop procrastinating and just start: (1) create success spirals; (2) practice mental contrasting; (3) get super-focused; and (4) set clear goals. Success spirals increase expectancy, mental contrasting raises value, super-focus reduces impulsiveness, and clear goals minimize delay. 

I review Dr. Gabriele Oettingen's WOOP method for incorporating If-Then statements into your plan for overcoming obstacles. WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan. 

I also explain Dr. Tim Pychyl's theory that procrastination is an emotion management problem, not a time management issue. We procrastinate because we’re thinking about all the things that might happen rather than just starting what we have to do. Procrastination is a coping strategy to deal with negative emotions like frustration and anxiety. It is based on assumptions that the task won’t feel good. 

When we procrastinate, we have less time to complete the project.  We sometimes tell ourselves we work better under pressure. But we just make more errors when we wait until the deadline is tomorrow. 

Whatever you have to do, just start now. 

Resources Cited: 

• Pierce Steel, The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done
• Gabriele Oettingen, Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation 
• Timothy A Pychyl, Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for Change

Music by:

Sebastian Brian Mehr

Cheers,

Dyan Williams
Check out the book: The Incrementalist, A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps
Visit website: www.dyanwilliams.com
Subscribe to productivity e-newsletter

To move in the desired direction, you need more flow in your life, says Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, renowned psychologist and author of the groundbreaking book, Flow. He defines flow as the optimal experience in which you’re so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. You enjoy it for its own sake and will keep at it even with great cost. Flow is a key ingredient of a meaningful and happy life. 

But amped up flow doesn’t lead to ongoing success. While flow is necessary for peak performance, it’s not enough to sustain it, says Steven Kotler. He’s the author of many neuroscience books, including The Art of Impossible. He’s a peak performance expert and Executive Director of Flow Research Collective. 

In this episode, I review the 5 intrinsic motivators, the 3 tiers of goal-setting, and the 6 levels of grit, and how they all come together to trigger flow.  I also discuss the 9 elements of flow, which means your biology is working for you to perform at your peak. 

You will learn how the flow cycle leads to reliable and repeatable results. Through compound interest, the minutes, hours, days, months and years of focus and effort add up to make the impossible possible.

Resources cited: 

• Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
• Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer 

Music by:

• Sebastian Brian Mehr

Dyan Williams
Check out the book: The Incrementalist, A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps
Visit website: www.dyanwilliams.com
Subscribe to productivity e-newsletter