WELCOME WELCOME to this new tea-infused video about how I use my monthly section of my work planner. I am fondly calling this the Distraction Method. LMK what you think!
Sometimes distraction can be good -- I wouldn't have found your video if I hadn't been distracted by TH-cam. More seriously, it's a excellent idea and I'm going to use it in the planner I'm using to plan and track progress on my PhD, 'Research' is a great distraction, especially as it's easy to persuade yourself that it's legit and necessary, but writing it down like this will help me pinpoint when it is and when it's (pleasurable) procrastination. Thank you.
Haha great point 😂 So glad you did find it though. That reminds me of a saying I heard once - a writer's room is never cleaner than when they have to write. Procrastinating with "productive" tasks is still a distraction lol. Hope you find use out of this!
Oh it’s so very easy to distract yourself while doing your PhD with other legitimate research/PhD-related tasks. Why write your thesis when you can look for more references instead 😹
This is why, when supervising procrastinatey people (read: myself), I never ask the question, "What are you doing?" Because the answer to that question is always "research." Instead, I say, "tell me about your task." That question inspires a little more reflection and honesty.
This is really similar to something I learned in a faculty writing and productivity program (I'm a university faculty member). They termed it "resistance" that can take many forms (mental blocks, external disruptions or unexpected needs, shifting priorities, etc.) and to identify them without judgement or criticism. Because sometimes those things are perfectly valid, even if they have consequences in your plan. Love seeing how you're utilizing the monthly spread for tracking patterns!
I'm definitely using this but retrofitting to fit my life. It could help me track my ADHD symptoms for those times when my brain wants to go squirrel or crazy ferret modes. 🤣 Thank you for such a lovely idea.
my adhd brain recently started going zoomies mode. it makes me feel like a chihuahua is running around throughout my brain or body and i just can’t move edit: no i don’t get anything done ever.
My ADD is getting worse as I get older! I’m easily distracted by anything and everything sometimes. I’m also looking for a way to keep up with what I need to accomplish on a daily basis for my job and this seems to be a set up I can use to stay on task as much as possible for a hospice social worker whose day never goes as planned!!!
I work in tech too, with Sprints. This is a solid idea! I *just* spent 2h stopping work on my goals because I found a bug and I needed to document it in a JIRA ticket (you'll know Rachelle!). The whole time I was like OMG this is taking FOREVER but it's critical to our product. But I can use it as an example to clear up WHY I lost time on the goal. So thank you--definately going to use this one!
YES I've been waiting for someone who is also in the throes of sprints, JIRA and tech to comment 😄 I hope this works for you and thanks so much for watching!!!
I'm in a similar role/environment - I'm a Data Analyst. I am super excited to also try this out, I think it will be beyond helpful not only in 1x1 reviews but also in retros. A lot of our "distractions" don't actually get logged in JIRA, especially when they come from execs/c-suite or I have to walk a stakeholder through something like different metrics, dimensions, or just how to use a new tool/visualization/analysis.
I work as PO of 3 squads, this is really helpful and give me ideas. Usually I only use monthly planner as a timeline tracking for when we start dev, testing sit,uat,etc. and since my boss adding another squad, I start to struggle to keep track to what happen in each squad, each sprint specially since each squad start their sprint at different time . I think I will make 1 monthly planner dedicated for each squad 😍 it's quicker to open 3 planners at the same time than opening jira of each squad 😊
I cannot get enough of your content - I feel like I have a whole new lens when looking at the same planners and tools that I’ve dismissed or underutilized in the past. Cannot thank you enough!
I've actually done this for myself for decades. 🙂 Its weird to see it as a video by someone else . This process works well for keeping accountability, setting work habits, and process improvement. It is invaluable for goal setting and performance review writing (both my own and for my direct reports). Since I'm prone to analysis paralysis when it comes to planners this is just my " Task book". Not due date tracker, planner, to do list, etc. all those terms can be a trigger terms for me. It's also a lot simpler than the following description looks. I've always used a cheap composition book with a hand drawn monthly spread/calendar and subsequent pages for that month that just list tasks (no due dates). For some reason I don't mind scribbling or making error corrections in cheap composition book as much as I do in my actual planner that I carry to meetings. The Task book stays on my desk next to my monitor. It is consulted in the morning and priorities and C3s are transferred to the planner. Throughout the day new tasks are added and progress recorded in the Task book. At the end of the day the planner is reconciled with items in the task book and the process repeats. The monthly page holds the "distractions", set backs and roadblocks for progress and process improvement meetings. The Task book pages just list the tasks, then a status such as; Completed on time (COT), Done (check mark), Carried Over (C/O then 1,2 or 3) and Cancelled/Transferred with a note as to why. Your mileage may vary with your own status codes/symbols. The task due date or project details were kept in an MS Project file so I did not need them in my pages. Carried Over means that I intended to do a task yesterday but carried it over to the next day due to a distraction. So C1 is carried over 1 day, C2 carried over two days etc. If I get to a C3 it's time to explore why, check my distractions, and speak to management to inform them of a potential delay and/ or ask for suggestions BEFORE something goes late. Whatever corrective actions or next step suggestions are determined, they are recorded as part of the C3 task. The corrections/actions themselves become new tasks at the bottom of the list awaiting their own checkmark or ☆. Sometimes I link the tasks with a line or use the same colored highlighter for tracking. When a page becomes full of tasks and a fresh page is needed. All non completed tasks and the last status are copied to the fresh page and the process continues. Statuses are simply listed next to the task until a completed checkmark or ☆ is recorded. No columns or lines unless you choose to. I never number the tasks because carry overs become a tracking nightmare. Just keep things simple. Such as the sample below: Review Document BAC-123 for approval - CO1 distraction, CO2 review complete , CO3 Engaged Manager, Suggested Call and group E-mail all approves for approval ETA include all management., CO 4 Manager suggested actions completed, CO5 Transferred to manager for follow up, My actions COT ☆ Complete training COT , ☆ Cancel Feedback meeting - CO 1 distraction BAC-123, COT2 COT ☆ BAC-123 calls ☆ BAC- 123 group E-mails ☆ BAC-123 At Manager notification process escalated approvals as priority, *** Note . If a task is dragging out leave the note "SEE BELOW" OR "MORE" and add a new entry t the end of the list or leave extra space between entries on a fresh page 🙂 Yup - I'm just that insane . 🤣🙃🙄 But apparently so are some of you 👍
Ty so much for this! I'm a habitual procrastinator when it comes to some things (like making phone calls for certain things- it gives me extreme anxiety) & I've been trying to find a system to track how many times/days I've put something off until the next day (because sometimes it gets put off for weeks! 😬) & the system you just described- I think that will work perfectly for me! 🙏
Dude. This is mind-blowing. Much more feasible and manageable than time-tracking. I am definitely going to start doing this in my work planner. It’s also a much better use for my monthly calendar, which at the moment is used for something redundant.
This is really helpful. I've never used the monthly view much, and didn't even give that any thought! I'd love to hear more about the sprint idea (maybe you've done this--I need to check!)
Personally, I use my monthly in the Hobonichi to schedule meeetings and track when my projects are completed because I collab with people for work. But this distraction method is a helpful idea because it gives both you and your manager accountability. I don't think managers understand how much "urgent" tasks take away from priority tasks. Whenever I have to do stuff that isn't part of the main project, it makes my week feel chaotic like I got nothing done!
this is extremely useful, but something i haven't thought of before somehow. a lot of tasks (usually chores) get migrated to next week because uni stuff takes up all my time and i'd love to be more aware of why that happens. i'll definitely be utilizing this way of thinking moving forward! thank you!
I have ADHD so seeing the title gave me a laugh - my default mode it distraction! 😂 But I'm glad I clicked, it can be really easy to answer the question of what distracted me with "everything" but I have noticed, that writing them down, even if it's the same few things for a few days, helps me notice it more in the moment. That said, I never thought to make a space for myself to specifically do that - I just would get frustrated and start journaling about it sometimes. So thank you! I think making sure to do this regularly will help me reign my distraction in a bit better so I can start being less frazzled in my day to day. Also is sparkly a color? cuz 💖 is my favorite lol
This is the first video I have ever found that talk about work structures that I use and I love you so much for taking the time to speak about it to make me feel less alone
I am really impressed by your distraction method. I know I’ve always liked being accountable to myself, and to my supervisors, and this method is so good. I love how you could refer back to it for biweekly reviews, monthly, and on throughout the year. I am retired now, however there are times when I wonder what day it is… especially if something gets me off track to my regular activities. I am working on setting up my bullet journal right now, I have the voluntary work one done, now wanting to fit in regular activities. I have had a number of things come up that have really impacted my personal scheduling, and caring for family. So thank you for sharing this. I quite like the method you shared. For me it will be for personal accountability, which I really like to do. ❤🎉 👍
I loved your method! I'm a neurodivergent person who often struggles with keeping my plans and I can never know what makes me lose track of my whole life. I truly believe this method will help me keep myself on track and, especially, know what are the triggers that make me lose control. Thank you very much for sharing this amazing content! ♥
YAY I'm so happy that you think it will be useful to you. I've had a few people say that it will be good for the same kind of thing. :) Thanks for watching and commenting!
Nice idea. I usually note down achievements of the month. But due to your suggestion I will use it for distractions as well. Because sometimes I am sitting at a Retrospective and I simply cannot remember what the heck happened in the last sprint 😅
Whoa, I LOVE this idea! As someone who is constantly beseiged by distractions, I can see how this would be really helpful! Great video! Thanks for sharing!
This is a fantastic idea! I don’t know if I have ADHD, but I have been struggling at work lately; pushing off projects and tasks to the next day when "I'll do it later/tomorrow" I opened my work planner right away and wrote in what's been going on. It also helps me to actually use the monthly section of my work planner 😂 I like being able to spot these patterns and stop the procrastination early. Thank you again!
❤❤❤ This is the first video I've ever watched from you, and I just subscribed to your channel. I love how you explained the distraction method, and I look forward to trying it in my planner during this new year.
Excellent concept and visual execution for your "distraction method". My only problem with the video is that it took nearly half the video (~7mins) to pass before getting to the actual method. I'm new to this channel but not new to the planner community--as a bit of constructive feedback, a stronger/more focused intro on the method would have been perfect IMO. Once again, thank you for sharing, it really is a great method.
I love this idea! I NEVER use my monthly spread and there are a lot of distractions at my work. I’ve defined my own priorities for my job, but I always wonder where my time goes. I will definitely be trying this out for the rest of December.
This is THE MOST functional system I've ever come across! I find regular bujo-type spreads really distracting by themselves because I spend so much time planning and making the spread that I never actually get to the important stuff. That, I have ADHD so it'll be invaluable to track what's actually distracting me, where/how I'm losing focus, and which times of day are not the times to do deep work.
I'm so glad you found this useful Cat!! I also find having to create my own spreads distracting, which is why a pre-printed planner is the way to go for me. But yeah, having a place where I track my distractions helps SO much in actually identifying them. If you want to go deeper, I recommend setting up a vertical weekly with a morning/afternoon/evening section and noting at those three intervals how your focus and energy is. Daniel H. Pink's book "When" has some other good tips.
This will work brilliantly for me. I often have multiple people needing me to do things. Every interruption slows down my work flow. This would help me so much. I’ll split it up to use one for my personal distractions at home (TH-cam 😂) and another for all the distractions or negative time impacts at work. Will be fabulous for work as the distractions are often things other people need training on so they can do it themselves. But it the moment it may be urgent so I need to do it. This log will be perfect for passing on training needs to managers so staff are given the time to train up and then they won’t need to ask me 😊.
As someone who has ADHD and is about to graduate with a computer science degree I just know this will be SO helpful. I’m excited to use this method for my final months in school and for the future when I (ideally) work in tech. Thank you.
I really love this idea. I have a goal planner that has a monthly section that I don't use and I think implementing this method for the things that have distracted me from my goals is a great use for the monthly. Also, as a mom of 3, kids are a huge (but wonderful) distraction! 🤣 I laughed way too hard at that part!!
This is a great idea! I like to see patterns in schedule to see if there can be changes made and to also be more mindful of what I'm doing. Personally I'll probably track it on my weekly section. I don't have a monthly calendar in my current line up to spare, but I may do some kind of color code on my monthly to still see it from a monthly perspective.
Ooo....That's a great idea, notating the distractions! I had my highest number last year, moments that take all, if not most of your day. I hadn't considered tracking them; even though it makes so much sense.
Very unique idea and planner system. Loved it, even though I don’t work with sprints or anything like that. It can be adjusted for any life style. I love that this video was about real life planning not just making your planner look nice . Thank you
A year later and I've just seen this now - I have a standup with my bosses once a week and we tried sprints in the past so I know of the concepts. I could probably use this to help me stay aware of my priorities, to focus on them and to keep track of my distractions.
Really cool!! I used to be a Scrum Master and took notes from stand up every day in my dailies in my cousin! It’s been a few years and now I’m a Product Manager. I was thinking today I want to use my Weeks for work task management. I have a wonderland222 for hourly vertical planning but it doesn’t do well for tasks. They get lost in my notebooks. I’m going to try my Weekly for a modified version of Getting Things Done, and what a great idea to put the sprints in the monthlies!
This is a great idea. I use Erin Condren planners myself, especially the Petite Planner, and I already jot down things that pop up, like someone getting sick or a migraine. But to write down WHATEVER is a distraction or obstacle would be helpful too, so I can be aware of possible hurdles and plan around them.
I love, love, love these ideas; both the sprints and the distraction method. I wish I had seen this six years ago when I had my own classroom!! Thank you for sharing these ideas!!❤❤❤
I love this idea 💜I think I will use it both at work and at home, hopefully it will help me feel more in control and less like my todo list is judging me 😂
Oh my!!! I had to watch this video twice to “get it”. So glad I watched again! I am constantly being asked where my time is going and why I didn’t get this or that done. This solves so many issues that I have answering those questions!!! When my boss tells me to track my time I literally have to write down “1:02 - 1:05 Bathroom”. 🤣 I’m so weird. But this made the light bulb turn on! I just need to write down “2 hours for past due email account reconciliation”. Flipping genius!!!! You may have just saved my sanity!
I keep a distractions journal/notepad, and write down the random distractions that come up during the day. Jessica on How to ADHD calls it a parking lot. If I write it down, then maybe, just maybe I will not let it distract me from my thesis work. However, Planner Season is the worst distraction for me every year and usually lasts until 3 days after the New Year. That is my birthday and my New Years is that day for me. 💙 💚
This seems like a great idea, and I'm definitely going to give this a try. I'm still trying to figure out a work planner system that works for me, and this seems like a really useful strategy. Thanks for sharing it!
This is good timing. We don’t do sprints as a company, but I was planning on using them to organize my personal projects and some of my longer-term work projects. Thank you!
I'm definitely going to try this out! Never heard of sprints either (I'm a teacher) and i want to look into that too! Also, 💚 is my favorite color heart emoji
This is brillant. My job doesn't involve any agile etc theories, but I love the idea of picking a few priorities and using Saturday/Sunday to lay-it-out, plus the districtions. Thank you!
This is such a good idea! I use my monthly section for other things, but I can create a monthly list in my notes section for a distraction list. Thanks for a great video.
I love this! Keeping track of what's important without making myself crazy trying to track every single minute of the day could really make a difference for me.
❤ I am going to try to implement the distraction method in my teenage daughter's homeschool schedule. Being at home has so many distractions and once the day is gone she doesn't really think about the big picture of what distracted her.
Currently working on my planner for 2023. Had no clear picture what to use my monthlys for. Watched you videos, liked the idea, checked our sprint plan - and implemented it :) And it immediatly felt more structured with this „sprint lines“ in the monthly overview. Great idea! Thanks.
Such a good idea! Thank you for making the video. I've tried tracking where my work time went but in an Excel sheet where I would track every minute and never got around to analysing what the distractions were. Well, I noticed that I was mostly distracting myself, lol. Tracking what I was working on alone helped me focus and get more stuff done. :D
i love this bcs this system focus more on the process, but still working towards the goal/priorities needed to achieve. so great, i'm definitely gonna use this.
I work in tech as well and it’s cool to see your approach to the digital and analog approach to your work journal. I love this idea of working in sprints in your journal. Great idea!
Love this idea!!! I was just lamenting to my friend about how things constantly get in the way of my plans. This will be a terrific way to track that and figure out how to minimize
This is a great video. As a Product Owner for a team that does daily standup and refinement...this is gold. I am constantly distracted and priorities are always changing.
I really like this idea! I am an online college student and I will definitely try to do this to keep myself accountable. This is a really creative way to use the monthly 💜
The distraction method is genius to keep things accountable and to show “boss” that more time is needed for certain work. It shows that you may be overwhelmed with the amount of work required from you and the minimal amount of time given.
Such an amazing method! I'm a first time manager onboarding my third direct report as soon as I get back from the holidays, and I've been struggling terribly with organizing what will be assigned to her. I'm definitely going to give this a try, not just for myself, but for the folks who report to me.
I started using my 2023 planner yesterday, and I put this into action! I'm using a Happy Planner in the dashboard layout, and I decided to track this on the daily squares in the weekly spread for this week, though that may change later. Thanks again for the great idea!
Kids are one big distraction!! LOL. Using the monthly spreads as a distraction log is a great idea. It's too small to note meeting times and such but perfect for at at-a-glance view of what's keeping me from assigned priorities.
I'm a UX Designer but work very closely with my PM and engineers while they're doing sprints. Because of that, I'm involved in a lot of rituals such as standups and it can be quite overwhelming tracking progress of different products at the same time! I'm definitely gonna use your Distraction method in my planning because I agree, tasks may pop up and I personally get easily sidetracked. Having a record of "distractions" or "blockers" can help when meeting my manager to discuss about work progress (and shift priorities, if need be).
This is really interesting. I'm going to try this out but on a weekly basis next week (since I do not seem to fit a hole month in my head at the same time :-) ) Thank you for sharing this!✍🙌
💙 I'm gonna have to give this a shot. I don't often use the monthly section of my planner, though the few times that I have (like the month that I was tracking how many grams of sugar I ate daily), I have found it invaluable. Thanks for the vid!
Wow this is excellent and inspiring. I want to incorporate the sprint and distraction system to my house projects, chores, and health rebuilding. Thank you 💜
I'm actually going to try this method! I do plan my things accordingly on my monthly but on my daily planner, I usually list out my priorities on the weekend. Thank you for sharing such good information!
This is fantastic! I've been in IT for over 20 years and am very familiar with Agile. I've never been very good with tracking everything, much to the annoyance of my scrum master. :) I ordered my Hobonichi Weeks today and can't wait to start using it!
Every video of yours that i have watched has been just really really helpful. Thank you so very much for sharing this. You really are so good at this!! I’ve been in a hole and i feel like you are helping me out.
I would love to see someone do videos where they decorate older, dated planners so for the new year. For example, I have a gorgeous planner from 2021 that I only used starting in Sept. Now I'm covering all the dates, updating them for 2023, and I'll use it until Sept, then probably get one for the next school year or just keep buying old planners on ebay!
Hey Rachelle! I love this idea, I work in tech too, this could help me a lot during retrospective meetings, performance review meetings. I am excited to implement this idea throughout 2024, thanks for thiss!! Recently, I am struggling a lot juggling between work and learning new technologies for the new projects at work. I would be grateful to you if you can make a video of your work bujo setup and include ideas regarding balancing everything - work and learning new things, coding for a side project etc.
I dropped in to let you know I enjoy your videos, but also to say that everytime I see the row of smiley folders behind you, I can't help but to smile along with them. I see faces everywhere & this style of folder always brightens my day. They are so cheery :D I hope you now see them as I do. :D
Sometimes distraction can be good -- I wouldn't have found your video if I hadn't been distracted by TH-cam. More seriously, it's a excellent idea and I'm going to use it in the planner I'm using to plan and track progress on my PhD, 'Research' is a great distraction, especially as it's easy to persuade yourself that it's legit and necessary, but writing it down like this will help me pinpoint when it is and when it's (pleasurable) procrastination. Thank you.
Haha great point 😂 So glad you did find it though. That reminds me of a saying I heard once - a writer's room is never cleaner than when they have to write. Procrastinating with "productive" tasks is still a distraction lol. Hope you find use out of this!
Oh it’s so very easy to distract yourself while doing your PhD with other legitimate research/PhD-related tasks. Why write your thesis when you can look for more references instead 😹
@@Erika-qp1zd I feel called out 😅
@@Jannyl13 happens to the best of us lol 😹
This is why, when supervising procrastinatey people (read: myself), I never ask the question, "What are you doing?" Because the answer to that question is always "research." Instead, I say, "tell me about your task." That question inspires a little more reflection and honesty.
This is really similar to something I learned in a faculty writing and productivity program (I'm a university faculty member). They termed it "resistance" that can take many forms (mental blocks, external disruptions or unexpected needs, shifting priorities, etc.) and to identify them without judgement or criticism. Because sometimes those things are perfectly valid, even if they have consequences in your plan. Love seeing how you're utilizing the monthly spread for tracking patterns!
That is awesome Marliese! Thanks for sharing and for watching :)
Love that!
This sounds awesome! Could you elaborate more on it?
I'm definitely using this but retrofitting to fit my life. It could help me track my ADHD symptoms for those times when my brain wants to go squirrel or crazy ferret modes. 🤣 Thank you for such a lovely idea.
Such a good idea! Thank you for sharing.
Yes! I just left a comment about this myself! Crazy ferret is a new on for me, but omg how accurate 😂
my adhd brain recently started going zoomies mode. it makes me feel like a chihuahua is running around throughout my brain or body and i just can’t move
edit: no i don’t get anything done ever.
Oh my soul- "crazy ferret mode"...I'm so using that term. (^.^)
My ADD is getting worse as I get older! I’m easily distracted by anything and everything sometimes. I’m also looking for a way to keep up with what I need to accomplish on a daily basis for my job and this seems to be a set up I can use to stay on task as much as possible for a hospice social worker whose day never goes as planned!!!
I work in tech too, with Sprints. This is a solid idea! I *just* spent 2h stopping work on my goals because I found a bug and I needed to document it in a JIRA ticket (you'll know Rachelle!). The whole time I was like OMG this is taking FOREVER but it's critical to our product. But I can use it as an example to clear up WHY I lost time on the goal. So thank you--definately going to use this one!
YES I've been waiting for someone who is also in the throes of sprints, JIRA and tech to comment 😄 I hope this works for you and thanks so much for watching!!!
I'm in a similar role/environment - I'm a Data Analyst. I am super excited to also try this out, I think it will be beyond helpful not only in 1x1 reviews but also in retros. A lot of our "distractions" don't actually get logged in JIRA, especially when they come from execs/c-suite or I have to walk a stakeholder through something like different metrics, dimensions, or just how to use a new tool/visualization/analysis.
I’m at a tech start up as well, just in the HR space!
I work as PO of 3 squads, this is really helpful and give me ideas. Usually I only use monthly planner as a timeline tracking for when we start dev, testing sit,uat,etc. and since my boss adding another squad, I start to struggle to keep track to what happen in each squad, each sprint specially since each squad start their sprint at different time . I think I will make 1 monthly planner dedicated for each squad 😍 it's quicker to open 3 planners at the same time than opening jira of each squad 😊
Sprints.... Jira i do that too
I cannot get enough of your content - I feel like I have a whole new lens when looking at the same planners and tools that I’ve dismissed or underutilized in the past. Cannot thank you enough!
YAY Callilla this makes me really happy. I'm so glad you are inspired :)
I've actually done this for myself for decades. 🙂 Its weird to see it as a video by someone else . This process works well for keeping accountability, setting work habits, and process improvement. It is invaluable for goal setting and performance review writing (both my own and for my direct reports).
Since I'm prone to analysis paralysis when it comes to planners this is just my " Task book". Not due date tracker, planner, to do list, etc. all those terms can be a trigger terms for me. It's also a lot simpler than the following description looks.
I've always used a cheap composition book with a hand drawn monthly spread/calendar and subsequent pages for that month that just list tasks (no due dates).
For some reason I don't mind scribbling or making error corrections in cheap composition book as much as I do in my actual planner that I carry to meetings.
The Task book stays on my desk next to my monitor. It is consulted in the morning and priorities and C3s are transferred to the planner. Throughout the day new tasks are added and progress recorded in the Task book. At the end of the day the planner is reconciled with items in the task book and the process repeats.
The monthly page holds the "distractions", set backs and roadblocks for progress and process improvement meetings.
The Task book pages just list the tasks, then a status such as; Completed on time (COT), Done (check mark), Carried Over (C/O then 1,2 or 3) and Cancelled/Transferred with a note as to why. Your mileage may vary with your own status codes/symbols. The task due date or project details were kept in an MS Project file so I did not need them in my pages.
Carried Over means that I intended to do a task yesterday but carried it over to the next day due to a distraction. So C1 is carried over 1 day, C2 carried over two days etc. If I get to a C3 it's time to explore why, check my distractions, and speak to management to inform them of a potential delay and/ or ask for suggestions BEFORE something goes late. Whatever corrective actions or next step suggestions are determined, they are recorded as part of the C3 task.
The corrections/actions themselves become new tasks at the bottom of the list awaiting their own checkmark or ☆.
Sometimes I link the tasks with a line or use the same colored highlighter for tracking.
When a page becomes full of tasks and a fresh page is needed. All non completed tasks and the last status are copied to the fresh page and the process continues. Statuses are simply listed next to the task until a completed checkmark or ☆ is recorded. No columns or lines unless you choose to. I never number the tasks because carry overs become a tracking nightmare. Just keep things simple.
Such as the sample below:
Review Document BAC-123 for approval - CO1 distraction, CO2 review complete , CO3 Engaged Manager, Suggested Call and group E-mail all approves for approval ETA include all management., CO 4 Manager suggested actions completed, CO5 Transferred to manager for follow up, My actions COT ☆
Complete training COT , ☆
Cancel Feedback meeting - CO 1 distraction BAC-123, COT2 COT ☆
BAC-123 calls ☆
BAC- 123 group E-mails ☆
BAC-123 At Manager notification process escalated approvals as priority,
*** Note . If a task is dragging out leave the note "SEE BELOW" OR "MORE" and add a new entry t the end of the list or leave extra space between entries on a fresh page 🙂
Yup - I'm just that insane . 🤣🙃🙄
But apparently so are some of you 👍
This is such a thorough system! You are definitely among friends when it comes to planner insanity 😂
Ty so much for this! I'm a habitual procrastinator when it comes to some things (like making phone calls for certain things- it gives me extreme anxiety) & I've been trying to find a system to track how many times/days I've put something off until the next day (because sometimes it gets put off for weeks! 😬) & the system you just described- I think that will work perfectly for me! 🙏
This needs a blog entry on its own.
So helpful! Thank you for explaining your system, it sounds like something I might start trying to do for myself. In baby steps of course!
Thank you for explaining this in such great detail, I will definitely incorporate some of this system into mine!
Dude. This is mind-blowing. Much more feasible and manageable than time-tracking. I am definitely going to start doing this in my work planner. It’s also a much better use for my monthly calendar, which at the moment is used for something redundant.
This is really helpful. I've never used the monthly view much, and didn't even give that any thought! I'd love to hear more about the sprint idea (maybe you've done this--I need to check!)
I just use my monthlies for the holidays. 😅😂 Time for something more productive.
Personally, I use my monthly in the Hobonichi to schedule meeetings and track when my projects are completed because I collab with people for work. But this distraction method is a helpful idea because it gives both you and your manager accountability. I don't think managers understand how much "urgent" tasks take away from priority tasks. Whenever I have to do stuff that isn't part of the main project, it makes my week feel chaotic like I got nothing done!
yes EXACTLY
this is extremely useful, but something i haven't thought of before somehow. a lot of tasks (usually chores) get migrated to next week because uni stuff takes up all my time and i'd love to be more aware of why that happens. i'll definitely be utilizing this way of thinking moving forward! thank you!
So glad Sonja!!! That's exactly the kind of insight I like to get from this method. Hope it works for you!
I have ADHD so seeing the title gave me a laugh - my default mode it distraction! 😂 But I'm glad I clicked, it can be really easy to answer the question of what distracted me with "everything" but I have noticed, that writing them down, even if it's the same few things for a few days, helps me notice it more in the moment. That said, I never thought to make a space for myself to specifically do that - I just would get frustrated and start journaling about it sometimes.
So thank you! I think making sure to do this regularly will help me reign my distraction in a bit better so I can start being less frazzled in my day to day.
Also is sparkly a color? cuz 💖 is my favorite lol
💖 sparkly is a color now!! 😂 I'm glad this could be of some use to you!!
This is the first video I have ever found that talk about work structures that I use and I love you so much for taking the time to speak about it to make me feel less alone
I am really impressed by your distraction method. I know I’ve always liked being accountable to myself, and to my supervisors, and this method is so good. I love how you could refer back to it for biweekly reviews, monthly, and on throughout the year. I am retired now, however there are times when I wonder what day it is… especially if something gets me off track to my regular activities. I am working on setting up my bullet journal right now, I have the voluntary work one done, now wanting to fit in regular activities. I have had a number of things come up that have really impacted my personal scheduling, and caring for family. So thank you for sharing this. I quite like the method you shared. For me it will be for personal accountability, which I really like to do. ❤🎉 👍
I loved your method! I'm a neurodivergent person who often struggles with keeping my plans and I can never know what makes me lose track of my whole life. I truly believe this method will help me keep myself on track and, especially, know what are the triggers that make me lose control. Thank you very much for sharing this amazing content! ♥
YAY I'm so happy that you think it will be useful to you. I've had a few people say that it will be good for the same kind of thing. :) Thanks for watching and commenting!
This is absolutely amazing ♥️ I’m definitely implementing this into my life ☺️
Bahahaha Children are totally a giant distraction! Well played! 🤣🤣 Love this method of documenting the thing that grabs my ADHD!
Nice idea. I usually note down achievements of the month. But due to your suggestion I will use it for distractions as well. Because sometimes I am sitting at a Retrospective and I simply cannot remember what the heck happened in the last sprint 😅
YES exactly haha. Achievements are great too! I'm trying to do that as well.
I don’t know how I’ve never seen your channel, but I’m binge watching now!
Welcome welcome!!
I wish I'd learnt this when I was in my distractions filled job. It looks so quick and simple. Thanks for sharing!
Whoa, I LOVE this idea! As someone who is constantly beseiged by distractions, I can see how this would be really helpful! Great video! Thanks for sharing!
glad you like it!!
This is a fantastic idea! I don’t know if I have ADHD, but I have been struggling at work lately; pushing off projects and tasks to the next day when "I'll do it later/tomorrow" I opened my work planner right away and wrote in what's been going on. It also helps me to actually use the monthly section of my work planner 😂 I like being able to spot these patterns and stop the procrastination early. Thank you again!
❤❤❤ This is the first video I've ever watched from you, and I just subscribed to your channel. I love how you explained the distraction method, and I look forward to trying it in my planner during this new year.
Welcome to the channel Marie!!! So happy it was useful to ya
Excellent concept and visual execution for your "distraction method". My only problem with the video is that it took nearly half the video (~7mins) to pass before getting to the actual method. I'm new to this channel but not new to the planner community--as a bit of constructive feedback, a stronger/more focused intro on the method would have been perfect IMO.
Once again, thank you for sharing, it really is a great method.
Thanks I was down in the comments looking for someone to label the ideas or something... Almost 2 minutes in and nothing has really been said
I love this idea! I NEVER use my monthly spread and there are a lot of distractions at my work. I’ve defined my own priorities for my job, but I always wonder where my time goes. I will definitely be trying this out for the rest of December.
YAY yes that’s exactly where I was coming from. Empty monthlies all the time lol
This is THE MOST functional system I've ever come across!
I find regular bujo-type spreads really distracting by themselves because I spend so much time planning and making the spread that I never actually get to the important stuff. That, I have ADHD so it'll be invaluable to track what's actually distracting me, where/how I'm losing focus, and which times of day are not the times to do deep work.
I'm so glad you found this useful Cat!! I also find having to create my own spreads distracting, which is why a pre-printed planner is the way to go for me. But yeah, having a place where I track my distractions helps SO much in actually identifying them.
If you want to go deeper, I recommend setting up a vertical weekly with a morning/afternoon/evening section and noting at those three intervals how your focus and energy is. Daniel H. Pink's book "When" has some other good tips.
This will work brilliantly for me. I often have multiple people needing me to do things. Every interruption slows down my work flow. This would help me so much. I’ll split it up to use one for my personal distractions at home (TH-cam 😂) and another for all the distractions or negative time impacts at work. Will be fabulous for work as the distractions are often things other people need training on so they can do it themselves. But it the moment it may be urgent so I need to do it. This log will be perfect for passing on training needs to managers so staff are given the time to train up and then they won’t need to ask me 😊.
YES! using it for training purposes is SUCH a great idea Emma. Thanks for this addition and I'm so glad you find it useful!
As someone who has ADHD and is about to graduate with a computer science degree I just know this will be SO helpful. I’m excited to use this method for my final months in school and for the future when I (ideally) work in tech. Thank you.
I really love this idea. I have a goal planner that has a monthly section that I don't use and I think implementing this method for the things that have distracted me from my goals is a great use for the monthly. Also, as a mom of 3, kids are a huge (but wonderful) distraction! 🤣 I laughed way too hard at that part!!
This is a great idea! I like to see patterns in schedule to see if there can be changes made and to also be more mindful of what I'm doing. Personally I'll probably track it on my weekly section. I don't have a monthly calendar in my current line up to spare, but I may do some kind of color code on my monthly to still see it from a monthly perspective.
Ooo....That's a great idea, notating the distractions! I had my highest number last year, moments that take all, if not most of your day. I hadn't considered tracking them; even though it makes so much sense.
Very unique idea and planner system. Loved it, even though I don’t work with sprints or anything like that. It can be adjusted for any life style. I love that this video was about real life planning not just making your planner look nice . Thank you
You're so welcome! So much of my planning is so functional like this so I am really glad it's resonating
A year later and I've just seen this now - I have a standup with my bosses once a week and we tried sprints in the past so I know of the concepts. I could probably use this to help me stay aware of my priorities, to focus on them and to keep track of my distractions.
Really cool!! I used to be a Scrum Master and took notes from stand up every day in my dailies in my cousin! It’s been a few years and now I’m a Product Manager. I was thinking today I want to use my Weeks for work task management. I have a wonderland222 for hourly vertical planning but it doesn’t do well for tasks. They get lost in my notebooks. I’m going to try my Weekly for a modified version of Getting Things Done, and what a great idea to put the sprints in the monthlies!
This is a great idea. I use Erin Condren planners myself, especially the Petite Planner, and I already jot down things that pop up, like someone getting sick or a migraine. But to write down WHATEVER is a distraction or obstacle would be helpful too, so I can be aware of possible hurdles and plan around them.
I love, love, love these ideas; both the sprints and the distraction method. I wish I had seen this six years ago when I had my own classroom!! Thank you for sharing these ideas!!❤❤❤
I love this idea 💜I think I will use it both at work and at home, hopefully it will help me feel more in control and less like my todo list is judging me 😂
That’s the goal right 😂😂
Oh my!!! I had to watch this video twice to “get it”. So glad I watched again! I am constantly being asked where my time is going and why I didn’t get this or that done. This solves so many issues that I have answering those questions!!! When my boss tells me to track my time I literally have to write down “1:02 - 1:05 Bathroom”. 🤣 I’m so weird. But this made the light bulb turn on! I just need to write down “2 hours for past due email account reconciliation”. Flipping genius!!!! You may have just saved my sanity!
Yay I’m so glad!!!
I keep a distractions journal/notepad, and write down the random distractions that come up during the day. Jessica on How to ADHD calls it a parking lot. If I write it down, then maybe, just maybe I will not let it distract me from my thesis work. However, Planner Season is the worst distraction for me every year and usually lasts until 3 days after the New Year. That is my birthday and my New Years is that day for me. 💙 💚
Oh and I wanted to say I am impressed with your teamwork and regular meetings, and with your supervisor. Impressed. Great to see 😊 👏 👏
This seems like a great idea, and I'm definitely going to give this a try. I'm still trying to figure out a work planner system that works for me, and this seems like a really useful strategy. Thanks for sharing it!
This is good timing. We don’t do sprints as a company, but I was planning on using them to organize my personal projects and some of my longer-term work projects. Thank you!
I'm definitely going to try this out! Never heard of sprints either (I'm a teacher) and i want to look into that too! Also, 💚 is my favorite color heart emoji
This is brillant. My job doesn't involve any agile etc theories, but I love the idea of picking a few priorities and using Saturday/Sunday to lay-it-out, plus the districtions. Thank you!
Love your distraction method! Can be used in so many ways - very useful
Love that idea. It's something I can easily implement and I don't really use my monthlies. Thank you 😊
This is such a good idea! I use my monthly section for other things, but I can create a monthly list in my notes section for a distraction list. Thanks for a great video.
This is SUCH a good idea!!!!!!!! I'm so happy you shared I will absolutely be trying this, what a clever way to use your monthlies!!!
Thank you so much I'm so excited for you to use it!
This is such a brilliant idea! I'm definitely going to use it!
Never even thought of using a physical calendar for tracking work work! This is a really good idea. The talk about priority is very timely.
Wow wow wow, I’ve never heard of this but this is exactly what I need. Thank you! So glad your video came up in my suggestions! 💚
I love this! Keeping track of what's important without making myself crazy trying to track every single minute of the day could really make a difference for me.
I like your analytical approach to your videos. Thanks for sharing.
The "tea" intro was good too!
This is brilliant! Thanks so much for sharing this system.
OMG I LOVE this distraction method planning! I am going to use my Weeks calendar for this!!
❤ I am going to try to implement the distraction method in my teenage daughter's homeschool schedule. Being at home has so many distractions and once the day is gone she doesn't really think about the big picture of what distracted her.
It's almost like a game for me now, where once I get distracted I'm like OMG. I get to write this down in my planner hahah. I hope it works for her!
Currently working on my planner for 2023. Had no clear picture what to use my monthlys for. Watched you videos, liked the idea, checked our sprint plan - and implemented it :) And it immediatly felt more structured with this „sprint lines“ in the monthly overview. Great idea! Thanks.
Yay I'm so happy it's working!
💕 Great idea. Definitely keeping this in mind to try.
Such a good idea! Thank you for making the video. I've tried tracking where my work time went but in an Excel sheet where I would track every minute and never got around to analysing what the distractions were. Well, I noticed that I was mostly distracting myself, lol. Tracking what I was working on alone helped me focus and get more stuff done. :D
i love this bcs this system focus more on the process, but still working towards the goal/priorities needed to achieve. so great, i'm definitely gonna use this.
I work in tech as well and it’s cool to see your approach to the digital and analog approach to your work journal. I love this idea of working in sprints in your journal. Great idea!
Thank you so much! I am a fan of yours so this comment has made my day ☺️
This is so helpful. Thank you so much!! I can't wait to give the distraction method a try. Brilliant!
Thank you Regina!
Love this idea!!! I was just lamenting to my friend about how things constantly get in the way of my plans. This will be a terrific way to track that and figure out how to minimize
Thank you! I hope it works for ya ☺️
Learned a lot here between the distraction method and the sprints. Will try both of them out. Thanks for sharing!
Very good idea! I’m going to incorporate it into my planner, too.
Thank you for sharing! Yes this would be so helpful for work! Going to implement once my hobonichi cousin comes this week 🎉
This is a great video. As a Product Owner for a team that does daily standup and refinement...this is gold. I am constantly distracted and priorities are always changing.
I really like this idea! I am an online college student and I will definitely try to do this to keep myself accountable. This is a really creative way to use the monthly 💜
Agile has killed me lol. My scrum master is a funny guy though. I also work in Tech. I now took some inspiration from your planner.
The distraction method is genius to keep things accountable and to show “boss” that more time is needed for certain work. It shows that you may be overwhelmed with the amount of work required from you and the minimal amount of time given.
Thank you!! Thats exactly its use case haha
Such an amazing method! I'm a first time manager onboarding my third direct report as soon as I get back from the holidays, and I've been struggling terribly with organizing what will be assigned to her. I'm definitely going to give this a try, not just for myself, but for the folks who report to me.
I started using my 2023 planner yesterday, and I put this into action! I'm using a Happy Planner in the dashboard layout, and I decided to track this on the daily squares in the weekly spread for this week, though that may change later. Thanks again for the great idea!
This makes sense with how things are right now with work. I will try it out!
This is SO USEFUL. It gives my monthly section (which I just skip) a purpose. I am grateful. Thank you!
You are welcome!!
Kids are one big distraction!! LOL. Using the monthly spreads as a distraction log is a great idea. It's too small to note meeting times and such but perfect for at at-a-glance view of what's keeping me from assigned priorities.
Ooh I love that tea! I drank all mine you just reminded me to look for it again.
Its so good !
I'm a UX Designer but work very closely with my PM and engineers while they're doing sprints. Because of that, I'm involved in a lot of rituals such as standups and it can be quite overwhelming tracking progress of different products at the same time! I'm definitely gonna use your Distraction method in my planning because I agree, tasks may pop up and I personally get easily sidetracked. Having a record of "distractions" or "blockers" can help when meeting my manager to discuss about work progress (and shift priorities, if need be).
That's the exact way I use it Yasmeen! It's perfect for that.
Absolutely love this idea! I'll definitely be using this!!!
This is a great idea!!❤
This seems very useful! Thank you for sharing!
This is really interesting. I'm going to try this out but on a weekly basis next week (since I do not seem to fit a hole month in my head at the same time :-) ) Thank you for sharing this!✍🙌
That is brilliant! Thanks for sharing!
💕 definitely implementing this in the new full year sterling ink planner
💙 I'm gonna have to give this a shot. I don't often use the monthly section of my planner, though the few times that I have (like the month that I was tracking how many grams of sugar I ate daily), I have found it invaluable. Thanks for the vid!
Love this idea, I’m going to give it a try starting April
Such a great idea! May need to do that for my own Sprint Reviews.
As someone that also works in Sprints, I think I'm going to give this a try! 💚
Wow this is excellent and inspiring. I want to incorporate the sprint and distraction system to my house projects, chores, and health rebuilding. Thank you 💜
I'm so glad that you can find a use for this!!
I'm actually going to try this method! I do plan my things accordingly on my monthly but on my daily planner, I usually list out my priorities on the weekend. Thank you for sharing such good information!
Of course! Glad you will get some use out of it :)
Wow, awesome video definitely going to adopt your method.❤thank you so much for sharing.
You are so welcome!
This is fantastic! I've been in IT for over 20 years and am very familiar with Agile. I've never been very good with tracking everything, much to the annoyance of my scrum master. :) I ordered my Hobonichi Weeks today and can't wait to start using it!
Yay Tara! It’s a great planner.
I love this so much, thank you!
Looks good. I'll try this to get my planning tighter.
Every video of yours that i have watched has been just really really helpful. Thank you so very much for sharing this. You really are so good at this!! I’ve been in a hole and i feel like you are helping me out.
Aw that's so sweet of you to say 🥹 Thank you and glad to be of service!!
I would love to see someone do videos where they decorate older, dated planners so for the new year. For example, I have a gorgeous planner from 2021 that I only used starting in Sept. Now I'm covering all the dates, updating them for 2023, and I'll use it until Sept, then probably get one for the next school year or just keep buying old planners on ebay!
This was a great video. Good food for thought.
Those binders in the background look so happy :D
Hey Rachelle! I love this idea, I work in tech too, this could help me a lot during retrospective meetings, performance review meetings. I am excited to implement this idea throughout 2024, thanks for thiss!!
Recently, I am struggling a lot juggling between work and learning new technologies for the new projects at work. I would be grateful to you if you can make a video of your work bujo setup and include ideas regarding balancing everything - work and learning new things, coding for a side project etc.
Love this idea! ❤️
Love this Idea! Even as a Student without real deadlines at the moment i can use this. and i will definitely implement this in my planner
I'm SO glad it's translating to student life :)
I dropped in to let you know I enjoy your videos, but also to say that everytime I see the row of smiley folders behind you, I can't help but to smile along with them. I see faces everywhere & this style of folder always brightens my day. They are so cheery :D I hope you now see them as I do. :D
this is exactly why I bought them :D Thank you Caitlin :D
💜interesting concept. Wish I had seen this before I retired.💜
This would be a great addition to my bullet journal!
It's a great idea! Thank you for sharing😍