This finishes the series on Attention Compass nuts and bolts. This is my coaching in a three-part, three-hour presentation. I want you to have this so you can start implementing.

Why should you implement Attention Compass? I think the modern work-style, the modern technology, and modern communications all work together to make us anxious/stressed about our work, our tasks, and where we’re putting our attention. Attention  Compass directly attacks that stress. If you are uncertain about your productivity. If you feel like stress is what drives you. I’m telling you that your work doesn’t have to be this way. You can have productivity and progress, AND you can have peace and clarity.

The goal is for you to be able to implement, so I’m sharing so you’ll understand what what attention compass is and how it works, and you can implement and actually do it. So, you know, my goal is that you get this learning that you get this ability, so that you can develop a system. If you want to rely on me to do it for you, then I’m happy to do that. And certainly, there’s training available in this stuff. But you can begin to experiment on your own.

Two posts are already up –  those posts talk about the tool and two of the workflows. And now we need to talk about the other two workflows.
 
Recap of the first two episodes in the series
  • The tool – Episode 22 – a tool that can hold the backlog
  • The first two workflows – Episode 23 – about tending the backlog
  • The next two workflows – this episode – about using the backlog
Daily review workflow
  • Candidate to-do list
  • The most common way is to create a new to-do list each day, but wait….
    • Why the daily to-do is bad
    • First part – what to do – invites creativity, which is bad
    • Second part – limit to today – invites urgency, which is also bad
    • The rolling backlog avoids these two problems
    • AC doesn’t rely on the daily to-do list
  • The candidate to-do list is always there (in a well-tended backlog) – bring it up to the minute in daily review
    • Compare the candidate to-do list to the calendar
    • Is today a good day to do the things that I reminded myself of
  • In daily review, pull things ‘off’ of the backlog
    • Do it early so we have time to let people know
    • This gives us a STRUCTURE for the day
  • Recording that structure
    • What is a work block
    • Three things are true now that the structure is recorded
    • A daily work routine – blocks and meetings – now look at transitions
    • What to do in transition times
    • The flow
    • The deep-shallow rhythm
    • The submarine
  • Recap the daily review
Weekly review
  • Maximum clarity and control
    • When to do the weekly review
    • Consider the perils of compartmentalization
    • Friday, Monday, and Sunday are probably bad
    • Try midweek weekly reviews – and think seven days rather than A WEEK
  • Steps in the daily review
    • Tidy up
    • Mind sweep
    • Last week’s calendar
    • It’s not as specific as ‘planning the week’
    • Check on the broader scope of actionable tasks – review the lists for
    • priority changes
    • Process check
    • Is the system working for us?
  • Weekly review summary
Finalizing the workflows
  • Honor the sense of clarity and control
What about the bigger picture – review the three episodes
  • How the tool works with the workflows
  • Each of the four workflows
  • Capture and processing allow us to garden well
  • Daily and weekly review
Attention Compass is a system
 

Across these three episodes, I’ve given you an understanding of how Attention Compass works, how to set up the tool, and how to do the workflows. You can do this. Why not start realizing the benefits: lower stress, greater focus, and more results?

If you need help, connect with me on LinkedIn here: www.linkedin.com/in/larrytribble. Send me a message and we’ll consider how to get you unstuck.