Productive Cycles are undistracted time blocks that I've created on my calendar to do my most important work. I began doing this with one of my friends in the Denver coworking space & it has since developed into a group of entrepreneurs who "cowork" together via a Zoom call.
We work in time blocked "sprints" with pre-programmed breaks.
Use this post to learn how to get the most out of Productive Cycles before joining for your first session. Please read / watch the material referenced in this blog post first. If you still have questions or would like further explanation, please schedule a 1v1 strategy session with Austin here.
1. Watch the Productive Cycle explainer video below
2. Make a copy of the format a new Google Doc so you'll have the outline of the structure for each Productive Cycle in your own Google Doc template
3. Show up to the next Productive Cycle on Zoom ready to crush your to-do list!
{{[[youtube]]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8jNcYuCQq0&feature=youtu.be}}
Schedule
Productive Cycles are hosted on Tuesday & Thursdays for the time being. We have two different sessions, each consisting of three time blocked "cycles" with short breaks programmed in between.
Early Riser Productive Cycle
6 am - 6:55am | Cycle #1
5 min break
7 am - 7:55 am | Cycle #2
5 min break
8 am - 8:55 am | Cycle #3
Mid Morning Productive Cycle
9 am - 10 am | Cycle #1
10 min break
10:10 am - 11:10 am | Cycle #2
10 min break
11:10 am - 12:10 pm | Cycle #3
5 min break
12:15 pm | Group Reflection & Community Chat
Preparation Questions
(Answer before starting each Productive Cycle)
- What 1 activity that, if completed, would be moving my project forward?
- What constitutes completion of this activity?
- What's the first thing I can do to get started?
Turn your phone, laptop, & desktop on DO NOT DISTURB before beginning each cycle to ensure optimal focus.
Reflection Questions
(Answer when finishing each Productive Cycle)
- Did I complete the planned activity within the productive cycle time frame?
- If not, what else needs to get done to complete the activity?
- If yes, what's the next activity I can start to move my project forward?
***’Copy and paste the questions above when beginning a new Productive Cycle. This will help you track progress towards your goals.***
If you still have questions or would like further explanation, please schedule a 1v1 strategy session with Austin here.