Thread by @sowmyarao_

Quick thread - work productivity mantra/life hack to maximize time utilization.

tldr: Break up the day into ACT-REACT-ACT blocks if you're a very senior manager or owner

Break up the day into REACT-ACT-REACT blocks if you're in client service, have dependencies, mid-junior team

What does this mean?

Essentially you ACT to take ownership and control of your time.

In this block you do what adds MOST value to your book.

Read, write, learn, a 1v1 meeting where you're the listener not giver, a jam session where someone is there to help YOU, etc.

You REACT when you're doing tasks that require you to catch a ball someone else has thrown.

Respond to emails, pings, look up info for someone (their ACT), give feedback, answer questions, participate in meetings that others lead, 1v1 where you're giving.

REACT clears the way.

By breaking up your day into blocks that are clearly ACT or REACT you nudge your self into not getting distracted, saturated, or cognitively weighed down by having to prioritize from a overbroad ever expanding list of tasks.

In an ACT Block you never REACT. You only create value

Which is why senior owners need to ACT more. Their time is valuable when they create or ideate.

No one can escape REACT.

What you can do however is to REACT less than you ACT. In the long term, even the medium term, this gives immense personal satisfaction. A feeling of control

If you're more junior, starting out, and depend heavily on XFN /others feedback, you get maximum value from listening, watching, learning:

Here you prioritize REACTING because it's the nature of the beast. Still however you carve out time for you to ACT and prioritize your goals

How do you ACT and REACT effectively?

To soak in the benefits of the ACT phase you need to shut off cognition leeches. This is your smartphone/ notifications (browser /mobile). This is ppl with a 'quick qn'. The doorbell.

NO.

Devote cognition to value creation ONLY.

Value creation sounds scary but it can be anything that really makes your time meaningful to you.

It can be meditating, it can be writing on Medium, it can be summarizing the quarters hits and misses.

It just can't be something you're reacting to because a ping pinged.

Turning off ALL smartphone notifications + being ruthless about guarding my ACT time has helped immensely.

I prioritize my value creation. I respond when I can to all - I'm available 24/7 on the phone for my nanny, husband, dad, boss.

Anyone else can wait.

Typically on days I follow this mantra I feel in control, I feel like I can sustainably achieve my goals, I feel happy and most important:

I DON'T FEEL MENTALLY DRAINED.

So try it out and let me know what you think. Thanks @NCResq for listening and offering feedback.