Chapter 8 - Design Your Month

From Getting Results | The Book

Fall seven times, Stand up eight. —Japanese Proverb

In This Chapter

• Learn how to create a scannable map of your month.
• Learn how to design a more effective month.
• Learn how to use The Rule of 3 to keep scope creep at bay.

This chapter shows you how to map out your month for monthly results. Mapping out your month helps you to really prioritize and focus on the most important results. It also helps you see another level up beyond your weekly results. This is especially helpful when you have longer term projects.

Things can take you by surprise. While you can’t predict everything, you can improve how you anticipate your month. You do this by mapping it out.

Month at a Glance

Your Month at a Glance should show your queue, each week, and the three top priority outcomes for each week and for the month. The following table is an example template:

Table 8.1 Month at a Glance

Note how the Queue is organized by MUST, SHOULD, and COULD. This is a helpful way to chunk up your backlog. You can record your results for each week in the Completed column. The template is lightweight by design, allowing you to easily make adjustments without having to spend a lot of time in administration. Don’t worry about directly connecting the dots between your daily outcomes, weekly outcomes, and monthly outcomes. Instead, think of each as a different perspective and scope, and they complement each other. They will often align, but the most important thing is that your daily, weekly, and monthly outcomes serve you: helping you stay focused on your next best thing to do and achieve the results you need.

Mapping Out Your Month

The key to mapping out your month is to chunk it down and do a piece at a time. Here is a summary of the flow of steps I take to map out the month:

• Step 1. Make a list of all your outcomes.
• Step 2. Prioritize your list of outcomes.
• Step 3. Assign outcomes to each week.

It really is that simple. Now, let’s walk through each step in more detail.

Step 1. Make a List of All Your Outcomes

Make a list of all the outcomes you want for the month. This is where windows of opportunity really matter. Imagine if the month was over, what are all the things you would regret the most if you didn’t complete them? Dump everything you can think of. Let the ideas flow freely and don’t edit them in this step—just write them down.

Step 2. Prioritize Your List of Outcomes

In this step, you prioritize your list of outcomes. At this point, you probably have a good sized “laundry list.” The goal for this step is to chunk up your list of outcomes so your highest priority items float to the top. I recommend chunking it up using the following priorities:

• MUST
• SHOULD
• COULD

I’ve found that it helps to simply think in terms of MUST, SHOULD, and COULD. MUST is what you must get done, SHOULD would be nice, and COULD is just a pipe dream. Your MUSTs are your next actions; they are immediate and obvious relative to your SHOULDs and COULDs.

I use MUST, SHOULD, and COULD because I find those terms resonate better. Alternatively, you could use priority 1, priority 2, and priority 3 (or p1, p2, and p3). Use what works for you. You know it’s working when you’re able to identify the most important results based on either impact or windows of opportunity. In fact, missing windows of opportunity is the biggest oversight people make. Time changes what’s important. It can also significantly amplify the impact of what you get done, or what you don’t get done. There’s a lot to be said for “a stitch in time saves nine.” When prioritizing, include estimates taking into account the best time to work on specific tasks. Doing so gets you from good results to great.

As you prioritize your list of outcomes, make sure to trim down your MUSTs (or whatever equivalent label you’ve chosen) to no more than three items. You can always bite off more after you complete your three MUSTs. Priority and focus are your best friends. Your worst enemy is scope creep. Keep it at bay by using The Rule of 3.

Step 3. Assign Outcomes to Each Week

In this step, you assign the three highest priority outcomes for each week. These should work towards your three outcomes for the month. Notice how you can zoom out to the big picture by looking at three results for the month, or you can zoom in to more details by looking at three results for the week. It’s this ability to zoom in and out that helps you see the forest from the trees and keeps you focused on your best results.

In Summary

• Think in terms of monthly results.
• Know the 3 most important outcomes for the month.
• Know the 3 most important outcomes for each week.