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I’ve decided to add a new theme to the blog – lifehacks.
My attention of late has been focused on how to be more action-oriented, and I realized I’ve been poorly equipped with tools (techniques, processes, frameworks, and technologies) for Getting Shit Done [GSD].
So I have been experimenting with different ways of holding myself accountable and moving towards more integrity in thought :: word :: action.
I’m having success with a Morning Junto model, so I’d like to share how it’s working:
A friend and I have committed to meeting weekday mornings from 6:45am – 7:15 for a video chat online where we set our agendas for the day, and review the activities of the previous day.
We started a google spreadsheet, “Daily Activities Tracker,” with each of us getting a dedicated page.
From there it’s pretty straightforward: “week of,” “expected completion date,” “status,” and “notes.”
We fill it in in advance of our meeting, and make additions/adjustments to it as the days go by.
About a week in, we realized that some tasks are just mundane and dreaded, so we had to do something to “gamify” boring work and make it fun. So we created a scoreboard, and now give tasks a point value, and we also award each other points if we had a really effective meeting or made a new connection or whatever.
The good news is – It Works!!!
My productivity has skyrocketed in the past few weeks, I’m achieving more balance in life, and feel a greater sense of well-being and achievement. In addition to that, I’ve found that our meetings aren’t just about getting tasks done, but there’s a sense of mutual improvement and mutual accountability as well. We’re actually engaged in peer coaching and mentoring, and providing each other anecdotes and clarifications to help us both learn and grow.
I’d love to hear if anyone out there is doing anything similar, but I’m finding that having a morning Junto partner really helps me set specific intentions and goals for the day, and the accountability to each other creates a pretty rapid feedback loop for making adjustments on the fly and improving performance.
So fun!
In related news, starting in early January, I’ll be doing a twice a week Junto online with a small group, using Buzzumi or Google Hangouts. Once the format and flow feels good, I’ll be recording and posting a few sessions to show how we’re doing it, and may also create a version behind a paywall for those who would like to attend and participate in a live session via backchannel. (ability to watch us on video/audio, and participate/comment via text chat only.). The idea is to generally learn to communicate more effectively and compassionately, while engaged in continuous learning and culture building.
I’ll post more about that when we’re ready!
—
for more on Junto:
Ben Franklin’s Junto (wikipedia)
some early Junto concepts I wrote about last year:
Junto: Discussing Ideas Worth Spreading
Junto: overview of concept, philosophy and components
other resources for lifehacking:
The 100 Best Lifehacks of 2010
The 99% by Behance
emergent by design 
That is a very cool idea. I have been having weekly conference calls with different colleagues that I have turned into podcasts…some of the convos are more heavily edited than others!
yes.. a great idea.
video communication is the best.
i’m using mostly skype and hangouts..
Hey Venessa, sounds like a really good way of organising your time, I might try to do the same. I love the Junto idea – can we support you via Skilio? We have the one to many video chat, recording, doc share & payment functionality in place that you mentioned, and as a fan of your blog it would be a real pleasure if I can be of any help.
hey rebecca!
skilio looks like it’s coming along nicely, glad to see a skills marketplace forming.
a junto is a conversation, not a broadcast, so i’m not sure how that fits with your one-to-many model. also the format is like a club for mutual improvement – so each person is an equal peer, not one who is ‘in charge,’ so having one person ask for money from other people who are contributing value to a peer learning / coaching / mentoring environment doesn’t feel quite right.
skilio could be useful for us in terms of teaching other people how to build a similar community of practice or to coach them on communication skills……
or i suppose if there were someone who were willing to pay to essentially have a productivity/life coach meet them for daily/bi-weekly sessions, then the model works.
either way, thank you for reaching out! we are going to have to go through a few rounds of experimentation first, i think, to figure out an effective format for our session, then i will definitely keep skilio in mind as an option for spreading the technique beyond my inner trustnets.
cheers!
v
I love the idea of starting the day with a mini-mastermind! One of my desires for 2012 is to be part of a group that meets regularly and does exactly what you’re talking about: peer mentoring/coaching. I’ve hired coaches in the past (business, life) and find that it is truly most valuable when we’re on equal footing (no money exchanged). Just a group of people lifting each other up, holding each other accountable, and providing a forum to listen and be heard.
Congrats on your model of mutuality! Happy New Year!