The Two-Plan Method I use to get more done ✅
Summary
TLDRThis video script discusses the productivity benefits of 'planning twice and doing once.' The speaker shares two methods for duplicating plans to boost productivity: first, creating a messy paper draft and then transferring it to a digital system, which helps in reformatting the information in the brain; second, taking digital plans and writing them down on paper for a clearer mental model. The video also highlights the importance of a strong 'closing the loop' system to ensure tasks are completed and not left hanging across different planning systems.
Takeaways
- 📝 The speaker advocates for a dual planning method that involves both digital and paper systems to enhance productivity.
- 🔄 The concept of 'planning twice and doing once' is introduced as a way to solidify plans and tasks in one's mind.
- 📈 Writing plans on paper first allows for a creative and flexible drafting process, which can then be refined in a digital system.
- 🤖 The act of transferring plans from paper to a digital platform helps in reformatting the information in one's brain, leading to a better understanding.
- 🎨 Creative projects benefit from this method as it allows for a messy first draft on paper and a structured final draft in a digital format.
- 🗓 For goal setting and planning, a loose timeline is sketched on paper and then implemented in a digital system like a task manager or calendar.
- 📱 The speaker uses a specific digital planning system called 'Asana' and 'Aif flow' to manage tasks and timelines effectively.
- 📚 Aif flow is highlighted as a tool that integrates various planning apps into one, allowing for a comprehensive view of tasks and calendars.
- 📝 The importance of writing down daily tasks and events in a physical planner is emphasized for a focused and less distracting approach to productivity.
- ✅ A strong 'closing the loop' system is crucial to ensure that tasks are updated and completed consistently across all planning platforms.
- 🧘♂️ The process of transferring digital plans to paper is described as relaxing and comforting, providing a break from digital distractions.
Q & A
What is the main idea behind the 'plan twice and do once' productivity system mentioned in the script?
-The main idea is to write down plans more than once to enhance productivity. This involves initially planning in a messy, free-form manner on paper and then transferring it to a digital or more permanent system, which helps in reformatting the information in one's brain and gaining a better understanding of the plan.
Why is writing on paper suggested as the first step in planning?
-Writing on paper is suggested as the first step because it activates the whole brain, including motor skills, creative thinking, and both long-term and short-term memory. This physical act of writing helps in processing and cementing the information being worked on.
What are the two major ways in which planning twice and doing once can be beneficial according to the script?
-The two major ways are: 1) Planning messily on paper and then duplicating it into a digital or more permanent system, and 2) Taking plans made in a digital environment and moving them offline by writing them out on a paper planner for a clearer mental model and reduced distractions.
How does the act of translating a plan from one context to another help in understanding?
-Translating a plan from one context to another, such as from paper to digital, helps reformat the information in the brain, leading to a better understanding and smoother problem-solving as it forces the brain to work around the kinks and ripples in the plan.
What is an example of a creative project that benefits from the 'plan twice and do once' method?
-An example given is the creation of a video script. The speaker drafts the script on paper, including ideas, concepts, and talking points, and then translates this messy draft into a structured Google doc with sections and bullet points.
How does the speaker use the 'plan twice and do once' method for setting goals and plans?
-The speaker sketches out a loose timeline on paper for goals and plans, such as a transition plan for a job promotion, and then puts this timeline into a digital system like a to-do list manager or calendar to make the timeline a reality.
What is the name of the digital planning system used by the speaker in the script?
-The speaker uses a digital planning system called 'Asana', which is also the sponsor of the video.
How does the speaker integrate tasks into their calendar using Asana?
-The speaker creates tasks in Asana and then drags and drops them onto their calendar. Asana automatically schedules these tasks into the day, allowing the speaker to visualize and organize their week effectively.
What is the benefit of writing out tasks and events from a digital calendar onto paper?
-Writing out tasks and events on paper helps to activate the brain's memory centers, providing a clearer and less distracting view of one's schedule, and allowing for a more relaxed and focused approach to task completion.
Why is it important to have a strong 'closing the loop' system when using the 'plan twice and do once' method?
-A strong 'closing the loop' system is important to ensure that any incomplete tasks are immediately addressed across all planning systems, preventing discombobulation and maintaining consistency, which is key to accomplishing goals.
How does the speaker suggest using the 'plan twice and do once' method for daily to-do lists?
-The speaker suggests writing out daily tasks and events from a digital task manager onto paper, which allows for a focused and relaxed approach to productivity, away from digital distractions.
Outlines
📝 Embracing Duplication for Enhanced Productivity
This paragraph introduces the concept of 'planning twice and doing once' as a productivity method. The speaker shares their personal productivity system that involves both digital and paper planning, contrary to the common advice of avoiding duplication. They explain that writing plans down more than once can actually boost productivity and offer two methods for successful duplication. The first method involves planning messily on paper and then transferring it to a digital system, which is beneficial for creative projects. The act of writing and then translating to a digital format helps in better understanding and solidifying the plan.
📆 Digital to Paper Transition for Concrete Planning
The speaker discusses their second method of productivity, which is to take digital plans and translate them onto paper. They use aif flow, a task management system, as an example to demonstrate how they organize and schedule tasks and timelines digitally. The speaker then moves these digital plans to a paper format, which helps in visualizing and cementing the plan in their mind. They emphasize the importance of having a strong system for closing open loops to avoid feeling disoriented and ensure consistency across planning methods.
🗓️ Utilizing Monthly and Weekly Spreads for Visual Planning
In this paragraph, the speaker elaborates on how they use monthly and weekly spreads in their planner to visualize their plans, especially when feeling scattered or having many events and travel. They explain that by transferring their digital calendar appointments and to-do lists onto paper, they can better understand and remember their upcoming commitments. This process of writing down tasks and events on paper is seen as a way to declutter the mind and focus on the immediate priorities without digital distractions.
🔄 The Importance of Closing Loops in Productivity
The final paragraph wraps up the video script by emphasizing the importance of having a system to close open loops in one's productivity routine. The speaker shares their personal experience of using both digital and paper planning methods and how crucial it is to address any incomplete tasks across all planning platforms. They suggest that it's not the act of writing things down twice that causes disorientation, but rather the inconsistencies and open loops in various systems that lead to a lack of accomplishment. The speaker invites viewers to share their thoughts on the duplication method and hints at a related video on how handwriting can improve productivity.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Productivity
💡Digital Planning
💡Paper Planning
💡Duplicating Plans
💡Creative Projects
💡Goals and Plans
💡Task Management System
💡Timeline
💡Offline Planning
💡Closing the Loop
Highlights
The speaker uses a combination of digital and paper planning methods, which has proven to be beneficial for productivity.
The concept of 'planning twice and doing once' is introduced as a method to enhance productivity.
Writing plans on paper first allows for a messy first draft that engages the whole brain in creative problem-solving.
Translating plans from paper to a digital system helps reinforce understanding and solidify plans.
Handwriting plans and ideas can activate motor skills, creative thinking, and memory.
Creative projects benefit from starting with a paper draft and then transferring to a structured digital format.
Goals and plans are sketched loosely on paper before being implemented in a digital system for concrete action.
The use of aif flow as a digital planning system is highlighted for its integration of calendars and to-do list apps.
Creating a timeline on paper before transferring it to a digital system helps in visualizing and scheduling tasks effectively.
The speaker demonstrates how to use aif flow for project planning and task scheduling.
The importance of having a strong system for closing loops in productivity methods is emphasized.
Translating digital plans to paper helps in de-cluttering the mind and focusing on immediate tasks.
Writing daily tasks in a notebook provides a relaxing and focused way to plan the day ahead.
The speaker shares personal examples of using both paper and digital methods for various types of planning.
The video includes a practical demonstration of how to use aif flow for a transition plan in a new job role.
The benefits of visualizing monthly, weekly, and daily plans on paper are discussed for better mental clarity.
The importance of maintaining consistency across planning systems to avoid feeling overwhelmed is highlighted.
The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to share their thoughts on the effectiveness of the discussed methods.
Transcripts
do not under any circumstances duplicate
your information except when you need
to for the longest time I've been saying
it only write things down in one place
but realistically that's not how I do it
in my productivity system I use both
digital and paper planning methods which
means a lot of my plans notes and tasks
are duplicated across two different
systems but I've realized this is
actually what is helping me be so
productive I plan twice and do once in
this video I want to show you how
writing down your plans more than once
can actually help you be more productive
and I want to give you two of my tried
and true methods for duplicating to
success so there are two major ways that
I find planning twice and doing once
really helps me so version one is
planning very messily on paper and then
duplicating it into a digital or more
permanent system I use a digital system
to duplicate my information to create a
more permanent home for it but you might
use a archive binder as a paper solution
or some other sort of like archive
planner that happens on paper but for
the purposes of this video planning
messy on paper and then duplicating it
into a digital system is version one so
in this method you want to use paper to
give yourself permission to be really
messy to scratch things out mess things
up cross things out see this as a first
draft writing things out on paper
actually does have a lot of benefits I
made a whole video about it I will leave
that link up in the cards but the main
thing is that when we are creating
letters so when we are writing the like
a b c doing this like motion with our
hand where we're following the curves of
the letter this activates our whole
brain the act of writing of creating
letters and words activates your motor
skills your creative brain your
long-term and short-term memory so
writing things out is a really fun full
brain creative act that can help you
process and cement what you're working
on so you draft on paper first you plan
it all out on paper first and then when
you're done you have a mostly fully
functional plan that you can put into a
more long-term system but here's what
separates this out from oh just think of
this as a first draft the reason I'm
calling this plan twice do once is
because the sheer Act of planning on
paper first and then translating it from
one context to another context to that
digital or other long-term solution that
I was talking about earlier the sheer
Act of translating it from one context
to another helps you reformat it in your
brain and get you a better understanding
of what you're actually working with so
obviously I just mentioned writing I
love writing on paper as that First Act
for planning because it really helps
your whole brain participate in the
activity but that act of translating it
from one system to another system also
is going to help your brain work around
the Kinks in the problem smooth out the
ripples in the plan basically just make
something nice and stable for yourself
and whatever your long-term solution is
is so two examples this page that I have
been on is one example and this is what
I'm calling the creative project example
so creative projects are really really
good for this method this is the first
draft of the script that I am literally
reading right now what ends up happening
for me is I create a an on-paper draft
of the scripts just writing down every
single thing I can think of sometimes
that includes thumbnail ideas sometimes
that includes title ideas Concepts
sometimes directly like things that I
want to say are on here you can see that
I'm pretty wild there's sketches
everywhere there's like random arrows
pointing one way or the other and then
what I do is I translate this into a
Google doc and make it more formal and
structured I have sections for where the
hook is what the title and thumbnail
concepts are the intro the outline I
have a bulleted list of often my
favorite talking points that I
definitely want to hit so it gets pretty
detailed and it gets pretty long form
and it's definitely a different format
than what you see here but it is is
really my preferred way to do creative
projects because then I get that
handwriting on paper and also
translating it to a different system
wrapping my brain around it more fully
the other way I like to do this is with
goals and plans so we're going to be
focusing on just this half of the page
for now this is just like my to-do lists
and regular ramblings but you can see
right here I have a loose timeline set
out so when I create goals or plans I
really like to sketch out a loose
timeline on paper and then put that into
a digital system like a to-do list
manager or calendar to make that
timeline a reality so for example I just
got promoted and I needed to come up
with a transition plan for moving out of
my old Ro and into my new one so I
created a whole timeline on paper this
is like Loosely all of August and it's
just a very loose structure of the main
things I need to be hitting by week one
week two week three and then week four
is still yet to be determined because
I'm not quite there yet but once I have
a loose idea of where this is going I
will then put it into my longer term
planning apps so for example in this one
I put it into my current digital
planning system of choice which is aif
flow I'm going to go over to the screen
view right now to show you guys how that
works so another example of this is when
I create goals and plans I really like
to sketch them out on paper first and
then I put them into a more permanent
task management system so that I can
really get detailed and schedule
everything out for example I just got
promoted and I needed to come up with a
transition plan to go from my old job to
my new job and I have a loose timeline
of it sketched out on paper but I really
want to get these things that I have for
the first week into my task management
system as soon as possible so as you can
see I'm putting it all into aif flow and
I have this project called transitions
in aif flow who is the kind sponsor of
this video also check them out in the
description box below if you want to
learn more aif flow basically integrates
all of your various calendars and to-do
list apps and systems that you use into
one convenient app that shows you your
task list on the left and your calendar
on the right so I'm using this as a way
to really firm up this transition plan
that I sketched out on paper and put it
into a digital environment aaow is
really great for this sort of like
timeline based project planning because
their core philosophy is that tasks
should be bound to time so I'm going to
do that right now I'm going to take the
things I have in my transition plan so
as you can see I started by creating a
new project called transition and this
has at least the first week's worth of
tasks that I need to do that I had
written down on that timeline in the
project already and this right here on
the right is my first week on the job so
I need to get all these things done in
the first week to help set myself up for
a successful transition and this is
where the magic happens I'm going to go
ahead and drag and drop these onto my
calendar and it's going to automatically
schedule them into my day so the first
thing I need to do above anything else
is I want to schedule my one-on ones
with my directs so I'm going to give a
nice half hour so that I can contact my
all my directs and get one-on-one
scheduled with them for the upcoming
week and then I'm going to leave some
time open on my calendar for that to
happen then of course I do have regular
meetings throughout the week that I'm
not doing as part of this transition
plan so to accommodate for that I want
to fit these tasks in between those
meetings so I'm going to go ahead and
put get access to work socials in below
my meeting block here I can update my
title let's say at the end of the first
day that's going to take me like a few
minutes I'm not really worried about it
and then I want to onboard my directs
into AA so I'm thinking that is going to
be a Monday task I really want to spend
the first few days of this transition
just getting right into the meat of it I
think that's going to take quite a long
time because our Asana is a really
complicated beast and so I want to make
sure that they are all set up in there
ready to go another thing that I want to
do with in Asana is actually start
creating task templates but I'm going to
do that in the next day so I'm going to
put my creating task templates for Asana
on Tuesday and just have those two
things up in the morning just in case
they go long I'm going to leave this
half hour open and then you can see
everything I had in my week one
transition plan is already scheduled in
the first two days of that first week I
know a lot of stuff is going to come up
for me so I'm leaving a lot of space
open one thing I will do is I definitely
want to hold time on my calendar for
when I want to meet with them and have
one-on ones with them and I usually like
to do that after lunch when we're all
fed and happy so I'm going to go ahead
and put a block here and I'm just going
to hold for meetings putting it in my
work calendar and then I'm going to also
do that on Thursday and then this one
onboarding directs into a sauna I have
as a task but if I want to push it to my
calendar I can do that by locking it to
my calendar by pushing this little lock
in calendar button I'm going to go ahead
and click that and then when I check my
calendar which is my Google Calendar
that's hooked up to this for work it's
going to appear on that calendar so if
I'm referencing ACU flow great if I'm
referencing the Calendar app that I use
for work that's also awesome I will
definitely have that meeting time put on
my calendar even if I'm checking it off
as a task in aif flow if any of this
seems confusing by the way ACF flow also
has oneon-one user onboarding which is
very helpful because you are integrating
a bunch of different apps into one
product so the one-on-one user
onboarding really really helps make sure
everything is smooth and where you want
it to be so you can hit the ground
running using active flow like a pro and
actually I'm also noticing that these
two create task templates are pretty
similar so I'm going to actually move
them off of my calendar and instead of
scheduling them
as two separate blocks I'm going to go
ahead and just create what's called a
time slot so I'm going to build a time
slot from 9:30 to 11: click on slot and
then I want to title it task template
creation and here I can just add new
tasks so I can add create T task
template for social post or I can also
just drag and drop a task in there and
then it automatically appears as well so
then I have this slot that basically
just sort of encompasses a number of
different tasks that are all related to
the same general thing that I'm working
on which is template creation and this
is looking pretty good I have lots of
extra space into my calendar to get all
of the things that will inevitably come
up in my first week done and I'm
onboarding really fast really hitting
the ground running having it all in this
digital environment means that I can
reference it whenever I need to I can
easily move stuff around if I need to
move things around but I'm still using
that sort of mental model of the
timeline that I had out on paper to make
sure I get everything done and aaow is a
great partner for that so if you want to
learn more about them check them out in
the description box below there's
literally an earthquake while I'm
filming right now living in California
is so fun so the second way that I like
to plan twice and do once to help me be
super productive is I like to take the
plans that I made in a digital
environment and move them offline I'll
show you this in a monthly weekly and
daily context because depending on my
need I will do them both but I have
talked a lot about this method in other
videos essentially what I do is I look
at my schedule and my task list and then
I just write it out on a blank monthly
spread or weekly spread in my planner
and like I said I do this on an as
needed basis so my months are deeply not
consistent you can see June is blank and
then it's August now and I haven't done
August yet but for July I was feeling
really really scattered and I had a lot
of travel coming up and a lot of events
coming up so I just needed to sketch out
the whole month on paper which I did by
referencing the digital calendar that I
keep in aif flow and then just writing
out handwriting out the big events on
this monthly spread so that I could see
them coming and just get that muscle
memory of how my month was taking shape
it's the same thing with my weeks this
is an example of a week that I did where
I just needed to sort of visualize all
especially the after workor and weekend
stuff that I was going to get done but
it's on a very as needed BAS basis I
didn't do it for this week I did it for
this week I didn't do it for this week
so it just depends on how I'm feeling
but the reason I do this is because
sometimes you need to plan things out in
a digital environment because things
like calendar appointments or to-do
lists or notes are often things we have
to share with other people like all of
these calendar appointments are
appointments in my work calendar that
were moving and shifting constantly
throughout the month and then I get to
the beginning of the week and I'm like
okay all of that was moving around on
the calendar app it's basically soup in
my brain right now I need to put it down
on paper so that I actually know what's
coming up when and again handwriting it
out helps activate all the centers in my
brain that make me understand and sort
of like help me cement in my mind what's
coming up when so first this is planned
out in a digital environment and then it
is put into paper so that I have it in
an offline context I especially like
this for daily to-do lists so this is a
typical page in my notebook you can see
on the leftand column I have tasks and
events written out and then on the right
hand column I just have like loose notes
of things that I'm thinking of or ideas
that I've had or content I'm consuming
if I want to take a note on that but the
leftand column is what we're going to be
focusing on for this video so all these
events that you see here and tasks that
you see here are essentially things that
were already planned out in my calendar
or in a digital task manager especially
for work I share all my task tasks with
my team so it's all planned out and
accessible to everyone who needs to
access it on my team but when I actually
want to be productive I need to come out
of the task manager I need to write it
down and remove it from the distracting
environment that is a phone or a
computer so it's very relaxing to be
able to just write a few priorities for
a given day and not be bombarded with
everything else I've ever had to do in
my life in my task manager or at risk of
opening Instagram or YouTube or some
other distracting app so it's super
relaxing and super comforting to be able
to plan it in that environment and then
replan it in this environment and this
is how I actually get things done I
actually come in here and I'm actually
able to say like okay I did that cross
it off I did that cross it off and once
I'm done with things here so if I cross
something off in my planner then I can
go back to my digital system and I check
it off at the end of the day so that way
I'm not constantly in a digital
environment I have some breaks with the
paper planning if you are using any
duplic ation method the most important
thing is that you have a strong closethe
loop system for example at the end of a
day if I don't get XYZ task done I need
to be able to address that immediately
in every place I have it written down or
typed out sometimes that's manually
rewriting something in my planner or
rescheduling it with aif flow either way
I need to make sure I have good habits
around closing my open Loops because at
the end of the day it's not writing
things down twice that makes us feel
discombobulated it's having open loops
and in consistencies in our various
systems that makes us feel like we never
quite accomplished what we wanted to get
done so what do you think is this too
much upkeep or does it actually help you
get clear on your plans I would love to
know let me know down in the comments
below if you want to keep hanging out
with me I will leave a video right here
on the screen next to my head about how
handwriting can actually improve your
productivity otherwise thank you so much
for being here for being subscribed for
being awesome I love you so much and I
will see you in the next video bye
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