Ryder Carroll's 5-4-3-2-1 Framework for Realistic Productivity [Interview]
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the creator of Hey Creator interviews Ryder Carroll, the inventor of the Bullet Journal. They discuss the 54321 exercise, a method to align with long-term, mid-term, and short-term goals by mapping them onto a timeline. The conversation touches on the importance of focus and the courage to prioritize, emphasizing the need to let go of less important tasks to concentrate on what truly matters. The video also highlights the benefits of the Bullet Journal community, Bujo, and the use of Mighty Networks for community building.
Takeaways
- 📝 The importance of using checklists and the friction they create to recommit to actions is highlighted as a beneficial aspect of running a business.
- 🎥 The speaker had an opportunity to interview Ryder Carroll, the creator of the Bullet Journal, through their involvement with a new company called Hey Creator.
- 🗓️ The '54321' exercise is introduced as a method to align with one's goals by breaking them down into long-term, mid-term, and short-term categories.
- 🤔 The exercise encourages a realistic approach to goal setting by acknowledging the finite timeline available to achieve them.
- 🔍 The process of mapping goals onto a timeline can lead to a sobering realization that not all desired goals can be achieved, prompting prioritization.
- 🔄 The concept of removing tasks to be fully present with what matters is emphasized, aligning with the idea of focusing on the essentials.
- 💡 The speaker mentions the 'two-list strategy' by Warren Buffett, which involves identifying the top five priorities from a list of 25 goals, with the remaining 20 being avoided.
- 🗣️ The value of community is underscored through the mention of the Bullet Journal community, Bujo, and the use of Mighty Networks for community building.
- ✍️ Journaling prompts such as 'Is this in my control?' and 'Is it vital?' are suggested to help clarify and prioritize tasks and goals.
- 🚫 The conversation touches on the courage required to let go of exciting but non-essential tasks in order to focus on what truly matters.
Q & A
What is the main benefit of using checklists in a business setting as mentioned in the transcript?
-The main benefit is that checklists can help run a business on autopilot, providing a structured way to manage tasks and actions, which reduces the need to constantly recreate them and ensures a consistent approach to business operations.
What is the Bullet Journal method and who is its creator?
-The Bullet Journal method is a productivity system that helps individuals organize their tasks and goals using a notebook. Its creator is Ryder Carroll, who was interviewed in the transcript.
What is the purpose of the '54321' exercise in the Bullet Journal method?
-The '54321' exercise is used to break down long-term, mid-term, and short-term goals by assigning them to specific time frames: 5 years, 4 quarters, 3 months, 2 weeks, and 1 day. This helps in prioritizing tasks and understanding the time required to achieve them.
How does the '54321' exercise help in managing one's goals?
-The '54321' exercise helps by providing a chronological context to the tasks and goals, making it clear how much time is needed for each and allowing individuals to prioritize and focus on what truly matters, while also recognizing the limitations of time.
What is the significance of the community aspect in the Bullet Journal practice?
-The community aspect, such as Bujo you, provides a platform for individuals to share their layouts, discuss strategies, and support each other in their Bullet Journal journey, enhancing the overall experience and effectiveness of the method.
Why is it important to regularly review and potentially eliminate tasks from one's to-do list?
-Regularly reviewing and eliminating tasks is important to ensure that the focus remains on what is truly vital and meaningful. It prevents being overwhelmed by tasks that may no longer be relevant or important, thus maintaining clarity and direction.
What is the 'two list strategy' mentioned in the transcript, and who is it attributed to?
-The 'two list strategy' is a method of prioritization where one lists their top 25 goals and then identifies the top 5 most important ones. The remaining 20 are considered 'avoid at all cost' tasks. This strategy is attributed to Warren Buffett.
How does the Bullet Journal method encourage letting go of tasks?
-The Bullet Journal method encourages letting go of tasks by promoting the idea of focusing on what is truly important and necessary. It allows for the realization that not all tasks need to be completed and that it's okay to leave behind those that no longer serve one's goals or values.
What is the role of the question 'Is this in my control?' in the Bullet Journal method?
-The question 'Is this in my control?' helps in identifying which tasks or goals are within one's sphere of influence, allowing for a more focused approach on what can be directly acted upon, thus reducing stress and increasing productivity.
Why is it suggested to ask 'Is this optional?' when reviewing tasks in a Bullet Journal?
-Asking 'Is this optional?' helps in discerning which tasks are truly necessary versus those that can be skipped or delegated. This question aids in decluttering the to-do list and focusing on tasks that are essential or contribute significantly to one's goals.
Outlines
📝 The Power of Checklists and the 54321 Exercise
The speaker discusses the simplicity of running a business on autopilot with the help of checklists, emphasizing the importance of friction in the process to reevaluate and recommit to actions. The introduction of an interview with Ryder Carroll, creator of the Bullet Journal, is highlighted. The 54321 exercise is introduced as a method to align with long-term, mid-term, and short-term goals by mapping them onto a timeline, which can be eye-opening and help in prioritizing tasks. The exercise encourages focusing on what truly matters and being present with those tasks, suggesting that less is more when it comes to productivity.
🗂️ Prioritization and the Two-List Strategy
This paragraph delves into the concept of prioritization through the lens of Warren Buffett's two-list strategy, which involves identifying the top 25 goals and narrowing them down to the top 5, with the remaining 20 being considered 'avoid at all cost'. The discussion touches on the mental overhead of trying to do too much and the importance of focusing on what truly matters. The speaker also mentions Oliver Burkeman's work, '4,000 Weeks', and how it aligns with the idea of clearing the decks to be ready for meaningful work. The conversation also explores the challenges of letting go of exciting but non-essential tasks in favor of focusing on what truly matters.
✍️ The Role of Journaling and Self-Reflection in Productivity
The final paragraph focuses on the role of journaling and self-reflection in enhancing productivity. The speaker shares questions that are often asked during journaling sessions, such as 'Is this in my control?' and 'Is it vital?', which help in clarifying priorities and focusing on what is truly important. The conversation with Ryder Carroll is noted for its insights on the challenges of realizing that not all desired tasks can be accomplished within a lifetime, and the importance of intentionally focusing on great tasks over good ones. The speaker also mentions the benefits of the Bullet Journal community and Mighty Networks as platforms for like-minded individuals to connect and share their experiences.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Bullet Journal
💡Autopilot
💡Checklists
💡Recommit
💡54321 Exercise
💡Timeline
💡Presence
💡Priority
💡Community
💡Mighty Networks
💡Journaling
Highlights
The importance of using checklists to run a business on autopilot and the friction it creates to recommit to actions.
Interview with Ryder Carroll, creator of the Bullet Journal, discussing its benefits and practices.
The 54321 exercise for breaking down long-term, mid-term, and short-term goals.
The realization that not everything is possible within a finite timeline and the need to prioritize.
The practicality of the Bullet Journal method in giving chronological context to goals.
The concept of removing tasks to be fully present with what matters.
The idea of dividing tasks between personal and professional life for focused action.
The encouragement to let things go in the Bullet Journal practice.
The challenge of writing down the same task repeatedly and the self-reflection it prompts.
Warren Buffett's two-list strategy for identifying top priorities and avoiding less important tasks.
The need for courage to focus on what truly matters and the sacrifices it entails.
Oliver Burkeman's concept of 'clearing the decks' and the importance of being ready to do meaningful work.
The practice of asking oneself if a task is within one's control to focus on actionable items.
The question of vitality in tasks and whether they matter to oneself or loved ones.
The optional nature of tasks and the avoidance of infinite busy work.
The difficulty of saying no to good things to pursue greatness.
The Bullet Journal practice's role in prompting deeper questions about task importance and commitment.
The benefits of pen and paper for the Bullet Journal method in creating accountability.
The future plans for more content with Ryder Carroll and the Bullet Journal on the channel.
Recommendation to check out Bujo you, the exclusive Bullet Journal community, and Mighty networks for community building.
Transcripts
it's really easy to run your business on
autopilot because you have checklists
and that's one thing I like about this
again to come back to like having to
recreate my checklist is that it's
there's just enough friction for me to
have to recommit to the actions that I
write down okay special treat today you
already saw a little bit of the preview
of it but I had the opportunity to
interview Ryder Caroll creator of the
bullet Journal you know what I'm talking
about anyone here on on this channel
loves it uses it and the way that I got
to talk to him is I'm a part of a new
company I started a new company called
Hey Creator and I'll tell you more about
it in videos to come but one of the
things that we did and probably a good
number of you attended was we did a hey
creator online Summit in January Ryder
was one of the speakers bullet Journal
was one of our sponsors and so I got to
work and uh like talk to Ryder for a
good bit before during after and this is
one of my favorite clips from the
interview so I hope that you like it I'm
going to just let you go on it and then
we'll come back and we'll talk about a
little bit once it's over one thing that
I wanted to ask you about that I thought
like from a goal Vision intention a
standpoint has been really really
helpful for me to stay aligned with what
matters to me is uh the
54321
exercise and um it's basically a way of
breaking down long-term midterm and
short-term goals so can you tell us
about like what that what that practice
is like yeah if you're anything like me
like you're you're you're very excited
like life is full of infinite
possibilities the problem of course is
that there's a
very finite timeline in which to realize
these possibilities right so anything
may be possible but not
everything and for me what was really
helpful is actually think about all the
things that I want to do on a timeline
everything so one one of the exercises
that we do inside the bullet Journal
method is have people write down
everything they want to do from you know
what they want to do today till like
life goals all of that just at once a
big mess and then start to map it onto
54321 which I have adjusted since then a
little bit so you five years you have
four
quarters right and then uh three months
two weeks one day okay so you just like
give the things you want to do some time
context chronological context and it can
be really eye openening when you realize
like oh wow like I want to do 10 things
that are going to take me five years and
then you have to get very real with the
fact that you will not be able to do
everything that you want to do that's a
a really sobering and important and
Incredibly practical thing to
embrace you know and the more studies
come out about this it's just like
people try to optimize to get more and
more stuff done but the more they work
on the less they're actually present
with everything that they do so the idea
is actually to remove as much as
possible to be able to be fully present
with the things that actually matter to
you and realizing that these things take
time and then realizing that the next
step here is to figure out where you're
going to take time so he these 20 things
are going to take five years these 20
things are going to take one year like
all of a sudden I have 99 years worth of
things I have to do what's that going to
look like so once you get that all
straight um i' like to I'd like to
divide this between personal and
professional so you fill in all your
tasks into this chart and then you pick
one from each and then you don't get to
do anything else until those things are
finished right and or you decide to
leave it behind which is something that
we encourage a lot in bullet Journal is
to let things go I want to interrupt
real quick because you should be a part
of Bojo you that is the exclusive bullet
Journal Community I think it's 4,000
people maybe more that are active and
sharing their layouts and talking about
the things that we're discussing with
writer here in this video so the 54321
we're about to talk about the kind of
the challenge uh the annoyance but the
good kind of frustration that comes from
writing down the same task over and over
again of asking yourself why am I doing
the things that I'm doing there's a
whole community of people that are doing
this work together as a part of Bujo you
you can find links to join the community
and start the course in the description
below and also like another thing that
this reminded me of is that uh Warren
Buffett had told a story it's called his
two his two list strategy and he had
like one of his like Associates or
managers he's like hey make a list of
your top 25 like goals or priorities
it's like okay makes that list of 25 he
like all right now I need you to
identify the top five these are the
things that are most important so he
he's like okay so I've got and then you
know the not Buffett is like okay so
I've got these five things but I've also
got these other 20 things things that I
can like kind of work on on the side and
buff is like no so you have your
priority list which is the FI and then
those other 20 are the avoid at all cost
list because you're giving yourself so
much more mental overhead thinking like
well maybe Stars a line in the way that
I hope I'll be able to do all these
things and like thinking about and
coming to an understanding of the
reality of like time constraints prior
prorities what we like really want to
put our mark on like having having that
understanding and like courage to to an
extent that's come up a few times today
in in our conversation that you at some
point have to be brave enough to say
this is what I'm going to like Focus my
attention on doesn't mean you can't
leave it behind at some some point I'm
glad you I'm glad you brought that up
but being able to say like hey this is
what I need to focus on will give you a
lot more power confidence and direction
Oliver burkeman talks about this as well
like clearing the decks we can spend our
entire lives ready to like do the work I
love the way that he puts that and I
find myself often in that place where
I'm like well if I do these 10 things
then I can finally sit down and write
and this year for example like I just
took an axe to my calendar it's like no
no more small things like it doesn't
happen if it doesn't get done it doesn't
get done we make less money we make less
money if I want to create if I want to
work on things that are meaningful to me
that comes with real sacrifices and
those sacrifices are not a bunch of like
oh that sounds fun it's a bunch of
things that I would really really work
on that's the tough part it's like these
are like ah you know of course it's it's
easy to be like oh well that's kind of
okay I don't mind leaving behind
something that's okay it's the leaving
behind of the thing that is exciting
that is really
difficult yeah I'm glad you brought up
that um Oliver uh Burk Ben's work his
4,000 weeks was one of my favorite uh
books of the last couple of years is
like a very very the most sobering
productivity book that I've ever read uh
which is like why I really also really
enjoyed it the Bujo Community runs on
Mighty networks and mighty networks is
the best community platform that you can
find on the internet it Powers Bujo you
it also Powers uh Lauren Dag's like crew
pass Community she's a musician here in
Nashville it also Powers uh yoga with
Adrian which is my wife's favorite yoga
YouTube channel and then I also saw that
Mel Robbins runs uh her community on
Mighty as well so a ton of great people
incredible creators authors musicians
trust Mighty networks to run their
community so just check out the link in
the description below you'll get to see
everything that you get everything that
you can do if you're Gathering a group
of like-minded people together what kind
of prompt questions do you use when
you're journaling uh in your when you're
writing in your bullet journal
and I often ask questions in my
journaling practice like what could I do
better next time or what would this look
like if it were easy which is you know a
borrowed question for
sure one question I ask myself often is
is this in my control which is a really
powerful forcing function because
sometimes I write things down that just
aren't in my control and then it helps
me shift the way that I write it down or
frame this action or focus on get very
clear on what I can actually control and
do that thing so those are a
couple I also ask myself regular
questions about things to get rid of
which are is it vital you know is this
something that's actually vital to my
life and sometimes the answer is no and
so I ask myself the second question is
like does it matter does it matter to me
or somebody I love that's a little bit
more of a great question because I think
that we often task ourselves with a
bunch of things that we were excited
about at one point in our life uh and
then we just don't revisit it anymore we
don't think about it again and it keeps
on showing up in our to-do
lists and we never really check in with
that how does it make you feel do you
still want to learn French you know do
you still want to hit this amount of
subscribers do you still X Y and Z and
the answer most of the time is no
like young Ryder was yeah Ryder was
really excited about this thing a week a
month a year ago but no longer so I get
rid of that stuff yeah um another thing
that I ask myself is like is this
optional right a lot of time just
because something can be done doesn't
mean that it needs to be done and often
especially if you run your own business
you can get trapped in infinite busy
work and it's not always clear until you
slow down it's like wait a second this
just doesn't need to be done I really
don't need to optimize this notion page
I really don't need to set up yet
another meeting it's just I can do it it
will take time from everyone but it it's
it's
really it's really easy to run your
business on autopilot because you have
checklists and that's one thing I like
about this again to come back to like
having to recreate my checklist is that
it's there's just enough friction for me
to have to recommit to the actions that
I write down to two things really stood
out to me in this particular part of the
conversation with Ryder and the first
one is sometimes the sad realization
that you can't do all the things that
you want to do if you add it up the time
that you estimate that things will take
be like I can't do this in a lifetime
and probably the hardest thing about
that is not that you have to say no to
things that are just okay it's not hard
to say no to things that are okay what's
hard is to say no to things that are
good so that you can pursue something
great especially if the thing that is
great is harder and it takes longer
that's really challenging but it's part
of the intention and the focus and the
clarity that bullet journaling provides
is that you know we talked about this
right at the end when you're having to
write down the same thing day after day
after day this is something that you
really only get with pen and paper
because like if you don't check
something off in your Reminders app or
like you have a to-do box in notion it
just kind of stays there and it's easy
to forget about but if you're really
like doing the bullet Journal practice
of writing down hey it's day four it's
day five it's day 10 of writing that
daggum thing down that I'm not doing o
that that opens up a lot more questions
that you have to ask yourself of like
why why am I not doing this is it not as
important as I thought did I want it to
be more important than it is am I scared
to do it for some for some reason I
don't know but it's those kind of
questions that get asked when you're
recommitting yourself to the task day
after day I'm going to have more Clips
like this from Ryder we talked for over
an hour and we still kind of chat from
time to time so I'm going to be bringing
him in for some more stuff on the
channel which is which is really cool
and exciting because obviously the
bullet Journal has been a huge part of
this channel so to have like some you
know intermittent conversations or clips
from Ryder is is really really cool I
also again highly recommend that you
check out Bujo youu their community and
if you want to set up a community for
your own work then I highly recommend
you check out Mighty networks thanks so
much for watching this video and I'll
see you next
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