I've been using Work Cycles for quite some time now and for most job related tasks i've been getting 50-75% more work done, because I always know what's next without getting sidetracked by useless minutiae.
I have done the Ultraworking Pentalathon about 5 times over the last 18 months - amazing productivity results. I have published two books using it. And did a major website overhaul in another. Tasks I had been putting off for years got completed . Love it
Overall, great product from the Ultraworking team. I am excited to see how this further develops.
Although I'm a new member of The Work Gym, I've been using Work Cycles for about a year now.
When I use Work Cycles, without fail, I get more done. This structure works and is well tested and proven.
Even as a very productive person, when I use Work Cycles I increase my ability to be productive by 1.5-2x on average days and as much as 3-4x if I'm really in the zone.
If you like being in a community dedicated to excellence and want to maximize your productivity and do this consistently, The Work Gym is for you.
The more I get into a consistent planning process (monthly high level plan + 2 week detailed sprints) the better things go in my business and my life and the more I stay on track and have my energy focused on the stuff that matters most.
In a short amount of time, this planning spreadsheet will 80/20 the key lever points for you to get the most out of your next month.
I started using this about a year ago and the process + accompanying spreadsheet tech has gotten better, again and again.
Using this process is so effective that it's not only scheduled monthly into my calendar and Asana, but I actually do it.
Thanks @Ultraworking Team for another useful tool that allows me to systematically get gains in all areas of my life and business!
I did this as a group at the end of July, and it gave me a HUUUUGE insight as to where my strengths and best practices were, and what was in fact dismal, and that I was completely shooting myself in the foot. Not everything was quite that black or white, but where I was falling short (and why) seemed suddenly crystal clear. And I couldn't believe that I hadn't seen those patterns before.
After doing the monthly review in July, I specifically made a plan of best practices around one specific (and significant goal,) and I'm roughly 6 months months ahead of the "this could probably happen by then date", and 2 months ahead of the" all systems go, burn it down" goal date.
Thats a big difference. And the monthly review showed me the way.
This community of people is completely A Game. And for a right brain creative like me, it really grows my logic, measure and metrics. The things that don't come naturally or all that easy, but repeatedly showing up is where the growing happens.
Maybe one day my spelling and grammar will catch up, ha!
Anyway, Hope to see you there!
I've been using work cycles for over a year, so when the The Work Gym launched I was like SIGN ME UP/TAKE MY MONEY. And that's really saying something, cause I'm on the shoe string ramen eating student budget currently.
But here is the deal, when something works, it WORKS. So I can sling my cash towards something that gets me roughly 200 to 500 percent more effective with the time I do have, or continue to muddle through with out the hyper focus.
Like I'm no slouch, I can get stuff done, but HOOOOOOOOO BOY, not like this.
So I've challenged myself to attend 3-5 TWGs a week, and am using them to focus on digital products. Revisions on previous courses, adding new creative content, whatever. A good example of how it impacted my effectiveness was last week when I spent a cycle and half screwing around with a digital storyboard and shot list program before I looked at what a waste if time it was (for me) and grabbed a blank spiral bound notebook, sketched out what I needed old school and kept rolling. In the past that would of killed my momentum, and the project would of dropped for another six months while I went on to something else.
NO TODAY SATAN. I made a decision, rerouted, and avoided a stall.
I love this product, it has brought new life to the things I always wanted to get done (I'm looking at you, notebook pile of good ideas/Evernotes of mass ambition) and in general the peeps/co workers are good company.
I will say that the lawyers, gamers, coders and people learning Greek can put me in the Sesame Street game of "Which of these doesn't belong," but maybe you are a right brain creative also and want to focus on getting your goods to the people? Come on in, the waters fine. I'm the redhead wearing the dj/kitty ear headphones.
See you soon. xoxo Rowan