An Honor Guide
I actually finished a project. But, there are a zillion more… Argh!
Organizing the day is not a simple matter.
Wandering minds in particular struggle with all of these.
Time-blindness, working memory troubles, injuries to agency, and a lack of trust between past, present, and future selves complicate matters to say the least.
One of the tools in the Waves of Focus methodology of engaging a wandering mind is called an Honor Guide.
The three main sections are:
- The Engaged – tracking my developing projects
- The Horizon – tracking a small handful of projects that I hope to reach next
- The Steady – tracking well established matters, holding them steady.
It seems simple. It is simple. But the practice is in developing the trust in the relationships between past, present, and future selves.
For a more detailed exploration, check out the Rhythms of Focus episode here.
- Kourosh
Join the Weekly Wind Down Newsletter
Get a weekly letter about getting to play and meaningful work. Start getting where you want to be with calm focus. You’ll receive free samples of:
- Creating Flow with OmniFocus
- Taking Smart Notes with DEVONthink
- Workflow Mastery
- PDF on beating deadlines with ease using the Touching the Keys Technique
Recent Posts
An Honor Guide
I actually finished a project. But, there are a zillion more… Argh! Organizing the day is not a simple matter. Wandering minds in particular struggle with all of these. Time-blindness, working memory troubles, injuries to agency, and a lack of trust between past,...
Reading and the Wave of Confusion
Dear Reader, Consider the extended podcast radio-mega remix version of today's newsletter at Rhythms of Focus. Kourosh _________________________ I think I’ve read the same paragraph four times without absorbing a thing. How the heck do people read? For some...
Play Eludes Measure
"Wait, I’ve used this language app for year. Why can’t I speak Spanish yet?" If I can speak a single sentence in Spanish without my Cuban mother-in-law looking at me funny, I’ll consider it a success. Other reasons for the funny looks notwithstanding. Meanwhile, I’ve...
The Authority Within
I might … just might… do the dishes now… Oh my goodness, I’m getting up. I’m walking over to the dishes. I’m doing it! Suddenly a voice calls from the other room, “Hey, you haven’t done the dishes in a while. When are you going to do the dishes already?” Ugh, I don’t...
Tripwires and “Sticky Decor Decay”
Dearest Reader, This post has an equation. You have been warned. Kourosh “I’ll just leave this over here to remind myself…” … 3 months later … “What the heck is this doing here?” We can’t do everything at the same time. The options are many, but the actions...
A Fundamental Gear of Focus
Consider having a book in hand. Now picture doing so while sitting on a airplane, with minimal distractions, maybe without wifi. You've likely been in such a situation somewhere in your life. What happened? You may well have started to read. Not only that, but maybe...
Prelude to a Pause
What if I did my weekly review? But I also have to write a report. Oh wait, my nails need clipping. Ugh, this is hopeless. Maybe I just need a “reset.” I’ll just see what’s on Instagram… (3 hours later) Where did the day go? I had so much to do! Getting lost in...
It’s Too Hard to Even Make It There
Alright, Let’s see what I’ve got on my list here. Visit the gym. Are you kidding me?” Sometimes the simplest things can feel like the heaviest weights. The simpler they are, the more we paradoxically “can’t be bothered.” Head to the garage, show up to the...
The 4 Limits of Productivity
“I found a new productivity app. It’s the greatest thing evar!!!” Fast forward 2 months…. “Another system down the drain…” It would seem that: “There’s just something wrong with me”. After all, the common denominator is not the app or the system. It seems to be...