The productivity system I've been too scared to try... until now [WRAP 186]
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Hey [FIRST NAME GOES HERE], it's Labor Day weekend here in America and the official return of college football! One benefit of being back in Florida is the opportunity to see my beloved Gators play more often. I'm taking my two older boys to next week's game and can't wait for the experience with them. If you're rooting for a college football team this fall, write back and let me know who! Even (especially?) if you're a rival like Georgia, Tennessee, or FSU. And bonus points if you use a fun GIF. 💡 One Big Idea: 8 Week Work CyclesOne of the speakers at the HeyCreator Summit was Shawn Blanc, one of my productivity buddies and someone I’ve leaned on for creator advice for years. I’ve always admired Shawn’s work habits, and specifically his commitment to working in 8 week cycles. We’ve talked about this before and he’s written about it several times, but I’ve always felt “too busy” to actually try it myself. Here’s the breakdown of the 8 week cycle schedule:
What stands out to me is the realization about how much more productive Shawn felt by constraining projects to a 6 week cycle and also giving himself time to rest, recover, and plan. It still seems luxurious—even irresponsible—to consider taking that much time off, but I am intrigued by the possibility. Running the ExperimentMost people get stuck in the hamster wheel of customer and audience expectations. But what if you designed your work around focused sprints instead of endless marathons? The beauty of cycles is they force you to:
I'm already shifting away from weekly retainer clients toward project-based work that align with these cycles. It's scary to potentially walk away from steady revenue, but the math works when you focus on higher-value, time-bounded work. Start Small: Two Actions for This WeekYou don't need to overhaul your entire schedule to benefit from this thinking:
The goal isn't perfection—it's intention. When you work in defined cycles with built-in recovery, you can sustain higher levels of focus and creativity than the always-on approach most of us default to. What would change if you gave yourself permission to work in seasons instead of sprinting year-round? Additional Reading
One Video to Watch: My Analog KitIn this video I share 5 (ok maybe 6 or 7) no-tech "analog" tools that I use to stay focused on my goals, even when I'm using technology as a tool to achieve those goals. Because let's be honest, at times productivity apps cause a lot of the same problems they seek to solve. I can get distracted in Notion or ClickUp almost as easily as I do on social media! Here are the tools I recommend:
📖 What I’m Reading: The Wealth LadderIt takes a lot for me to read a non-fiction book these days. I’ve been on a multi-year fiction kick that doesn’t show any signs of letting up. But enough people I respect have been talking about Nick Maggiulli’s new book The Wealth Ladder that I decided to pick it up. What was interesting to me was how to be more strategic with my money, not staying on the hamster wheel of earning and spending but building. This probably sounds basic to many of you, but it’s similar to the work cycle idea because there’s always something that I could spend on, even necessary things! Heck, with 4 kids there’s always something to buy 😅 The point is just like there’s always more work to do, there’s always something to spend more money on. What I’m focusing on is setting more boundaries around spending, tithing, and saving. The bet is that better boundaries lead to less stress, more savings, and ultimately more wealth for my family. Thanks for reading, Matt "Work Cycle Wrangler" Ragland |