June 2024 Planning Tips: Scaling Back and Letting Go
How to come to grips with your limiting factors
June includes World Productivity Day (June 20th, for anyone asking). As I shared back in 2022 I tend not to know what to do with this “holiday,” since it feels made up — just to sell something or have something to talk about.
We’re here every single day helping people finish what matters most (a.k.a., by most definitions, “be productive”). So we don’t need a special day to do it.
This month, instead of focusing on getting MOAR done I want to focus on what might be keeping you from getting to those things that matter most.
First thing to consider: What’s your limiting factor (limfac)?
When you think about what you want to achieve this month and the time, energy, and attention you could bring to that work, what’s the most limited resource for you?
Is it time? Do you find your time taken up by other responsibilities (milestone events, or holidays, or family projects) so that you only have crumbs of time available for your work/ business/ personal projects?
Is it energy? Are you in need of first idling or napping in dappled sunlight in a hammock under a tree before you’d be resourced enough to do this project? Is your usual grind at the office leaving you without enough energy to start?
Is it attention? Could be certain relationships or personal dynamics, or social pressures in general sapping one of your most precious resources. Or the attention pit that-shall-not-be-named: social media?
No matter your limfac, you’re likely facing the knowledge that no matter how well you plan or how well you execute on those plans, you still won’t be able to get everything done you wanted to this month.
We’ve all been there. And some of us are right there alongside you right now.
As always, inevitably there are going to be certain things that are more (and less) important in your life right now than others and need to be prioritized accordingly.
The big reveal? You’re the only one who can decide what the order is.
June Planning Tips
So here are some ideas and suggestions for how to best address your limfacs (limiting factors) and prioritize wisely this month:
Redefine your project load. Maybe it’s time to look at your project load honestly, and call all the things you’re carrying projects (because they are).
Displacement is painful, but it’s also your friend. It’s how you actually get some things done, rather than spinning on all.the.things.
Do a project cagematch. Sometimes you just need to put two competing projects up against each other, and see which one wins.
Identify the boundaries you need, and whether you’re upholding them. What personal limits or boundaries do you need to establish or reestablish to honor your energy, your other commitments, and your desires?
Let yourself slow down. For those in the back, it’s okay to just take a pause. Both you and your project may benefit from your taking a break from it.
Reduce urgency. Maybe getting lost in urgency and details is preventing you from moving your most important work forward.
Need to Let Go? Maybe it’s the projects, or maybe it’s the underlying story you’re telling yourself.
Try thinking people > projects. Dig deep on how the balance is currently falling and whether that’s what you want. Are you worrying about the things you “should” be doing instead of focusing on those that really matter?
Is it time to surrender? Is it possible that you’ve already done enough (and reached the limit of what you can do) to fix or move forward current circumstances or projects?
Final question: What might happen for you if you stopped fighting your current limfac and used it to help be more of a human being than a human (not) doing?
Download your free June weekly planners to help with scaling back, letting go, and finding the grace needed to devote yourself to the projects most in need of your time, energy and attention.
Premium subscribers can access the full suite of dated planners below. 👇
In Case You Missed It
During our May Monthly Community Coaching Call (MC3) we discussed the importance of self-care, self-empowerment, and avoiding self-exploitation. Premium/Paid subscribers can catch the replay here.
We updated a pillar post on how to conduct a Mid-Month Review (also applicable for a Mid-Quarter Review, if you haven’t done one yet). Includes an updated Mid-Month Review worksheet for premium/paid subscribers.
Over the last month we’ve been experimenting with bringing back some older posts like:
If you need more direct support for your planning and managing your limfacs, consider PF Productivity Coaching with Maghan. For more details and to book a discovery session:
Coming in June
June Monthly Community Coaching Call on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 11:00 a.m. PDT (for Paid Subscribers). On the second Wednesday of every month we host a 60-minute community call that’s a mix of teaching,
hot-support-seat coaching, and Q&A.Quarterly Planning Session on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 11:00 a.m. PDT (for Pro Subscribers). Once a quarter we host a session to help our Pro-level members lock in on their objectives, identify where they want to be in three months, and set a course to get there. Take a Victory Lap along with your compatriots, receive a quick primer on our OKP Framework, learn why we focus on the quarter and how that benefits you, and how to approach this planning system (top-down, bottom-up, or middle-in) — and much more.
I want to take a moment to say: While I hope you find our free resources helpful and catalytic for your journey — if you become a paid subscriber, you are helping support our ability to devote our time, energy, and attention to this enterprise. (Not just mine, but also that of the PF team.) The work we do here wouldn’t be possible otherwise.
PS: If supporting Black creators and veterans is important to you, becoming a paid subscriber is a way to do so. I’m both.
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