## Choose Your Starting Point Everyone comes to MakeTimeFlow with different needs. Choose the approach that fits where you are right now: ### 🆘 Pathway A: "I'm Feeling Overwhelmed" **Best for:** Need immediate relief, drowning in tasks, stressed about everything **Quick Start (15 minutes):** (Do with AI - voice or text - it can help you create these) 1. **This week's wins** (5 min): What 2-3 things would make this week feel successful? 2. **Key tasks** (5 min): Create 3-5 tasks with time estimates and schedule them 3. **Focus time** (5 min): Learn to use timers for focused work blocks **Build over time:** Gradually add quarterly goals → 5-year vision in coming weeks [[#Pathway A Quick Start for Overwhelmed]] --- ### 🎯 Pathway B: "I'm Not Getting Done What's Most Important" **Best for:** Busy but not making progress on what truly matters, need clarity on priorities **Goals-First Approach (30 minutes):** (Do with AI - voice or text - it can help you create these) 1. **Quarterly clarity** (15 min): Define success for THIS QUARTER 2. **Weekly focus** (10 min): Connect quarterly goals to this week's priorities 3. **Key tasks** (5 min): Identify 3-5 tasks aligned to goals 4. **Track progress**: Set up 1-2 KPIs to measure success [[#Pathway B Goals-First Approach]] --- ### 🚀 Pathway C: "I Want the Full System" **Best for:** Motivated, have time, want complete understanding and setup Ready for the comprehensive approach? Here's your path to meaningful progress: ## 4 Steps to Level Up ### 1. Explore Your Flourishing Map **What:** Assess the 6 key drivers of life satisfaction **Why:** Understand where you are and where you want to be across all life domains **How:** Use voice or chat with your AI coach to explore each domain **Time:** 15-20 minutes for initial exploration Start by exploring your [[Flourishing Map]] - a visual compass based on positive psychology research. You'll assess yourself across 6 domains: - Physical Health and Exercise - Positive Emotions - Engagement and Flow - Relationships - Meaning and Purpose - Achievement This exploration helps you identify what matters most and where you want to focus your energy. ### 2. Draft Your Success Stories (Your Narrative Goals) **What:** Create compelling narratives of your future success - these ARE your goals **Why:** Vivid, narrative goals are more motivating than lists of objectives **How:** Use AI to help draft stories from your "future successful self" **Time:** 20-30 minutes with AI assistance Based on your Flourishing Map insights, create **Success Stories** (your rich narrative goals) for different time horizons: **5-Year Vision** - Your long-term aspirational future - Organized by 4 life domains: Work, Home, Community, Self - Written as a narrative from your successful future self - Describes how you overcame obstacles and became the person you wanted to be **Quarterly Goals** (12-week year) - Your focused 3-month vision - Also organized by the 4 Four-Way Wins domains - Specific enough to guide action, inspiring enough to motivate - Updated every quarter to reflect your evolving priorities **Weekly Success Story** - What makes this week successful - Your immediate focus and outcomes - Guides daily decisions and priorities - Reviewed and updated each week > [!tip] Use the AI Coach > Your AI coach can help draft these stories based on your Flourishing Map insights. Just ask: "Help me create my quarterly success story" or use `Cmd+G` (Mac) / `Ctrl+G` (Windows/Linux) to jump to your goals and click on the Coach button in the bottom right. ### 3. Choose 3-5 Smart Bets (Strategic Experiments) > [!tip] In-App Help Available > Look for the **"Explain this"** button on the Smart Bets page for instant help understanding this concept. **What:** Select specific metrics to track as 4-week bounded experiments **Why:** Test strategic approaches to see what actually moves the needle **How:** Form hypotheses about what might work, then measure the results **Time:** 10-15 minutes Smart Bets (formerly KPIs) are **4-week experiments** inspired by Cal Newport's deliberate practice philosophy. Instead of tracking metrics forever, you're testing approaches to learn what works. Don't try to measure everything! Choose 3-5 Smart Bets that represent your most important quarterly outcomes. **Most users will have 1-2 KPIs focused on Achievement - their work success and personal performance.** #### How KPI Scoring Works (0-100) Each KPI uses a **0-100 scoring system** where you set: - **Baseline score**: Where you are now (0-100) - **Goal score**: Where you want to be by quarter-end (0-100) **The 0-100 scale is flexible - each point can mean whatever you want:** - **Hours**: Each point = 1 hour. Example: Deep work hours 5 → 15 (5 hours/week to 15 hours/week) - **Revenue**: Each point = $1K. Example: Revenue 10 → 25 ($10K to $25K) - **Percentages**: Each point = 1%. Example: Projects on time 60 → 90 (60% to 90%) - **Subjective ratings**: Use any scale. Example: Leadership skills 6 → 8 (on a 10-point self-assessment) **Choose what each point means for your KPI, then stay consistent** when you update your scores each week. #### Best Practice KPI Examples **Achievement - Work Success (Most Common):** - **Deep work hours per week**: 5 → 15 (each point = 1 hour; best practice: 15-20h/week for knowledge workers) - **Projects shipped on time**: 60 → 90 (each point = 1%; ship 60% on time → 90% on time with quality maintained) - **Revenue per client delivered**: 10 → 25 (each point = $1K; $10K → $25K for consultants/agencies) - **Technical skills mastery**: 6 → 8 (use your self-assessment scale; 6/10 → 8/10 via quarterly review + peer feedback) - **Weekly velocity**: 20 → 35 (each point = 1 story point; for engineers using agile) **Achievement - Personal Performance:** - **Leadership skills rating**: 5 → 8 (use your rating scale; 5/10 → 8/10 via 360 feedback) - **Presentation quality score**: 6 → 9 (use your rating scale; 6/10 → 9/10 via audience feedback) - **Strategic thinking time**: 2 → 5 (each point = 1 hour/week; 2h → 5h of high-level planning) - **Learning velocity**: 1 → 3 (each point = 1 course per quarter; 1 course/quarter → 3 courses/quarter) **Productivity - Supporting Metrics:** - **Focus sessions per week**: 3 → 10 (each point = 1 session; 3 → 10 uninterrupted 90-min blocks) - **Weekly planning completion**: 50 → 100 (each point = 1%; complete planning 50% → 100% of weeks) **For Entrepreneurs:** - **Monthly recurring revenue (MRR)**: 5 → 15 (each point = $1K; $5K → $15K MRR) - **Customer lifetime value (LTV)**: 5 → 20 (each point = $100; $500 → $2000 LTV) - **Net promoter score (NPS)**: 30 → 70 (each point = 1 NPS point; industry standard measurement) > [!info] Review Weekly > Update your KPI scores weekly to track progress. Use `Cmd+K` (Mac) / `Ctrl+K` (Windows/Linux) to open the command palette, then search "KPI" to quickly access your KPIs. ### 4. Run 1-2 Personal Experiments > [!tip] In-App Help Available > Look for the **"Explain this"** button on the Personal Experiments page for instant help understanding this concept. **What:** Test new daily practices through 1-2 week sprints **Why:** Discover what habits actually work for YOU through rapid experimentation **How:** Choose 1-2 specific behaviors to try for 1-2 weeks **Time:** 5 minutes to set up, daily practice to test Think of habits as experiments, not lifelong commitments. Test something new for 1-2 weeks, then decide: - **Keep** it in maintenance mode (becomes part of your routine) - **Modify** it based on what you learned - **Abandon** it and try something else **Example Habit Experiments:** - "Morning meditation - 10 minutes daily" (testing for 2 weeks) - "Leave work by 6pm for family dinner" (testing for 2 weeks) - "90-minute deep work blocks" (testing for 2 weeks) > [!success] Start Small > Only run 1-2 active experiments at a time. It's better to successfully test one habit than fail at five. > It's totally fine to have a list of habits you want to try - keep track of them in your quarterly success story for self. Keep track of the habits you are maintaining in your weekly success story. --- ## How It All Fits Together Understanding how these pieces work together is key to success. Here's the complete system: ### The MakeTimeFlow Framework ``` Flourishing Map (Foundation) ↓ Identifies what drives your satisfaction ↓ Success Stories = Your Goals ↓ Rich narrative visions organized by 4 life domains ↓ KPIs (Selective Measurement) ↓ Track 3-5 most important outcomes from 6 Flourishing Domains ↓ Habits (Experimentation) ↓ Test 1-2 new approaches at a time ↓ Tasks (Daily Execution) ↓ Break goals into actionable next steps ↓ Focus & Highlights (Flow) ↓ Execute with intention and presence ``` ### Two Category Systems Working Together MakeTimeFlow uses two complementary frameworks - don't confuse them! **6 Flourishing Domains** (for foundation, KPIs, and Habits) Used for: - Exploring your Flourishing Map (assessing life satisfaction drivers) - Choosing KPIs (selecting 3-5 metrics to track) - Designing Habit experiments (testing improvements in any domain) The 6 domains: 1. Physical Health and Exercise 2. Positive Emotions 3. Engagement and Flow 4. Relationships 5. Meaning and Purpose 6. Achievement **4 Four-Way Wins Domains** (for Success Stories only) Used for: - Organizing your Success Stories (quarterly and long-term goals) - Creating "four-way wins" where progress in one area supports others The 4 domains: 1. **Work** - Professional achievement and career 2. **Home** - Family and personal life 3. **Community** - Social contribution and service 4. **Self** - Health, growth, and personal development > [!note] Why Two Systems? > The 6 Flourishing Domains help you assess and measure what drives satisfaction. The 4 Four-Way Wins help you organize comprehensive life goals. They complement each other perfectly! ### Success Stories ARE Your Goals This is crucial to understand: **Your Goals = Your Success Stories** (We use these terms interchangeably) When we say "Success Stories" we mean your **narrative goals** - rich descriptions of what you want to achieve: - Written in human, meaningful terms (not just numbers or checkboxes) - Tell the story of your success from the future - Describe how you overcame obstacles - Create emotional connection to your vision - Comprehensive across life domains (Work, Home, Community, Self) **KPIs and Habits are NOT your goals** - they're supporting tools: - **KPIs** = Selective measurement (only 3-5 most important outcomes measured 0-100) - **Habits** = Experimentation (only 1-2 active tests at a time) You don't need to measure everything in your Success Story (goal). Choose what matters most. --- ## The MakeTimeFlow Journey Here's the recommended path to building a sustainable practice: ### Starting Out: Initial Exploration (Week 1) **Day 1-2: Explore Your Flourishing Map** - Set aside 20 minutes - Create your [flourishing map](https://my.maketimeflow.com/flourishing) or create it with voice or text with your AI coach - Assess yourself honestly across all 6 domains - Note your current score and desired score for each - Let this guide your thinking about goals **Day 3-4: Draft Your Success Stories** - Start with quarterly (12-week) goals - Use AI to help you draft from your "future self" perspective - Organize by the 4 Four-Way Wins domains (Work, Home, Community, Self) - Make them vivid and inspiring - Include how you overcame expected obstacles **Day 5: Choose Your KPIs** - Pick 3-5 metrics that matter most this quarter - Draw from your 6 Flourishing Domains - Set baseline scores (where you are now, 0-100) - Set goal scores (where you want to be, 0-100) - Connect them to your Success Stories **Day 6-7: Plan Your First Habit Experiment** - Choose ONE habit to test this week - Make it specific and measurable - Connect it to a KPI or Success Story - Set up daily or weekly tracking ### Building Momentum: First Month **Week 1: Get Everything In Place** - Complete your Flourishing Map - Draft quarterly Success Story - Set 3-5 KPIs - Start 1 habit experiment **Week 2-4: Establish Review Rhythm** - **Daily**: Check your weekly goals (morning/evening) - **Weekly**: Reflect on KPIs, update weekly success story, plan next week - **End of Month**: Review quarterly goals, adjust KPIs if needed ### Deepening Practice: Months 2-3 **Experiment and Refine** - Complete 1-2 week habit experiments - Decide: keep, modify, or abandon each habit - Update KPI scores weekly - Adjust goals based on what you learn - Use voice reflections to process insights **Expand Time Horizons** - Draft your 5-year vision (if you haven't already) - See how quarterly goals connect to longer vision - Notice patterns in what energizes vs drains you ### Sustainable Excellence: Quarter End and Beyond **Quarterly Review** - Celebrate what you achieved - Review all KPI progress - Update Flourishing Map - Draft next quarter's Success Story - Choose new KPIs for next quarter - Close out habit experiments **Yearly Reflection** - Update your 5-year vision - Review Flourishing Map changes over the year - Celebrate growth and learning - Set direction for next year --- ## Using the Tools MakeTimeFlow provides powerful tools to support your journey: ### AI Coach Integration Your AI coach understands your goals, habits, and KPIs: **Voice Interactions:** - "Help me update my Flourishing Map" - "Let's create my weekly success story" - "I completed my habit today" (during shutdown) - "Help me reflect on my KPIs" (during weekly planning) **Chat Interactions:** - Ask for help drafting goals - Request advice on which habits to try - Get accountability and encouragement - Process insights from your reflections ### Keyboard Shortcuts **Quick Access:** - `Cmd+G` (Mac) / `Ctrl+G` (Windows/Linux): Jump to goals - `Cmd+K` (Mac) / `Ctrl+K` (Windows/Linux): Open command palette (then search "KPI" or "Habits") **Daily Workflow:** - Use Focus Mode to work on goal-related tasks - Set Daily Highlight for your most important outcome - Link tasks to goals with project tags ### Connecting Goals to Tasks Your Success Stories should inform your daily tasks: **Break Down Goals:** - Create tasks for specific goal-related actions - Use project tags to connect tasks to goals - Set weekly tasks that align with weekly success story **Use Daily Highlight:** - Choose one task each day that connects to your goals - Ask: "Will this help achieve my Success Story?" - Celebrate progress on goal-related work **Review Rituals:** - **Shutdown**: Reflect on today's progress toward goals - **Weekly Planning**: Review KPIs, update weekly success story, plan next week - **Monthly Review**: Check quarterly goals, adjust KPIs ### Email and Notifications **Daily Goals Email:** - Get your weekly goals, active habits, and current KPIs delivered daily - Configure at [Daily Goals Email Preferences](https://my.maketimeflow.com/goals_email_preferences) - Great for morning motivation and evening reflection --- ## Making It Work For You ### Common Patterns That Work **The Minimalist:** - 1 quarterly Success Story - 3 KPIs (one per domain: Achievement, Relationships, Physical Health) - 1 habit experiment at a time - Weekly review only **The Comprehensive Planner:** - Full Flourishing Map exploration - Quarterly + 5-year Success Stories - 5 KPIs covering multiple domains - 2 habit experiments - Daily shutdown + weekly + monthly reviews **The Experimenter:** - simple weekly success story - focused tasks - begin well ritual - Focus on discovering what works through rapid testing ### When to Review See [[Review Rhythm]] for detailed guidance on review cadences: **Daily** (5 minutes) - Morning: Review weekly goals (the begin well ritual will guide you to review your goals) - Evening: Quick reflection on progress **Weekly** (30 minutes - your WRAP ritual will guide you through these) - Reflect on KPI progress - Update weekly success story - Plan next week - Review habit experiments **Monthly** (45 minutes) - Review quarterly goals - Update KPI scores - Consider new habit experiments **Quarterly** (90 minutes) - Full quarterly review - Update Flourishing Map - Draft next quarter's Success Story - Choose new KPIs **Yearly** (2-3 hours) - Review 5-year vision - Celebrate year's progress - Set direction for next year --- ## Pathway Details ### Pathway A: Quick Start for Overwhelmed **When to use this:** You're feeling stressed, drowning in tasks, and need immediate relief before thinking about long-term goals. #### Week 1: Get Grounded (15 minutes setup) **Step 1: This Week's Wins (5 minutes)** Open your AI coach and say: "I'm feeling overwhelmed. Help me focus on this week." Together, capture 2-3 things that would make this week feel successful: - "Finish the client proposal" - "Have quality time with family on weekend" - "Get caught up on email backlog" This becomes your simple **weekly success story** (your weekly goal). **Step 2: Key Tasks (5 minutes)** Create 3-5 specific tasks with time estimates: - "Draft client proposal sections 1-3" - 2h - "Review and edit proposal" - 1h - "Plan Saturday family outing" - 30m - "Process inbox to zero" - 1h - "Prepare for Monday team meeting" - 45m **Step 3: Schedule Focus Time (5 minutes)** - Learn about the 5, 10, 25, and 45-minute timers - Schedule one 45-minute focus block for your most important task - Try using a timer for your first task #### Weeks 2-4: Build Momentum **Each Monday (10 minutes):** 1. Review last week - what worked? 2. Set this week's 2-3 wins 3. Create 3-5 key tasks 4. Schedule focus blocks **Each Evening (2 minutes):** - Quick check: Made progress on weekly wins? - Celebrate what you got done - Adjust tomorrow if needed #### Month 2: Add Structure Once you're comfortable with weekly rhythms, gradually add: - **Week 5-6**: Add one habit experiment ("45-min focus blocks daily") - **Week 7-8**: Draft a simple quarterly success story (your quarterly goal) - **Month 3+**: Add 1-2 KPIs to track quarterly progress **Why this works:** You start with immediate relief and build confidence before adding complexity. --- ### Pathway B: Goals-First Approach **When to use this:** You're busy but not making progress on what truly matters. You need clarity on priorities. #### Week 1: Get Clear (30 minutes) **Step 1: Quarterly Clarity (15 minutes)** Use your AI coach or chat to answer: - "When I look at the end of this quarter (3 months), what achievement would make me feel like I'm winning?" - "What's the ONE professional breakthrough I want?" - "What personal outcome matters most this quarter?" Draft your **quarterly success story** (your quarterly goal) organized by Work, Home, Community, Self. **Step 2: This Week's Focus (10 minutes)** Connect quarterly goals to this week: - Which quarterly goal needs attention THIS WEEK? - What 2-3 outcomes this week would move me toward that goal? - Create your **weekly success story** (your weekly goal) **Step 3: Aligned Tasks (5 minutes)** Create 3-5 tasks that directly support your goals: - Each task should connect to either your weekly or quarterly story - Add project tags to link tasks to goals - Schedule them with time estimates #### Weeks 2-4: Track Progress **Weekly Planning (20 minutes each Sunday/Monday):** 1. Review quarterly goals - still on track? 2. Update this week's **success story** (weekly goal) 3. Create goal-aligned tasks for the week 4. Schedule focus time for high-priority work **Weekly Review (10 minutes each Friday/Sunday):** 1. Reflect on progress toward quarterly goals 2. What worked this week? What didn't? 3. Adjust next week's plan accordingly #### Month 2: Add Measurement **Set up 1-2 KPIs (15 minutes):** - Choose metrics that show quarterly progress - Example: "Deep work hours per week" (Baseline: 5, Goal: 15) - Example: "Monthly recurring revenue" (Baseline: $5K, Goal: $15K) - Update scores weekly **Start one habit experiment (5 minutes):** - Choose one behavior that supports your goals - Example: "90-minute focus blocks daily" (supports deep work KPI) - Run for 1-2 weeks, then evaluate #### Month 3+: Expand Vision Once quarterly goals are working: - Draft your 5-year vision - Complete your Flourishing Map - Add more KPIs if needed (max 5 total) - Run continuous habit experiments **Why this works:** You start with what matters most and build measurement around real priorities. --- ## Dive Deeper Ready to learn more? Explore these resources: ### Core Concepts - [[Flourishing Map]] - Understanding the 6 drivers of life satisfaction - [[Goals]] - Detailed guide to Success Stories - [[Habits and KPIs]] - Complete distinction and usage guide - [[Review Rhythm]] - Recommended review cadences ### Advanced Topics - [[Goal Categories]] - Understanding the two framework systems - [[Time Horizons]] - Choosing the right timeline for goals - [[WOOP Method]] - Mental contrasting for goal achievement - [[Scientific Evidence]] - Research behind the system ### Success Stories Real examples from users who leveled up: - [[David's Story - Leading with Balance]] - [[Sarah's Story - Growth While Leading at Home]] - [[Sam's Story - Engineering with Purpose]] - [[Maya's Story - Discovery and Excellence with Balance]] - [[James's Story - Art and Structure]] --- ## Remember **Start simple.** You don't need to use every feature or track everything. Start with: 1. Explore your Flourishing Map (20 minutes) 2. Draft one quarterly Success Story (30 minutes) 3. Choose 3 KPIs (10 minutes) 4. Try 1 habit experiment (1-2 weeks) **Be patient.** Building a sustainable practice takes time. Give yourself grace as you learn what works for you. **Trust the process.** The system works when you work the system. Weekly reviews keep you on track, even when life gets busy. **Use the AI.** Your coach is here to help. Use voice and chat to draft goals, reflect on progress, and stay accountable. You've got this. Now go make time for what matters most! 🚀