The Goldilocks of Productivity Systems: A 5-Step Daily Process for Overplanners

Overthinking and overplanning is a drag on your mindset and your ability to get stuff done — especially when it comes to Tools for Thought and Personal Knowledge Management thinking.

Too often, I spend too much time making lists for my Future Self and not enough time checking off some actions I know will help me — because these same actions have helped others.

Simplifying my productivity system has 5 daily elements:

1. I review an affirmation and a roadmap of the person I want to become during the next 6 weeks.

2. Based on my schedule, I list one small thing I can do to step forward in that journey — even if it's only a 30-minute task.

3. Throughout the day, I keep a detailed digital interstitial log.

4. At the end of each day AI helps me extract 3 important elements from my log:

   • Activities: What did I do today?

   • Follow-up items: with links, notes, and details about how to complete these items.

   • Questions: What did I run into today that needs to be solved before I can move forward?

5. A daily-ish self-accountability process based on the morning's intended step toward my Future Self.