March 29

I often like to parse work intothree parts:[1]

Mappingis planning, strategy, developing tasks lists, and deciding on action steps.

Makingis executing on your plan. It’s doing the actual work.

Meshingis the work between the work. It’s the small things you do to set yourself up for future effectiveness, like studying, asking inconvenient questions, and developing skills.

When people map and make but fail to mesh, I call themdrivers. These are people who get a lot done in spurts, but over time, they become decreasingly effective because they aren’t developing themselves.

When people make and mesh but fail to map, I call themdrifters. They are carried along by their ideas but lack the conviction of a strategic plan. They often leave half-finished projects in their wake.

When people map and mesh but fail to make, I call themdreamers. They love coming up with the ideas but struggle to put any of them into action.

Which of these profiles do you tend toward when you are under stress?

It’s helpful to know how you behave under pressure so that you can build practices to help you stay on course.

Which productivity profile do you tend toward when under pressure?