Letting Chaos Reign
Welcome to Issue #27 of Notion Creators Weekly, where I share 1 Big Idea & ~3 Resources to help you work with more focus and intention. And thank you all for bringing us past 2k subscribers! 🚀
Are we too rigid with work?
Being a lover of systems, databases, and streamlined workflows, it can sometimes feel a little too…structured.
Systems bring clarity around work that can often be vague, and I wouldn’t recommend waking up every day and winging it, but it’s worth asking the question every once in a while:
How can I plan for unstructured time and work?
“Un-structuring” my schedule has been very top of mind lately; maybe it’s the combination of task management, time tracking, and implementing progress bars to see where I am with projects and goals, but there’s been moments over the past few weeks where more work gets done, but it feels less…creative.
Finding the balance between order and chaos
I’ve been experimenting with a few strategies to carve out more time for deep, creative work, without abandoning critical projects. Some experiments have worked better than others, but here are a few tips to make room for a little more chaos.
💭 Schedule Strategic Blocks
I know, the term strategic block doesn’t scream chaos, but hear me out. The term comes from Brian Moran’s book, The Twelve-Week Year, and he defines it as “a three-hour block of uninterrupted time that is scheduled into each week…with no email, meetings, or interruptions.”
Scheduling strategic blocks can be a great way to think big, get out of your task list, and give yourself time and space to think at a 30,000 ft view.
🗓 Add Non-Work Time Blocks to Your Calendar
One of the hardest parts of entrepreneurship is the guilt that comes from not working. Minutes not spent on the business can feel like missed opportunities, or lost revenue.
But a funny thing happens when you prioritize sleep, family, nutrition, and physical activity: You get more done, and the quality of your work improves.
This week, schedule at least one non-work time block, and treat it with the same importance as your biggest meeting.
✍🏼 Explore Journaling
Journaling was one of the hardest habits to build, and I eventually figured out why:
I was trying to build specific journaling habits that just didn’t work for me. So I made my own.
Every day I write at least four ‘atomic’ journal entries: gratitude, intentions, wins and challenges. By removing the complexity and burden from models like hand-writing multiple pages first thing in the morning, I was able to build a sustainable habit.
There was also a nice effect from those tiny journal entries: they often turn into unstructured explorations of ideas, goals, or questions, and sometimes end up turning into new projects entirely.
☝🏼 The Takeaway: Loosen up your systems every once in a while. And if you have any strategies for ‘letting chaos reign,’ I’d love to hear them!
🧱 Notion News
🎥 We Finally Have Progress Bars in Notion!
Notion has been on a feature frenzy, but this may be the most impactful, especially when it comes to tracking your progress.
Watch the walkthrough on YouTube
📱 Deep Dive: Master the Monthly Plan
The month can be a 🤔 weird timeframe. It feels odd to think big, but you also can’t plan every day in detail.
In this post, I dive into why monthly planning is the perfect time to reset, and decide what goals, metrics, and projects are absolute highest ⛳️ priority.
📚 Productivity
🎙Ali Abdaal | Deep Dive #14 Tiago Forte on Productivity and Building a Second Brain
“Let chaos reign, then rein in the chaos.” – Robert A. Burgelman
In Ali Abdaal’s Deep Dive Podcast #14, Tiago Forte references this quote when talking about personal knowledge management.
The quote is actually from an academic research paper by Robert A. Burgelman, which proposes that, for businesses to achieve longevity, they need to cycle between “autonomy” and “strategic leadership.”
Check out the podcast: Deep Dive #14 Tiago Forte on Productivity and Building a Second Brain
Interested in Burgelman’s paper? Access if for free here: Let Chaos Reign, then Rein in Chaos - Repeatedly: Managing Strategic Dynamics for Corporate Longevity
📱 Theory vs. Practice, from @visualizevalue
Speaking of chaos, this made me think of Jack Butcher’s artful rendition of theory vs. practice. As much as we try to bring order, work as a creator is a roller coaster.
Follow @visualizevalue for other mind-blowing gifs.
🎙 Free Time with Jenny Blake | Winning the Week with Demir Bentley
Loved this interview; there were so many actionable tips discussed! Few takeaways:
Your time is your inventory
Match your time demand to your time supply
Build in time for UUW (Unplanned, unwanted work)
List to the podcast here: Free Time with Jenny Blake
📰 Other News
🎓 We’re closer to launching The Productivity Bootcamp!
Maven’s Course Accelerator just wrapped (I somehow ended up in the middle!), and we’re putting the final touches on The Productivity Bootcamp – a live two week course that combines high-impact productivity strategies with advanced Notion training. The first cohort will be taking place October 17 - 28. If you’re interested in staying up to date on the launch, sign up here! Productivity Bootcamp Waitlist
🎁 That’s it for this week!
I’d love to hear what you think. What content resonates? What do you want to see more or less of? Just hit reply to let me know!
And if you’re loving Notion Creators Weekly, tell your friends to subscribe. 😀
Until next time,
Dave
Love the idea of scheduling blocks on the cal for "focus mode, thinking time, fitness training..." this concept is also explored in the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown. It's a practice high-performing companies implement as well. Great article.