Monthly Method

Polina from The Monthly Method discusses her hiatus from podcasting and introduces the 'Three Levers' framework, a concept she learned as a junior product manager. The framework helps simplify and streamline any project.

Learn more about the Focus Room: https://monthlymethod.com/focus-room

Timeline:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back

00:20 The Three Levers Framework

01:05 Applying the Framework to the Podcast

01:32 Exploring R...

The final ingredient of my Agile-inspired personal productivity system is the cool-off week. In this video, I share its origin story, explain what it is, describe what I do during this week, and reveal why it has been the key to staying consistent with my productivity system for the last 10 years.

The Calm Ambition Club: https://monthlymethod.com/calm-ambition-club/

Blogpost mentioned:
When feeling down, turn to aesthetic...

Sprint retrospective is the most important ritual in Agile philosophy. I'll share how you can build your own goal management system that is perfectly tailored to your life circumstances. 

The Calm Ambition Club: https://monthlymethod.com/calm-ambition-club/

Blog posts mentioned:
Sprint-end celebration https://monthlymethod.com/sprint-end-celebration/
The baby shower story https://monthlymethod.com/failed-sprint-goals/<...

Why the advice to disappear for a year is problematic. And what you can do instead. 

Enrollment for the Calm Ambition Club - February sprint closes tomorrow https://monthlymethod.com/calm-ambition-club/

Chapters:
00:00 - YouTube, we have a problem
01:23 - The only way to change our lives
02:04 - What happens if you manage to disappear for a year?
03:00 - My favourite quote
03:43 - Celebrating limitations
06...

What a good gym membership can teach us about goal setting in other areas of our lives?

Learn more about the Calm Ambition Club: https://monthlymethod.com/calm-ambition-club/

Chapters:
00:00 - Have you ever wondered why people choose to pay for a gym membership in this day and age? 
00:32 - What does it teach about our goals in general?
01:29 - Shopping for information
01:52 - Back to the initial question...

Ever feel like your work has to be perfect before hitting 'publish'? Discover how embracing B- work can actually accelerate success.

Blogpost with all the links mentioned: https://monthlymethod.com/b-work/

00:00 - My story of working in a tech startup
03:23 - Perfectionism and the B- work
05:19 - Done first. Improved later.
06:56 - The B- work can change the world.
09:39 - Time constraints help.

How to apply Agile...

I share the best tool I have found in Agile methodology for overcoming perfectionism and analysis paralysis. I talk about the process of picking your sprint goals and polishing them up with the Definition of Done. 

Watch this episode is in video format: https://youtu.be/k7kR9OUn1B0

00:00 - Are you a perfectionist?
01:25 - Agile concepts we've already covered
02:25 - The purpose of your first sprint
03:16 - How do yo...

One of the core Agile concepts is working in short sprints vs. setting long-term goals and plans. Let's look into what a sprint is, how long it should be, how to calculate sprint capacity, and choose a sprint focus. As always, we'll discuss how you can apply all of this to your own personal projects and goals. 

Timeline:
00:00 - Innovation in the tech industry
00:47 - What is a sprint?
02:07 - What is a good sprint...

Backlog is where an Agile sprint begins. It's the foundation of the Agile Framework. Let's dive into the deeper meaning behind a backlog, why you need one in your life, and how to build one from scratch.

Timeline:
00:00 Why Agile?
01:26 Backlog - what it is
01:58 Chaotic life filled with frantic action
03:00 How much time we actually have
04:10 How do we measure the quality of our goals?
06:56 The best ti...

Let's review the core components and rituals of a sprint cycle and how you can apply those to your personal goals and projects.

Link to the video version of this episode.

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - - Overview
• (00:20) - - Creating backlog
• (01:51) - - Calculating sprint capacity
• (02:18) - - Deciding on the number of goals for the sprint
• (02:57) - - Sprint planning and scrum board
• (03:54) - - Duration of a sprint
• (05:0...

In this episode I talk about why long-term goals don't work and how we've been mislead all this time by the traditional goal setting advice. I also share my story of finding out about Agile and how it changed my approach to personal productivity.

Link to the video version of this episode.

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Traditional productivity advice
• (00:32) - New Year's Resolutions
• (00:55) - My first job at a fast-growing...

A quick episode to say hi and give you some updates on my life and the Monthly Method. Please let me know what you think about the group sprints I have in mind!

Timeline:
00:00 Intro
00:41 What happened last year? 2023 updates
04:13 What's happening this year? Summer 2024
07:59 Plans for the fall 2024

Links mentioned in the episode:
- Read blog posts from last year: https://monthlymethod.com/blog/
- Su...

Today we are discussing finalizing your sprint goals using the definition of done. 00:00 - Intro 00:51 - Recap of our progress so far 02:40 - Finalizing sprint goals 04:05 - Checkpoints 05:00 - Adding definition of done 10:08 - Recommendations of a successful first sprint 12:13 - If you want to launch a side hustle next year 12:55 - If you have questions about this series FREE Workshop "3 steps to launching y...

Let's look at how you can apply agile principles to New Year's Resolutions. Today we are talking about using sprints, sprint capacity and backlog review to set new year's goals. 00:00 - Intro 00:50 - Sprints & picking sprint duration 08:15 - Don't plan the entire year 10:55 - Sprint capacity 17:30 - Backlog review 19:50 - When you have to many goals to choose from 22:00 - Homework 22:33 - If you want to laun...

Let's look at how you can apply agile principles to New Year Resolutions. Today we are talking about using sprint retrospective and backlog to start the new year goal-setting process. FREE Workshop "3 steps to launching your digital product or service in 3 months or less" https://monthlymethod.com/3-month-launch-workshop/ Corresponding blog posts with all the links: https://monthlymethod.com/new-years-resolutions-1/ ...

Learn how you can apply the Don't Break the Chain Rule to managing your long-lasting projects. Sign up for the FREE workshop "3 steps to launching your digital product or service in 3 months or less": https://monthlymethod.com/3-month-launch-workshop/ Corresponding blog posts with all the links: https://monthlymethod.com/dont-break-the-chain/ Submit your questions: https://monthlymethod.com/contact/ Free Guide to Pl...

I share my favourite tips on generating and shipping creative ideas. FREE Workshop "3 steps to launching your product or service in 3 months or less" https://monthlymethod.com/3-month-launch-workshop/ Corresponding blog posts with all the links: https://monthlymethod.com/creative-ideas/ Submit your questions: https://monthlymethod.com/contact/ Free Guide to Plan Your Week using Monthly Method principles - https://mo...

If you find yourself procrastinating on your goals, external accountability can be the fastest solution to your problem. Learn how you can apply it today. Enroll in the next sprint: https://monthlymethod.com/enroll/ Corresponding blog posts with all the links: https://monthlymethod.com/external-accountability/ Submit your questions: https://monthlymethod.com/contact/ Free Guide to Plan Your Week using Monthly Method ...

If you are confused about which goals you should focus on in the upcoming sprint, this episode is for you! Enroll in the next sprint: https://monthlymethod.com/enroll/ Corresponding blog posts with all the links: https://monthlymethod.com/prioritize-goals/ Submit your questions: https://monthlymethod.com/contact/ Free Guide to Plan Your Week using Monthly Method principles - https://monthlymethod.com/guide/ Support...