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Monday Vision – Use Three Stories to Drive Your Week (Day 2 of 30 Days of Getting Results)

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“Map out your future, but do it in pencil.” ~Jon Bon Jovi

Your Outcome:  Take control of your week and create a compelling vision to guide you throughout the week.

Welcome to day 2 of 30 Days of Getting Results.  Today we take a look at Monday Vision from Getting Results the Agile Way.

Have you ever had a week fly by and when Friday hits you’re asking yourself, “Where did the week go?”

Not any more.

With Monday Vision, you take a moment to jump ahead to the end of the week, and you ask yourself, “If this were Friday, what are three results I want under my belt?”

Monday is your chance to create a compelling vision for your week.   Monday Vision is a simple pattern for helping you achieve more effective results each week.

It’s also a great way to deal with a case of the Mondays.

The Challenges

Monday Vision can help you deal with three common challenges:

  1. You’re overwhelmed.  You have way more to do, than you can possibly get done during your week.
  2. You’re underwhelmed. You’re not inspired.   You might have a bunch of things you should or could do, but you don’t have the energy for it.
  3. You get off track.   You spend your time on a lot of things, but at the end of the week, you didn’t get done the things you really needed to get done.

The Response

On Mondays, you simply identify three key results you want for the week.  This is your vision for the week.  It puts you in the drivers seat and you get to decide what you want to accomplish.

Rather than get lost among the sea of things to do, you bubble up the three most important outcomes for the week, and these three outcomes help guide you throughout your week.
This simple pattern has a few benefits:

  • Each week is a fresh start.
  • It’s a way to make your week more meaningful.
  • It’s a way to help you prioritize and focus.
  • It’s a way to help you improve your results.

Turning Your Results into Compelling Stories

After you identify your three results, you can turn them into stories.  You can turn them into simple, one-liner stories, where you are the hero.  For example, let’s say three results you want for the week are:

  1. Finish my project plan
  2. Create my slides for my presentation
  3. Complete key stakeholder reviews

This might not be very compelling.  You can spruce it up as simple stories and connect it to your values.  For example:

  1. Win the race to finish my project plan in record time.
  2. Create a presentation that sets a new bar for my personal best.
  3. Turn my stakeholders into raving fans.

You have to play around to find what connects with your heart.  What you end up with is three stories to drive your week.  These stories are hand-crafted and personal – after all, you made them.  They are yours to make happen.

Your Assignment

  1. Identify the three things you really want to accomplish for the week.
  2. Turn your three outcomes into simple stories that you feel passionate about.

Don’t worry if you have trouble figuring out your three best results, and don’t worry if you have a hard time turning them into compelling stories.

What’s important is simply trying the exercise.

You might surprise yourself, and in the best case, you’ll inspire yourself to a new level you didn’t know was possible.


Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21 | Day 22 | Day 23 | Day 24 | Day 25 | Day 26 | Day 27 | Day 28 | Day 29 | Day 30

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About the Author

JD I am J.D. Meier, the creator of Agile Results. My approach has been forged in the fire of the fast-moving software business. Learn more ...

What is Agile Results?

Agile Results is a simple productivity system for work and life. It helps you spend more time in your strengths, less time in your weaknesses, and do the things that matter most, with focus, clarity, and better energy. Learn more...

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Agile Productivity for Work and Life

Agile Results is a simple system for meaningful results. Use stories, scenario-driven results, and timeboxing, to improve your results, master your time management, improve your motivation, and finally achieve work-life balance. Get a fresh start each day, each week, each month, each year.

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