Agile Results: Envision. Energize. Evolve.

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” — Joel A. Barker

Envision, Energize, and Evolve are the cornerstones of Agile Results, a practical and effective results framework for achieving your goals, optimizing your performance, and realizing your full potential.

I have applied Agile Results to a variety of business challenges, innovation work, and for leading teams around the world.

Through this experience, I have seen first-hand the transformative power of Agile Results in driving success and achieving personal and professional growth.

By envisioning your ideal future state, energizing your actions and habits, and evolving your approach based on your experiences, you can continuously improve and build momentum towards your goals.

In this article, we will explore the key principles of Agile Results and how they can be applied to help you achieve success in any area of your life.

Whether you’re looking to enhance your productivity, well-being, or personal growth, Agile Results offers a practical and proven approach for realizing your full potential.

So let’s dive in and explore how Envision, Energize, and Evolve can help you achieve your goals and unlock your full potential.

Envision, Energize, Evolve

Together, Envision, Energize, and Evolve form a powerful framework for achieving your goals and realizing your full potential.

Envision, Energize, and Evolve are three interconnected concepts that fit together with Agile Results to help you achieve your goals and create a fulfilling life.

Envision: Create a Compelling Vision that pulls you forward. Envision refers to the process of creating a clear vision for your life and your goals. This involves setting clear objectives and identifying what success looks like to you. Agile Results provides a framework for creating a vision that aligns with your values, purpose, and long-term aspirations.
Energize: Energize refers to the process of channeling your energy and focus towards your goals, and staying motivated and engaged along the way. This involves using Agile Results’ flexible and adaptable approach to stay energized and avoid burnout, and leveraging your strengths and natural rhythms to maximize your productivity and effectiveness.
Evolve: Evolve refers to the process of continuously improving and adapting your approach, based on feedback and experience. This involves using Agile Results’ iterative and data-driven approach to reflect on your progress, learn from your experiences, and evolve your goals and strategies over time.

It’s this process of aligning, acting, and adapting that helps you lead a life of learning and realize your potential.

By envisioning your goals, energizing your actions, and evolving your approach, you can create a life of meaning, purpose, and impact.

1. Envision

Envision is about creating a clear picture of what you want to achieve in your life and your work. It’s about setting long-term goals that align with your values and your sense of purpose.

Clarity creates confidence.

In Agile Results, envisioning is a key part of the system, and involves defining your long-term vision, setting clear objectives, and breaking down those objectives into actionable steps. This helps you stay focused on what’s most important, and avoid getting sidetracked by distractions or competing priorities.

By envisioning your goals and objectives, you can also stay aligned with your values and your sense of purpose. This helps you stay motivated and engaged in your work, and gives you a greater sense of meaning and fulfillment.

Tools for Envisioning in Agile Results

There are several tools to help you envision in Agile Results. I’m going to explain 3 primary tools that you can use to zoom in and zoom out, to create clarity and focus at different levels:

3 Wins
Life Hot Spots
Vision, Mission, Values

I recommend starting with one tool just to get familiar with it, then add others as you want to grow your capabilities.

3 Wins

The concept of 3 Wins in Agile Results is about identifying the three most important things that you want to accomplish in a given day, week, month, quarter of year:

3 Wins for Today
3 Wins for This Week
3 Wins for This Month
3 Wint for This Quarter
3 Wins for This Year

You can think of your 3 Wins as outcomes, results, achievements, highlights, goals, or whatever helps you think about the most important things to achieve for the week. Note that “Wins” adds the fun factor and creates extra energy.

These 3 Wins can be work-related goals, personal goals, or relationship goals. By focusing on just three wins at a time, you can stay focused, reduce overwhelm, and make steady progress towards your larger goals.

The Agile Results system provides a simple framework for identifying your 3 Wins each day and each week, and then tracking your progress towards achieving them.

Examples of 3 Wins

Here are examples of various ways to think about your 3 Wins.

Monday Wins: 1) Write a proposal for a new project at work, 2) Go for a 30-minute walk at lunchtime, 3) Schedule a date night with your partner for later in the week.
Daily Wins: 1) Complete a report for a client, 2) Go to the gym and do a 30-minute workout, 3) Cook a healthy meal for dinner.
Weekly Wins: 1) Finish reading a book that you’ve been wanting to read, 2) Complete a project at work that’s been on your to-do list for a while, 3) Spend quality time with your family over the weekend.
Monthly Wins: 1) Complete a professional development course, 2) Write a chapter of a book you’re working on, 3) Plan a weekend getaway with friends.
Work Wins: 1) Submit a proposal for a new project, 2) Finish a report for your manager, 3) Schedule a meeting with a potential client.
Personal Wins: 1) Go for a hike on the weekend, 2) Spend time practicing a hobby that you enjoy, 3) Attend a concert or event that you’ve been looking forward to.
Health Wins: 1) Go to the gym and do a full-body workout, 2) Prepare healthy meals for the week ahead, 3) Get 8 hours of sleep each night.
Relationship Wins: 1) Plan a date night with your partner, 2) Spend quality time with your children, 3) Call a friend or family member that you haven’t spoken to in a while.
Productivity Wins: 1) Complete your top three priorities for the day, 2) Clean out your inbox and respond to important emails, 3) Organize your workspace for maximum efficiency.
Learning Wins: 1) Read a chapter of a book on a new topic, 2) Take a course on a skill that you want to develop, 3) Attend a conference or networking event in your industry.

Life Hot Spots

Life Hot Spots in Agile Results refer to the key areas of your life where you want to focus your time and energy. Life Hot Spots help you keep the big picture of your life in focus without getting mired in details.

Here is an example starter set of Life Hot Spots:

Mind
Body
Emotions
Career
Finance
Relationships
Fun

By identifying your Life Hot Spots, you can ensure that you’re allocating your time and energy in a balanced way, and not neglecting any important areas of your life.

The real key to work-life balance, is actually work-life integration.

The more you spend time in your values and living your purpose, the greater your level of fulfillment.

The key with your Life Hot Spots is to simply imagine your Future State or what you want for that particular category. For example, if you were happy with your career, what would that look like? What would be your dream job?

While I am a fan of SMART goals, I don’t recommend setting SMART goals at this level. Instead, create simple visions that inspire you and allow yourself freedom and flexibility in terms of how you will achieve your vision. This might mean implementing habits or systems. In some cases, if you do have a clear outcome and specific goals, then SMART goals make sense.

It’s OK to start with fuzzy pictures of your future. By focusing on them, you will being them into clarity over time, and you will find yourself creating more serendipity in your life, the more clarity you create.

Example of Life Hot Spots

Here are some examples of ideal future states or vision statements for each of the Life Hot Spots:

Mind: I am a lifelong learner, constantly expanding my knowledge and skills through reading, attending workshops and seminars, and engaging in meaningful conversations with others. I have a deep understanding of myself and my values, and am able to stay focused and productive in all areas of my life.
Body: I am physically fit and healthy, with boundless energy and vitality. I enjoy a variety of physical activities, including hiking, yoga, and strength training, and prioritize self-care practices that support my overall well-being.
Emotions: I am emotionally resilient and balanced, able to manage stress and difficult situations with ease. I have meaningful relationships with others, and am able to communicate my needs and feelings in a clear and effective way.
Career: I have a fulfilling and meaningful career that aligns with my values and allows me to make a positive impact in the world. I am constantly learning and growing in my role, and am recognized as a leader in my field.
Finance: I am financially secure and able to live comfortably while also saving for the future. I am debt-free and have a solid financial plan in place that supports my long-term goals and aspirations.
Relationships: I have meaningful and fulfilling relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners. I prioritize communication, empathy, and mutual respect in all of my relationships, and am able to maintain healthy boundaries and support others in their growth and development.
Fun: I enjoy a rich and fulfilling social life, with a variety of activities and experiences that bring me joy and fulfillment. I prioritize play, adventure, and exploration in my life, and am always open to trying new things and stepping outside of my comfort zone.

These are just a few examples of possible visions or future states that can inspire and guide your actions in each of the Life Hot Spots.

The key is to create a clear and compelling picture of what you want to achieve, and then use Agile Results to break down those goals into actionable steps that you can take each day and each week.

Vision, Mission, Values

Vision, Mission, and Values are three important concepts in Agile Results that help you define your long-term aspirations and guiding principles.

Your vision is a clear picture of what you want to achieve in the long-term, your mission is your purpose or reason for being, and your values are the principles that guide your actions and decisions.

By defining your Vision, Mission, and Values, you can create a powerful framework for making decisions, setting goals, and achieving success.

Examples of Vision, Mission, and Values

Vision: To be a recognized leader in the field of digital marketing, known for providing innovative and effective solutions that drive results for our clients.

Mission: To empower businesses to achieve their marketing goals through targeted and data-driven strategies that are tailored to their unique needs and challenges.

Values:

Client success: We are committed to putting our clients first, and delivering solutions that help them achieve their goals and drive growth for their businesses.
Innovation: We are constantly exploring new ideas and technologies, and seeking out the latest trends and best practices in our field.
Collaboration: We believe that teamwork and collaboration are essential to success, and we work closely with our clients and partners to achieve the best possible results.

Using this example, you can see how vision, mission, and values can provide a framework for guiding your actions and decisions in your work or business.

The vision provides a clear picture of what you want to achieve, while the mission articulates your purpose and the value that you provide to your clients.

The values help to guide your actions and decision-making, and ensure that you’re staying true to your core principles and beliefs.

In Agile Results, you can use your vision, mission, and values to inform your goals and actions, and to ensure that you’re staying aligned with your larger purpose and values.

By breaking down your goals into actionable steps using Agile Results, and using your vision, mission, and values as a guiding framework, you can achieve greater success and fulfillment in your work or business.

2. Energize

Energize is about creating the right conditions for productivity, creativity, and well-being. It’s about focusing on your physical and mental energy, and taking steps to optimize your performance in all areas of your life.

Your WHY will be your strongest, most consistent motivational force and drive from the inside out. Regardless of what happens in the world around you, your WHY will help you get back up when you get knocked down.

That’s why a Meaningful Mission is one of your most empowering motivational tools in your toolbox.

In Agile Results, energizing involves setting goals and actions that help you build and maintain your energy levels. This might include activities like regular exercise, proper nutrition, restful sleep, and time for relaxation and self-care.

Energizing also involves managing your mental energy, by focusing on your priorities, staying organized and efficient, and minimizing distractions and interruptions.

By doing this, you can stay focused and productive throughout the day, and avoid burnout or overwhelm.

Matching Energy to Task

In Agile Results, matching energy to task involves aligning your energy levels with the type of task or activity you’re working on. This means that you match the level of mental, physical, or emotional energy required for a specific task, to your current energy level.

Here are some tips for matching energy to task in Agile Results:

Schedule your most important tasks during your peak energy times: Identify your peak energy times during the day, when you feel most alert and energized, and schedule your most demanding or challenging tasks during these times.
Break down big tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks: If you’re working on a big or complex task, break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks that you can tackle in shorter bursts of high energy.
Take breaks and switch tasks when your energy level drops: When you start to feel tired or low on energy, take a break or switch to a less demanding task to give your brain and body a chance to recharge.

The idea behind matching energy to task is to optimize your performance and efficiency by working on tasks that align with your energy levels. For example, if you’re feeling energized and alert, you might tackle a challenging task that requires a lot of mental focus and concentration.

On the other hand, if you’re feeling tired or low on energy, you might work on a more routine or low-impact task that doesn’t require as much mental or physical effort.

Matching energy to task can help you achieve better results and avoid burnout. It allows you to prioritize your most important and demanding tasks when you have the energy to tackle them, and shift to less demanding tasks when your energy level drops.

By matching energy to task in Agile Results, you can optimize your performance, stay productive, and avoid burnout.

Renewal Patterns in Agile Results

I want to call out special attention to Renewal Patterns in Agile Results. This is where your self-awareness around your energy patterns will really pay off.

In Agile Results, renewal patterns are a set of habits or activities that promote your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. These habits help you renew your energy and recharge your batteries, so you can stay productive and effective over the long-term.

Renewal patterns in Agile Results can be broken down into four main categories:

Physical Renewal: This involves habits that support your physical well-being, such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, and getting regular exercise.
Mental Renewal: This involves habits that support your mental well-being, such as engaging in learning and development activities, practicing mindfulness and meditation, and engaging in hobbies or creative activities.
Emotional Renewal: This involves habits that support your emotional well-being, such as building positive relationships, expressing gratitude, and practicing self-compassion and self-care.
Spiritual Renewal: This involves habits that support your spiritual well-being, such as engaging in religious or spiritual practices, practicing gratitude and forgiveness, and engaging in activities that bring meaning and purpose to your life.

Tools for Energizing in Agile Results

Here’s a simple overview of how each of these tools can help you energize in Agile Results:

The Rule of 3: The Rule of 3 is a tool in Agile Results for chunking or breaking down bigger goals or outcomes into three smaller goals or wins. You can also use the Rule of 3 to help you read books faster or get more out of training or a presentation, by focusing on 3 key takeaways. The Rule of 3 helps you avoid getting overloaded and overwhelmed.
Compelling Vision: A compelling vision is a tool in Agile Results that can help energize you by providing a clear and inspiring picture of your desired future state. By envisioning your ideal future, you can create a sense of purpose and motivation that can help you stay energized and focused on your goals.
Meaningful Mission: A meaningful mission is a tool in Agile Results that can help energize you by giving you a sense of purpose and direction in your work or life. By identifying your mission, you can stay focused on what’s most important, and feel a greater sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in your activities.
Values: Values are a tool in Agile Results that can help energize you by providing a clear framework for your actions and decisions. By aligning your actions with your values, you can feel more authentic and purposeful in your activities, and maintain your energy and motivation over the long-term. You can turn your chores into changes and breathe new life into everyday activities by connecting them to your values. Don’t call back a customer. Win a raving fan. Don’t do a project. Lead an epic adventure. Don’t write that report. Master your craft.
Monday Vision: A Monday Vision is a tool in Agile Results that can help energize you by setting a clear intention for the week ahead. By envisioning your desired outcomes for the week, you can create a sense of purpose and motivation that can help you stay energized and focused on your goals.
Daily Wins: Daily Wins are a tool in Agile Results that can help energize you by giving you a sense of accomplishment and progress on a daily basis. By setting and achieving small goals each day, you can build momentum and maintain your energy and motivation over time.
Strong Week: A Strong Week is a tool in Agile Results that can help energize you by setting clear goals and priorities for the week ahead. By breaking down your goals into actionable steps and focusing on what’s most important, you can stay energized and productive throughout the week.
Power Hours + Creative Hours: Power Hours are a tool in Agile Results that can help energize you by identifying your most productive times of day, and scheduling your most important tasks and activities during those times. By aligning your activities with your natural energy rhythms, you can optimize your performance and maintain your energy levels throughout the day. Creative Hours are a tool in Agile Results that can help energize you by giving you dedicated time and space for creative work. By setting aside time for brainstorming, ideation, or other creative activities, you can tap into your creativity and stay energized and inspired in your work.
Timeboxing and Time Blocking: Boundaries and buffers will help you safeguard and renew your energy. Timeboxing and Time Blocking are tools in Agile Results that can help energize you by providing structure and focus to your day. By setting specific time limits for tasks or activities, and blocking out time in your calendar for specific activities, you can stay focused, productive, and energized throughout the day.
Fresh Starts: Fresh starts refer to the idea of using a new beginning, such as a new day, week, or month, as an opportunity to hit refresh, refocus, and recommit to make progress towards your goals.

That’s plenty to start with. I didn’t mention Pairing Up with people to catalyze you and avoiding drains. I didn’t mention finding your Flow, which should start to come naturally as you apply you strengths and best energy to your greatest challenges. I didn’t mention the idea of a weekly rhythm of results which is a natural by product of focusing on your 3 Wins each week and learning by doing.

3. Evolve

I designed Agile Results as a system for personal growth and greatness. I wanted a results framework that would help with work-life balance, sustainable, meaningful results, and help realize potential while growing better over time.

In Agile Results, “Evolve” is the final step in a continuous cycle of improvement. It involves reflecting on your progress and making adjustments to your goals, actions, and approach based on what you’ve learned.

The idea behind “Evolve” is to stay flexible and adaptable in the face of changing circumstances or new information.

By regularly reflecting on your progress and making adjustments as needed, you can optimize your performance and achieve your goals more efficiently.

Steps for Evolving in Agile Results

To “Evolve” in Agile Results, you can follow these steps:

Reflect on your progress: Take time to reflect on your progress and the outcomes you’ve achieved. Identify what worked well and what didn’t, and be honest with yourself about any areas where you need to improve.
Identify areas for improvement: Based on your reflections, identify specific areas where you can improve your performance. This might include adjusting your approach, learning new skills, or refining your goals.
Set new goals: Based on your reflections and areas for improvement, set new goals for the next cycle of improvement. Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, and aligned with your vision, mission, and values.
Adjust your actions: Based on your new goals, adjust your actions and approach accordingly. Identify specific actions or steps you need to take to achieve your goals, and assign each action to a specific day or week.
Track your progress: Use a tracking tool, such as a journal or spreadsheet, to track your progress each day or week. This will help you stay accountable and make adjustments as needed.

By following these steps and continuously evolving in Agile Results, you can optimize your performance and achieve greater success and fulfillment in your work and personal life.

Friday Reflection for Personal Growth and Greatness

I want to provide at least a simple overview of Friday Reflection because in my experience of using it for more than 20 years at Microsoft, it’s been a source of significant insight and transformation in more ways than I could imagine.

Friday reflection is a tool in Agile Results that involves taking time at the end of the week to reflect on your progress, identify areas for improvement, and set yourself up for success in the week ahead. It’s a way to step back and reflect on your experiences over the past week, and use those insights to evolve and grow in deep ways.

Here’s how it works:

Set aside time on Friday afternoon or evening to reflect on your week: Schedule at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted time to reflect on your progress and experiences over the past week.
Review your wins, lessons learned, and areas for improvement: Look back on your wins and accomplishments from the week, as well as any lessons learned or areas for improvement that you identified. Consider what worked well and what didn’t, and what you can do differently in the future.
Identify your top three priorities for the next week: Based on your reflections from the past week, identify your top three priorities for the upcoming week. These should be specific, actionable goals or outcomes that align with your overall vision and mission.
Plan your Power Hours and Creative Hours for the next week: Power Hours are focused blocks of time dedicated to your most important tasks and priorities, while Creative Hours are unstructured time for reflection and brainstorming. Plan these hours into your schedule for the upcoming week, and make sure you have enough time set aside for both.

By taking the time to reflect on your progress, identify areas for improvement, and set specific goals and actions for the future, Friday reflection in Agile Results helps you evolve in deep ways. It allows you to learn from your experiences and optimize your approach for the future, while staying aligned with your overall vision and mission.

Tools for Evolving in Agile Results

Here are a few primary tools to help you evolve and grow better with Agile Results:

3 Questions to Cap Your Day: At the end of the day, ask yourself: 1) What did I learn? 2) What did I improve? and 3) What did I enjoy? By using these Three Questions to Cap Your Day in Agile Results, you can reflect on your progress, learn from your experiences, and set yourself up for success the next day.
Friday Reflection: Friday reflection in Agile Results is a way to reflect on your progress and experiences over the past week, and use those insights to evolve and grow in deep ways. By taking the time to identify areas for improvement and set specific goals and actions for the future, Friday reflection helps you optimize your approach, stay aligned with your vision and mission, and continuously improve your performance over time.
30 Day Sprints/ Monthly Improvement Sprints: 30 Day Sprints or Monthly Improvement Sprints in Agile Results is a powerful tool for personal growth and realizing your potential. It involves setting specific, actionable goals or outcomes for a 30-day period and working towards achieving them in a focused and intentional way. If you are somebody that likes to learn new things, 30 Day Sprints become a great way to focus and channel your efforts to pick up and explore new interests and skills.

Be More, Achieve More with Agile Results

Envision, Energize, and Evolve is a powerful framework in Agile Results that help you achieve your goals, optimize your performance, and realize your full potential.

By envisioning your ideal future state, energizing your actions and habits, and evolving your approach based on your experiences, you can continuously improve and grow in deep ways.

Through this process, you can overcome obstacles and challenges, build momentum, and achieve personal greatness. Whether you’re looking to improve your productivity, enhance your well-being, or realize your dreams, Agile Results offers a practical and effective framework for success.

By incorporating these key principles into your daily and weekly routine, you can unlock your full potential and live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

Day in the Life of Agile Results
How I Use Agile Results to Be More Productive
How To Be a Productive Artist with Agile Results
Friday Reflection at Microsoft
Agile Results Productivity System on a Page
How Agile Results Can Change the Game for Better Results
How Personal Productivity Rules Improve Your Productivity
How To Spend Your Precious Life Force on Things That Matter Most
Agile Results Philosophy and Cornerstone Concepts
The Power of Self-Awareness in Personal Productivity