Last week, I got together with some friends to give the "One Month Day" concept its first trial run. This idea I previously discussed in an article aims to condense a month's work into a single, hyper-focused day.
Our initial attempt was virtual, which posed several challenges, but despite these, it was a fantastic experience. I want to share some thoughts on the issues we encountered and the minor optimizations we can make for a better experience next month.
Planning is crucial; your One Month Day's success heavily relies on how much planning you put into your tasks. My effort in planning was reflected in the difficulties I faced completing tasks in different sessions.
For example, I had a writing session where I prepared several article ideas, complete with context, notes, reference materials, and a clear structure. This thorough preparation allowed me to complete all my planned tasks in about 60% of the allotted time.
In contrast, I struggled during a later session dedicated to a project I was working on. I hadn't prepared as thoroughly as the writing session, which led to me spending a lot of time during the session making decisions that I could have made beforehand.
For instance, I had to design a new section of the Synthesis site, but the only preparation was a low-fidelity design lacking details like color combinations, images, and specifications on which libraries to use. This lack of detail significantly slowed down the speed at which I could progress some tasks.
The first lesson I learned is that your session will only be as good as the planning behind it. It's about specifying the task and ensuring all the little details are covered.
"It's called 'One Month Day,' not 'One Year Day,'" I humorously reminded myself during one of my sessions. I realized I had tried to fit an unreasonable number of tasks into a single session. Despite this, I completed about 70% of my checklist, which is something I'll keep in mind for next time. Being realistic about what's achievable in each session is crucial for maintaining productivity and motivation.
One important aspect I overlooked was my sleeping pattern and ensuring I was well-rested. I didn't allocate enough time between sessions to rest and refocus. As a result, I had to adjust the length of each session and the breaks between them on the fly.
For example, the first session started at midnight and was only three hours long because I didn't get enough sleep the previous day and needed to rest. In contrast, the last session was six hours long, as it was later in the day, and I felt more energized.
So, the final lesson I learned is the importance of flexibility. Be willing to adjust your schedule based on your energy levels and needs. Please don't treat the schedule as a cage; it's there to serve you, not the other way around.
Our first One Month Day was a valuable learning experience. Future sessions will be even more productive with better planning, realistic goal setting, and flexibility. As we look forward to June's One Month Day, I hope these insights help you prepare for your hyper-focused workdays.
Happy planning!