For years, I've been following a streamlined personal productivity system created from the methods and techniques that work for me. In that time I have (more than) familiarized myself with the work for the productivity masters, including work by David Allen, Steven Covey, Nir Eyal, Daniel Pink, Chip Heath & Dan Heath, Mark Joyner, and many others.
Out of that work has come a flexible personal productivity system that I both use and teach.
Over the past few weeks, I've decided that it is time to "name" the system to talk about the elements more effectively. After thinking long and hard, I've decided to call it the "Ace personal productivity system," or just "Ace".
What does Ace stand for, you may wonder?
Isn't everything now an acronym?
I like to think of Ace as my "secret weapon," "ace in the hole," or simply in a mindset of doing and being my best. The letters A C E don't stand for anything - it's not an acronym. But they could.
I queried a few people on what they think the "Ace" in Ace Personal Productivity could stand for, and here's what we came up with:
- ACE stands for "Action, Clarity, and Efficiency." By following these three principles, you can increase your productivity.
- ACE stands for "Attitude, Concentration, and Effort."
- In personal productivity, ACE stands for "Anything Can Happen." This acronym encourages individuals to be prepared for any potential outcome and always to be ready to take on new challenges.
- ACE stands for "Achieving and Maintaining Excellence."
- ACE stands for Action, Control, and Execution. This acronym is used to help individuals stay focused on their productivity goals.
- ACE stands for "Action, Concentration, and Efficiency in personal productivity." It's essential to take action quickly and efficiently and stay focused on your tasks.
- ACE stands for "accumulate, create, and edit in personal productivity." These three steps are essential to effective productivity. Accumulate your tasks, create a plan to complete them, and then edit as you go to ensure that you're making progress.
None of those are bad, but none quite hit the mark either. So, feel free to make up your own acronym for the Ace Personal Productivity System if you want, but the reality is, there is no one answer.
And that, my friend, is the beauty of Ace. It's not a rigid system that you must follow every day of your life. It's a loose grouping of best practices that can multiply your productivity and improve your fundamental well-being.
The customizable features of following Ace are clear - from myself and people I've taught the systems to in the past.
I've discussed some of the components of Ace, including the focus ladder and time-blocking. In the future, I'll be providing the complete Ace Framework that you can start using to increase your productivity and life happiness.
Here's what you can expect:
- Finally, feel in control of your life, calendar, and the actions you are taking
- STOP the psychological rush you get from simply checking items off your list (it's addictive and can be counterproductive)
- Move forward on each of your projects in a steady manner.
- Reduce stress by having a system in place to deal with all the little things that come up
- Prioritize better so that you focus on the most important tasks
- Break down big projects into manageable steps
- Stay organized even when life gets chaotic
- Have time to Think, Be and Do.
Most people have good systems when life is going as planned. But these systems don't work very well when there is unexpected chaos.
Today, I'd like to welcome Ace Productivity, The Life Wheel, Unified Self and the Focus Ladder to The Aligned Lifestyle family.
We'll explore how these systems can work together to create an aligned lifestyle that feels good, is enjoyable, and helps you achieve your goals.
I'm excited to have you here with us!
