Maya is getting married, Daniel is balancing work and two kids, and Ruth has just retired. Each starts the same way: an Aim, the Roles they look after, and one Keystone for each role every week. What changes is what goes in them.
Maya’s Course: one Keystone for each part of her life
Maya, getting married in June
The wedding got one Keystone a week, not every evening.
A full-time job, a wedding to plan, and a fiancé who would like to see her. Maya gave the wedding a project and a single Keystone each week, so the invitations went out and Saturday night stayed theirs.
Aim
“I want to enjoy this year, not just survive it: to start our marriage rested and close to the people we love, and keep doing good work.”
“Send the invitations by March 1, about three hours”“Remind me to confirm the florist starting May 1, due May 15”“Nov 22nd is Priya’s birthday”“Email Priya to ask her to be a bridesmaid”“I’m having a rough day”
Where it lives in the app
Projects: The wedding is one project, with steps for the venue, invitations, flowers and music.
Course: Wedding jobs take one Keystone a week, so they don’t swallow the job or her partner.
People: Bridesmaids, family and suppliers, with birthdays and who is due a hello.
Scratch Pad: Ideas and calls caught on the go: “Ask Sam about a band.”
Daniel’s Day: the budget first, then out the door by 5:15
Daniel, balancing work, two kids and himself
The budget got done, and he was in the third row by six.
A manager with a long commute, a partner who also works, and two children in school. Daniel ranks the day so the one thing that matters at work is done first, and gets a warning before work lands on Emma’s recital.
Aim
“I want my kids to remember a dad who showed up, to lead a team I am proud of, and to stay healthy enough to keep doing both.”
Roles
Self · Partner · Dad · Manager · Coach of the soccer team
A week's Keystones
Dad — Emma’s recital (Thursday, 6 pm)
Partner — Plan Friday date night
Manager — Finish the quarterly budget draft (Tuesday)
Coach — Send the season schedule to parents
Self — Gym twice
What Daniel says to Wilson
“Briefing”“Top three”“Concentrate for 45 minutes”“Close out”“Where did my time go this month?”
Where it lives in the app
Day: Ranks the day A, B, C; the first A is the Lead, done first when the day gets busy.
Balance: Breathing room shows evenings and weekends going to work before he feels it.
Profile → Protect time: Work hours and a stop-work alert, and a warning when work is booked over the recital.
Goals: A commitment of “gym, twice a week” with a tick each time, so a slipping month shows.
Ruth’s home: Wilson says Leo turns 7 in five days
Ruth, newly retired
Her week has a shape again, and Leo’s birthday never sneaks up.
Forty years of someone else’s calendar, and now a week with nothing in it unless she puts it there. Ruth plans a little for each part of her life, and Wilson tells her what’s coming: a swim, the library, and a card for Leo in good time.
Aim
“I want these years to count: to stay strong, be a real part of my grandchildren’s lives, and give my time where it helps.”
