Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes, 25s.
Understanding your hotspots
Every week, probably without giving it much thought, you invest your time and energy across a number of hotspots, like the ones below:
One of the books I’m reading right now for AYOP is Getting Results the Agile Way, by J. D. Meier. The book is a system for managing your time and energy, and it also talks a lot about the different hotspots in your life, namely the ones above. (There are naturally more hotspots than the ones above—like spiritual and social, for example—but I think Meier’s model captures most of what you invest your time and energy into.)
Your hotspots, when added up, make up who you are, and on a very basic level they are a way of classifying how you direct your time and energy. Since reading about the idea, I can’t stop thinking about how to use the hotspot theory to become more productive.
It feels great to be productive in the short-run, but I think it’s more important to be productive in the long-term. That means picking the right hotspots to invest your time and energy into.
How to pick the right hotspots to invest your time and energy into
Not all hotspots will be important to you all of the time. To pick which hotspots to invest your time and energy into in the first place, Meier recommends that you:
- Think of your hotspots as a portfolio. “When you think of your results as a portfolio, it helps you manage risk. You might be over-investing in some areas, while ignoring or under investing in others.” “Your portfolio will have its ups and downs, and Hot Spots allow you to identify areas that need the most attention” and “carve out time for what’s important”.
- Dig deeper, and name the outcomes you want from each hotspot. It is one thing to say that something is important to you, but nothing can inspire you to act more than creating a list of outcomes you want from each hotspot.
- Identify which hotspots are the most important to you. When you pick which hotspots are the most important, you can direct your resources (time, energy, attention, etc) accordingly.
Another thing to keep in mind is that hotspots support and cross-pollinate with one another (like your career and finances, or your emotions and having fun). It feels great to create (and then follow through with) outcomes that kill two birds with one stone.
The practical part: How to actually invest your time and energy in your hotspots
Hopefully I’ve now at least partially sold you on the high-level ‘hotspot’ way of looking at your life. Now that you’ve divided and prioritized your actions into different ‘hotspots’, what’s next?
Here are a few ways to integrate the idea of hotspots deeper into your life.
Create a list your hotspots that’s scannable
What should your list of hotspots actually look like? According to Meier, it should be simple and easily scannable, because a scannable list of your hotspots allows you to see if you’re on track at a quick glance.
If you create a massive list for what’s under each hotspot, you’ll never look at your list. Creating a short list of scannable items lets you see your hotspots at a quick glance, and will jolt your memory if any areas need attention. Here’s an example of a scannable, expanded list of everything you might have under your “body” hotspot:
Integrate looking over your hotspots into your schedule
Making a list of your hotspots is pointless if you don’t review the list often. Schedule a weekly (or bi-weekly) time where you look through your hotspots, and choose what to put on your radar for the next week or two. Make sure you have your to-do list and calendar with you in your review; you’re bound to write down a ton of ideas, things you have to do, and people you have to contact.
Identify threats and opportunities in each hotspot
During your review, also consider the threats and opportunities in each hotspot. Meier has a great definition of what threats and opportunities look like. “At a high level, your primary threats are things that negatively impact your mind, body, emotions, career, financial, relationships, and fun. Your opportunities are things that will add value or improve your life in these areas.“
‘Timebox’ your hotspots
How’s that for a jargon-y subtitle? Once you’ve prioritized how important your hotspots are to you, actually act on how important they are to you by setting limits (minimums and maximums) on how much time you’ll devote to each activity. Here’s an example of some ‘timeboxes’, taken straight from Getting Results the Agile Way:
To make sure you effectively timebox each hotspot, actually schedule every minimum and maximum in your calendar (especially ones where you have a lower limit of how much time you want to spend). According to Meier, the “key is to use boundaries and limits to keep yourself balanced and improve your results. Schedule time in your calendar to reinforce these boundaries.”
Minimums force you to not neglect some hotspots when you invest your time in others, and maximums force you to use your time better, because it pushes you to use the time you have more wisely.
It’s all about results, results, results
It’s pointless to make a list of your hotspots and then not do anything with it.
Focus on results first. That means to:
- Religiously work within the maximums and minimums you set for yourself.
- Scan your hotspots to see if you’re neglecting anything every time you create a new to-do list.
- Review your hotspot list every week so you can diligently pick what to put on your radar, and identify any threats or opportunities on the horizon.
- Know the long-term benefits you want to achieve from each hotspot (hotspots are, after all, a very high-level way of looking at your life).
Summing up
‘Hotspots’ are an incredibly powerful way to see your life from 10,000 feet and determine what’s important to you. The key is to use what you learn about your priorities from that elevated perspective and bring them down to earth to make meaningful changes to your work on a daily basis. That means creating a list of your hotspots, setting up minimums and maximums for how much time you’ll spend in each, integrating your hotspots into your schedule, and identifying threats and opportunities in each.
