Monthly Method

Most people think of goals as boxes to check off. But what if they were something completely different?In this episode, I share how I think about goals in a way that makes decision-making easier, life less overwhelming, and priorities much clearer.👉 A free tool you can use right away to get crystal clear on your next 3 actionable purpose-driven goals https://monthlymethod.kit.com/focus-finder ⏱️ Chapters0:00 – My view on goals0:59 – Example: Dental appointment1:55 – The purpose of a goal3:38 – Example: Weight loss4:50 – Example: Work clothes5:21 –Example: Learning how to cook6:15 – Example: Shopping7:48 - Free guide to discover your next 3 goals ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Enrollment for the Focus Room October Sprint closes tomorrow! 🎉 In this episode, I share what the Focus Room is, how we run 3-week sprints with live planning, coworking, and reviews, and why it’s a calm, sustainable approach to productivity—tailored to your real life, not hustle culture. Join us before doors close Thursday to start your sprint this Friday!Join the Focus Room → https://monthlymethod.com/focus-room/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What if your life and projects were as simple and durable as a Fisher-Price toy?In this episode, I talk about the Fisher-Price simplicity, how I've learned about it, and how it inspired me to apply it in my own life.I talk about how my pursuit of elegance and optimization often led to unnecessary complexity, and why I’m choosing to rebuild my foundations on simplicity instead. Think: fewer frills, fewer moving parts, more durability, and more ease.If you’ve been feeling paralyzed by over-optimization or weighed down by layers of complexity, this framework might help you get back to basics.👉 Want support as you simplify and focus on what really matters? Join me inside the Focus Room, my membership where we work in 1-month sprints, keep each other accountable, and actually finish the projects we start: https://monthlymethod.com/focus-room/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Learn more about the Focus Room: https://monthlymethod.com/focus-room/Enrollment closes this Thursday.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I share a fresh perspective on why rest is essential for productivity—through the lens of agriculture. Just as farmers rotate crops and allow fields to rest to maintain soil health, we too need scheduled breaks to protect our focus, creativity, and long-term output.I talk about:The silent crisis of soil depletion and what it teaches us about sustainability.Why rotating crops and letting fields rest is the perfect metaphor for how we should structure our own work.The importance of proactively scheduling breaks (like cool-off weeks) before life forces us to rest through burnout, sickness, or accidents.What a cool-off week actually looks like in practice: serving clients, answering emails, maintaining—but not pushing for new projects.How to embrace being a “B minus” worker for a week and why your B minus is probably still a solid B.This episode is about reframing rest not as laziness, but as a vital strategy for longevity, health, and sustainable productivity.00:00 Introduction to the Cool Off Week00:34 Understanding Soil Health and Agriculture02:18 The Importance of Resting Fields03:16 Government Initiatives and Soil Health04:03 Applying Agricultural Principles to Productivity05:24 Practical Tips for a Cool Off Week07:04 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsJoin the Focus Room: https://monthlymethod.com/focus-room/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

My complicated relationship with summer is about to end. Learn more about the focus room here: https://monthlymethod.com/focus-room/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Polina from The Monthly Method discusses her hiatus from podcasting and introduces the 'Three Levers' framework, a concept she learned as a junior product manager. The framework helps simplify and streamline any project. Learn more about the Focus Room: https://monthlymethod.com/focus-roomTimeline:00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back00:20 The Three Levers Framework01:05 Applying the Framework to the Podcast01:32 Exploring Resource Options04:06 Adjusting the Timeline and Scope06:28 Personal Insights and Changes09:28 Normalizing and Optimizing14:53 Final Thoughts and Invitation ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The final ingredient of my Agile-inspired personal productivity system is the cool-off week. In this video, I share its origin story, explain what it is, describe what I do during this week, and reveal why it has been the key to staying consistent with my productivity system for the last 10 years.The Calm Ambition Club: https://monthlymethod.com/calm-ambition-club/Blogpost mentioned:When feeling down, turn to aesthetics https://monthlymethod.com/aesthetics/Timeline:00:00 - Why I invented the cool-off week01:44 - What is a cool-off week?03:30 - What's the point of a cool-off week?05:03 - I'd rather take the breaks on my own terms06:33 - What do I do during the cool-off week?09:50 - Benefit: No burnout in the last 10 years10:52 - Benefit: Gult-free rest11:31 - Benefit: Looking forward to the next sprint13:27 - Benefit: Interesting projects get done15:07 - Benefit: Time and space to think15:42 - Benefit: Serves as a reward for my long-term efforts18:17 - Benefit: Creates a nice rhythm in my life19:30 - If you want to actually DO the things you want to do. Learn how to apply Agile to your life in a free course: http://monthlymethod.com/school/If you want to stay in touch:💌 Newsletter (notes on applying Agile, calm productivity, and finding sanity in this hustle-culture obsessed world) - monthlymethod.ck.page/newsletter💻 Blog - https://monthlymethod.com/blog𝕏 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Agile_for_One ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Sprint retrospective is the most important ritual in Agile philosophy. I'll share how you can build your own goal management system that is perfectly tailored to your life circumstances. The Calm Ambition Club: https://monthlymethod.com/calm-ambition-club/Blog posts mentioned:Sprint-end celebration https://monthlymethod.com/sprint-end-celebration/The baby shower story https://monthlymethod.com/failed-sprint-goals/Optimizing life for a regular Tuesday https://monthlymethod.com/regular-tuesday/Timeline:00:00 - Overview00:38 - What is a sprint retrospective?01:07 - The shocking part02:58 - Agile take on growth04:03 - Sprint retrospective in teams05:48 - Personal sprint retrospective07:17 - Becoming your own guru and building your own system08:51 - Cathedral Effect09:18 - What got done?10:46 - What didn't get done?13:01 - How accurate was your sprint capacity calculation?13:38 - Quality of life review14:48 - Creating a Notes file for sprint retrospectives15:50 - Example: Deeper Why18:55 - Don't add to your to-do list20:08 - Example: Making a promise21:44 - Example: Leaving my phone at home22:51 - Example: Reddit goal25:54 - Going a level deeper into why we should do sprint retrospectives26:54 - Life craftsmanship. The art of living. 28:50 - Curation in a function of time. Learn how to apply Agile to your life in a free course: http://monthlymethod.com/school/If you want to stay in touch:💌 Newsletter (notes on applying Agile, calm productivity, and finding sanity in this hustle-culture obsessed world) - monthlymethod.ck.page/newsletter💻 Blog - https://monthlymethod.com/blog𝕏 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Agile_for_One ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Why the advice to disappear for a year is problematic. And what you can do instead. Enrollment for the Calm Ambition Club - February sprint closes tomorrow https://monthlymethod.com/calm-ambition-club/Chapters:00:00 - YouTube, we have a problem01:23 - The only way to change our lives02:04 - What happens if you manage to disappear for a year?03:00 - My favourite quote03:43 - Celebrating limitations06:26 - If you were feeling hopeless07:56 - On young generation being lost08:46 - If you can't escape your lifeIf you want to stay in touch:💌 Newsletter (notes on applying Agile, calm productivity, and finding sanity in this hustle-culture obsessed world) - https://monthlymethod.ck.page/newsletter💻 Website - https://monthlymethod.com ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What a good gym membership can teach us about goal setting in other areas of our lives?Learn more about the Calm Ambition Club: https://monthlymethod.com/calm-ambition-club/Chapters:00:00 - Have you ever wondered why people choose to pay for a gym membership in this day and age? 00:32 - What does it teach about our goals in general?01:29 - Shopping for information01:52 - Back to the initial question05:26 - How to apply it to your goals for the New Year06:29 - If you have creative or business goals that require a lot of deep work09:59 - Become a founding member 13:12 - Who is the Calm Ambition Club for?If you want to stay in touch:💌 Newsletter (notes on applying Agile, calm productivity, and finding sanity in this hustle-culture obsessed world) - https://monthlymethod.ck.page/newsletter💻 Website - https://monthlymethod.com ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Ever feel like your work has to be perfect before hitting 'publish'? Discover how embracing B- work can actually accelerate success.Blogpost with all the links mentioned: https://monthlymethod.com/b-work/00:00 - My story of working in a tech startup03:23 - Perfectionism and the B- work05:19 - Done first. Improved later.06:56 - The B- work can change the world.09:39 - Time constraints help.How to apply Agile to your life: http://monthlymethod.com/start-here/If you want to stay in touch:💌 Newsletter (notes on applying Agile, calm productivity, and finding sanity in this hustle-culture obsessed world) - monthlymethod.ck.page/newsletter💻 Website - https://monthlymethod.com𝕏 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Agile_for_One ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

I share the best tool I have found in Agile methodology for overcoming perfectionism and analysis paralysis. I talk about the process of picking your sprint goals and polishing them up with the Definition of Done. Watch this episode is in video format: https://youtu.be/k7kR9OUn1B000:00 - Are you a perfectionist?01:25 - Agile concepts we've already covered02:25 - The purpose of your first sprint03:16 - How do you pick your sprint goals?03:25 - Can you get it done in one sprint?04:00 - Account for your sprint capacity04:20 - Had time to age04:42 - You are still excited04:55 - You are in full control of getting it done06:53 - Finalizing your goals with the definition of done09:35 - The Random Person Test12:47 - The Definition of Done is not a collection of subtasks13:58 - Where to find more examples of Definitions of DoneHow to apply Agile to your life: http://monthlymethod.com/start-here/If you want to stay in touch:💌 Newsletter (notes on applying Agile, calm productivity, and finding sanity in this hustle-culture obsessed world) - http://monthlymethod.com/blog/ 💻 Website - https://monthlymethod.com𝕏 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Agile_for_One ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

One of the core Agile concepts is working in short sprints vs. setting long-term goals and plans. Let's look into what a sprint is, how long it should be, how to calculate sprint capacity, and choose a sprint focus. As always, we'll discuss how you can apply all of this to your own personal projects and goals. Timeline:00:00 - Innovation in the tech industry00:47 - What is a sprint?02:07 - What is a good sprint duration?04:36 - Sprint capacity09:27 - Adjusting the scope of your sprint10:15 - Calculating the sprint capacity is an investment in your future self14:17 - Sprint capacity for the first sprint15:49 - Sprint focus20:29 - Topic for the next video 21:31 - HomeworkHow to apply Agile to your life: http://monthlymethod.com/start-here/If you want to stay in touch:💌 Newsletter (notes on applying Agile, calm productivity, and finding sanity in this hustle-culture obsessed world) - http://monthlymethod.com/blog/ 💻 Website - https://monthlymethod.com𝕏 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Agile_for_One💌 Send me an email: https://monthlymethod.com/contact/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Backlog is where an Agile sprint begins. It's the foundation of the Agile Framework. Let's dive into the deeper meaning behind a backlog, why you need one in your life, and how to build one from scratch. Timeline:00:00 Why Agile?01:26 Backlog - what it is01:58 Chaotic life filled with frantic action03:00 How much time we actually have04:10 How do we measure the quality of our goals?06:56 The best time management hack08:26 Agile tool for measuring the quality of your goals09:22 Example of using backlog10:06 That's how you stop the chaos12:50 How to start a backlog17:36 What you can do today19:08 Unpopular opinion21:35 The comment that made me record this videoHow to apply Agile to your life: http://monthlymethod.com/start-here/If you want to stay in touch:💌 Newsletter (notes on applying Agile, calm productivity, and finding sanity in this hustle-culture obsessed world) - http://monthlymethod.com/blog/ 💻 Website - https://monthlymethod.com𝕏 Twitter - https://twitter.com/Agile_for_OneOr simply leave a comment!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Let's review the core components and rituals of a sprint cycle and how you can apply those to your personal goals and projects. Link to the video version of this episode.Timestamps:(00:00) - - Overview (00:20) - - Creating backlog (01:51) - - Calculating sprint capacity (02:18) - - Deciding on the number of goals for the sprint (02:57) - - Sprint planning and scrum board (03:54) - - Duration of a sprint (05:05) - - Daily standups (05:37) - - Sprint retrospective (05:57) - - Cool-off week (08:18) - - Repeat the cycle (09:15) - - Where to start (10:19) - - If you don't want to wait for the next video Useful links- Subscribe to my newsletter for more frequent deep-dives into Agile life- Recent newsletter entries- Start Here page to see the blogposts on the core principles of Agile and how those can be applied to personal productivity- Twitter for regular examples of my scrum board and how it looks throughout the sprint- YouTube to 'Back to Agile Basics' type of videos- Monthly Method School for step-by-step instructions on how to run your first Agile sprint ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode I talk about why long-term goals don't work and how we've been mislead all this time by the traditional goal setting advice. I also share my story of finding out about Agile and how it changed my approach to personal productivity. Link to the video version of this episode.Timestamps:(00:00) - Traditional productivity advice (00:32) - New Year's Resolutions (00:55) - My first job at a fast-growing startup (01:10) - Corporate world - how things are usually done (01:40) - The time the status quo got questioned (02:30) - Creation of Agile Framework for building software (03:03) - How Agile works (04:31) - My story of learning about Agile (06:29) - I stopped creating long-term plans 10 years ago Useful links- Subscribe to my newsletter for more frequent deep-dives into Agile life- Recent newsletter entries- Start Here page to see the blogposts on the core principles of Agile and how those can be applied to personal productivity- Twitter for regular examples of my scrum board and how it looks throughout the sprint- YouTube to 'Back to Agile Basics' type of videos- Monthly Method School for step-by-step instructions on how to run your first Agile sprint ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

A quick episode to say hi and give you some updates on my life and the Monthly Method. Please let me know what you think about the group sprints I have in mind! Timeline:00:00 Intro00:41 What happened last year? 2023 updates04:13 What's happening this year? Summer 202407:59 Plans for the fall 2024Links mentioned in the episode:- Read blog posts from last year: https://monthlymethod.com/blog/- Subscribe to my newsletter to receive the latest blogposts to your email: https://monthlymethod.ck.page/2dd14791c4 - YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AgileForOne- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Agile_for_One- Email: polina@monthlymethod.com ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Today we are discussing finalizing your sprint goals using the definition of done. 00:00 - Intro 00:51 - Recap of our progress so far 02:40 - Finalizing sprint goals 04:05 - Checkpoints 05:00 - Adding definition of done 10:08 - Recommendations of a successful first sprint 12:13 - If you want to launch a side hustle next year 12:55 - If you have questions about this series FREE Workshop "3 steps to launching your digital product or service in 3 months or less" https://monthlymethod.com/3-month-launch-workshop/ Corresponding blog posts with all the links: https://monthlymethod.com/new-years-resolutions-3/ Submit your questions: https://monthlymethod.com/contact/ Free Guide to Plan Your Week using Monthly Method principles: https://monthlymethod.com/guide/ Support this podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/monthly_method

Let's look at how you can apply agile principles to New Year's Resolutions. Today we are talking about using sprints, sprint capacity and backlog review to set new year's goals. 00:00 - Intro 00:50 - Sprints & picking sprint duration 08:15 - Don't plan the entire year 10:55 - Sprint capacity 17:30 - Backlog review 19:50 - When you have to many goals to choose from 22:00 - Homework 22:33 - If you want to launch something next year FREE Workshop "3 steps to launching your digital product or service in 3 months or less" https://monthlymethod.com/3-month-launch-workshop/ Corresponding blog posts with all the links: https://monthlymethod.com/new-years-resolutions-2/ Submit your questions: https://monthlymethod.com/contact/ Free Guide to Plan Your Week using Monthly Method principles: https://monthlymethod.com/guide/ Support this podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/monthly_method