⚔️ S.H.A.R.P. Method

Mastering Productivity: A Strategic Approach with the ⚔️ S.H.A.R.P. Method

Sep 26, 2024

This method serves as a set of guiding lines that direct a strategic approach to productivity.

In other words, it's a framework that helps individuals initiate a process of building momentum—feeling that they are progressing, growing, and creating something meaningful through their work.

With this structure, individuals can now rest assured, knowing they won’t stray from their goals. Even if adversities or changes arise, the structure is flexible enough to steer them back on the right path.

To understand this method, you need a basic knowledge of the tools, methods, frameworks, and strategies used within it. For that, read the following texts:

Set (Establish LUCK Goals)

What makes the ⚔️ S.H.A.R.P. Method so special?

First, it’s the fact that this method was designed with a clear process of productivity in mind—what productivity truly entails.

When we talk about Personal Productivity (or team productivity), several misconceptions often come to mind. These ideas are as far from the truth as those who follow them are from their real goals.

This happens because many begin this process without knowing their true objectives. What do I really want? To check off tasks? To write many lines each day? To complete a project? Or are these just small particles of a universe (unknown to me) within my own being?

The first light in this process comes through the "🍀 9P LUCK Strategy" when individuals, for the first time, establish their real goals through what could be called a holistic approach.

It’s as if these goals cease to be just words on paper that inspire nothing but worry. Instead, they become a kind of real diamond floating in front of the individual, showing its facets—each one representing a different dimension.

And here, I’m not “overthinking it.” Let me explain the meaning of this analogy. I say a diamond because it’s something valuable, real because it’s no longer imaginary, floating because it’s elevated like the horizon line, and in front of the individual because it’s where they’re headed, always progressing. I say showing its many facets simply because in the 🍀 9P LUCK Strategy, individuals discover a more complete approach to setting goals, in quadrants, which could be understood as the diamond’s facets in the analogy.

Though this is not strictly a process of self-knowledge (read more about the "🗝️ Know Thyself Method"), it already brings a good dose of clarity to individuals about themselves and what they truly want.

So, the first step of the process is: Set (Establish LUCK Goals).

Heat (Engage in focused sessions)

The next stage to define is related to the best way to achieve these real goals. I use “real goals” because I want to emphasize what individuals truly want. It’s not about checking off tasks, writing many lines a day, or completing a project. What individuals truly want is to reach what these smaller activities can accomplish—their real goals.

Some people are so used to this erroneous view of productivity that they often don’t even notice the true depth of what I’m discussing now.

To establish a new level of efficiency, a new vision of productivity is required, one that involves a new perspective on various concepts, the most important of which is time. Time is addressed and explored in its 4 dimensions (in this text), and you can also learn more about it here.

Reaching these “real goals” involves a strategic approach to time planning so that, as time passes, efforts accumulate in the most efficient way possible.

🔥 • Heat is a vast tool that can be applied on many levels, with multiple layers of application and awareness of its functionalities.

But, simply put, 🔥 • Heat functions as an optimized weekly structure, ensuring work flows efficiently and with minimal friction.

The second step of the method, then, is: Heat (Engage in focused sessions).

Align (Tasks with the 4 moments of the day)

What am I going to do now?

Task selection is the biggest energy and focus drain in the current productivity process. Traditional Productivity tried its best to systematize this process, create a flow, a kind of structure, so that individuals could move quickly through it. But the fact is that this remains a major weak point in the traditional productivity approach.

The truth is that by following the ⚔️ S.H.A.R.P. Method and by this stage, having already applied 🔥 • Heat, individuals are freed from this costly decision-making process.

And most importantly, they have already made the decision themselves beforehand. This means that when they decide to focus on something, 100% of their time, energy, attention, and motivation are dedicated to the task at hand. This tool enables a process that eliminates cognitive resource wastage—something truly unprecedented.

The third step is: Align (Tasks with the 4 moments of the day).

Reflect (Use the Journal for insights)

Everyone knows that a Journal can generate insights. But this tool’s usefulness is greatly diminished if used without a structure.

The structures that existed until now were either too demanding—in other words, while they might generate some clarity, they weren’t worth the effort required to implement and maintain them.

Or, when used without a structure, they might produce useful information, but that information gets lost in a jumble of useless data, making it nearly impossible to find later.

Moreover, the lack of structure made it impossible to have a more organized effort composition process. After all, if there’s no structure, it’s impossible to know what was produced at a later time.

Perhaps the biggest reflection from this process is that information itself doesn’t have the ability to organize itself. It might seem obvious to say this, but this realization points to a constant effort to create structures that will house this information for future review.

The 📗 9P Journal (which is free) represents the peak of refinement already achieved in an outline structure, aimed at quick access, understanding the structure as a whole, and rapid familiarization with each area.

The 📓 9P Strategic Planner (available only in 9Pomodoros courses) is the ultimate expansion of the 📗 9P Journal concept. It’s the absolute elevation of the outline structure to the greatest and most advanced personal productivity tool ever created. Nothing today compares to the scope, breadth, and utility of the 📓 9P Strategic Planner. Its capabilities and flexibility are on a level never before seen in the field of Personal Productivity.

At the same time, both tools highlight the incredible utility of the Outliner app and point to this type of app as a major direction for the future of personal productivity (in digital format). A direction entirely different from what traditional productivity was pointing towards.

The fourth step is: Reflect (Use the Journal for insights).

Push (Act with precision and purpose)

Time is by far the most complex aspect of productivity. Because of this, most people struggle to establish a healthy relationship with this dimension of life.

As time passes, it generates anxiety and stress in most people, who feel they must “race against time” to achieve something.

9Pomodoros has brought a fundamentally different approach to personal productivity in general, and especially in the aspect related to time.

9POS frees individuals from an inefficient approach, allowing them to begin a much more efficient process of building momentum.

This happens because individuals become aware of a transformative knowledge that enables them to act with much more precision and purpose at every moment of the day.

Armed with these tools, methods, and systems, individuals can now increase the efficiency of their processes and consequently their productivity to levels never before imagined.

The fifth step is: Push (Act with precision and purpose).

Summary: The ⚔️ S.H.A.R.P. Method is a strategic productivity framework designed to guide individuals through a process of continuous growth and achievement. By establishing real goals, engaging in focused work sessions, aligning tasks with the natural flow of the day, reflecting through structured journaling, and acting with precision, individuals can achieve their true objectives efficiently and effectively. This method offers a holistic approach to productivity, freeing individuals from outdated, inefficient practices and empowering them to progress steadily toward their goals.

Notes on Key Concepts

Productivity Misconceptions: Many people misunderstand personal productivity, focusing on tasks rather than on the bigger picture. The ⚔️ S.H.A.R.P. Method corrects this by emphasizing "real goals," which are the deeper objectives behind daily tasks.
Holistic Goal-Setting (🍀 9P LUCK Strategy): This approach goes beyond traditional to-do lists by encouraging individuals to view goals as interconnected, like facets of a diamond. This analogy highlights the value, clarity, and direction that a well-set goal provides.
The Role of Time: Time management is a critical aspect of this method. Traditional productivity systems often fail to address the complexity of time, leading to stress and inefficiency. The ⚔️ S.H.A.R.P. Method offers a more efficient approach to managing time by dividing the day into four key moments and aligning tasks with those moments.
The Power of Journaling (📗 9P Journal): Structured journaling helps individuals reflect on their progress, identify insights, and optimize their efforts.