Goal: walk away with a clean head, alive lists, and two deep blocks scheduled.
Keep the ritual short and consistent. The map must match the territory or you’ll stop trusting it. Thirty minutes is enough if you follow the script.
1) Clear Inboxes (7m)
Gather
Empty “In” = decide
2) Project Scan (8m)
Next-Action Lexicon (verbs + nouns) & Builder
Click a verb and a noun, add a clarifier, and paste. Each chip carries learned tags (archetype, energy, context, duration, signal). Your picks are remembered and bubble up next week.
Archetypes:
start, shape, ship, ask, sweep, fixEnergy:
low, med, highContext:
desk, phone, meeting, code, homeDuration: minutes estimate (e.g.,
2, 15, 30)Signal:
private vs publicVerbs
meet [ask·low·meeting·25·pub]
call [ask·low·phone·10·pub]
text [ask·low·phone·2·pub]
review [shape·low·desk·15]
draft [shape·med·desk·20]
revise [shape·med·desk·15]
plan [shape·med·desk·15]
align [ask·med·meeting·15·pub]
configure [fix·med·code·20·pub]
deploy [ship·med·code·10·pub]
file [ship·low·desk·8·pub]
pay [ship·low·desk·5·pub]
measure [shape·low·home·5]
weigh [shape·low·home·2]
tape [fix·low·home·8]
seal [fix·med·home·20]
install [fix·med·home·25·pub]
clean [sweep·low·home·15]
deep clean [sweep·low·home·15]
clear [sweep·low·home·10]
move [sweep·med·home·20]
study [shape·med·desk·30]
write [ship·med·desk·25·pub]
build [shape·high·code·45·pub]
diagnose [shape·med·home·20]
open [start·low·desk·2]
list [start·low·desk·3]
outline [start·low·desk·10]
stub [start·low·code·5]
sketch [start·low·desk·10]
schedule [start·low·desk·3]
research [shape·med·desk·30]
compare [shape·med·desk·20]
decide [shape·med·desk·10·pub]
map [shape·med·desk·15]
diagram [shape·med·desk·20·pub]
prototype [shape·high·code·45]
test [shape·med·code·20·pub]
estimate [shape·med·desk·10·pub]
send [ship·low·desk·5·pub]
commit [ship·med·code·5·pub]
merge [ship·med·code·5·pub]
publish [ship·med·desk·5·pub]
share [ship·low·desk·3·pub]
ask [ask·low·desk·3·pub]
ping [ask·low·phone·2·pub]
confirm [ask·low·desk·5·pub]
invite [ask·low·desk·3·pub]
escalate [ask·med·meeting·10·pub]
tidy [sweep·low·desk·5]
triage [sweep·low·desk·10]
archive [sweep·low·desk·5]
update [fix·low·desk·8·pub]
refactor [fix·med·code·30·pub]
repair [fix·med·home·20]
Nouns
family [person·pub]
meeting [person·pub]
1:1 [person·pub]
standup [person·pub]
demo [person·pub]
self [person]
page [artifact·pub]
section [artifact·pub]
issue [artifact·pub]
comment [artifact·pub]
readme [artifact·pub]
guide [artifact·pub]
post [artifact·pub]
video [artifact·pub]
switch [surface]
fan [surface]
drain [surface]
cabinet [surface]
shelf [surface]
porch [surface]
bedroom [place]
bathroom [place]
hallway [place]
living room [place]
sitting room [place]
dining room [place]
kitchen [place]
yard [place]
laundry [artifact]
budget [artifact]
form [artifact·pub]
parts [infra]
brief [artifact·pub]
outline [artifact]
spec [artifact·pub]
diagram [artifact·pub]
decision note [artifact·pub]
status [artifact·pub]
PR [artifact·code·pub]
ticket [artifact·pub]
deck [artifact·pub]
email [artifact·pub]
report [artifact·pub]
inbox [surface]
calendar [surface]
repo [surface·code·pub]
branch [surface·code·pub]
folder [surface]
backlog [surface]
board [surface·pub]
reviewer [person·pub]
stakeholder [person·pub]
partner [person·pub]
customer [person·pub]
team [person·pub]
dataset [infra]
API [infra·code·pub]
service [infra·code·pub]
build [infra·code·pub]
environment [infra·code]
Clarifier (optional)
Context override (optional)
Select a verb + noun to generate a next action…
Scratchpad
3) Zombie List Triage (5m)
- Delete the “someday” that will never happen.
- Delegate the tasks you’re holding out of habit.
- Date the few you will do—give them a day/timewindow.
- Do no more than two 2-minute items now.
4) Schedule the Week (10m)
Focus first
Contain the busy
Templates
Weekly Review Sheet
INBOXES CLEARED: email / slack / paper / notes PROJECTS (next actions added): __/__ DEEP BLOCKS SCHEDULED: [date/time + artifact] RISKS/ESCALATIONS THIS WEEK: ASKS I OWE TO OTHERS:
Project → Next Action translator
Project blob → “Openand write ” Project blob → “Draft 3 bullets for recommendation” Project blob → “Schedule 30m with X to unblock Y”
FAQ
What if 30 minutes isn’t enough?
It is—if you keep scope tight. If you need more, add a second 20-minute pass later that day.
How do I make this stick?
Same time, same place, small reward (coffee/walk). Put it on the calendar with a real title.