The full catalog
Protocols for productivity
531 entries pulled from 54 stacks. Default order is consensus: the number of tracked people who have publicly backed each one.
73 entries
Reset- ProtocolFREE, no cost01
Environment design
Change the room instead of relying on willpower
Backed by 7 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 5 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost02
Deep work blocks
Long, scheduled, distraction-free sessions on one cognitively hard task
Backed by 6 of 54 stacks: 5 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost03
Time blocking
Give every hour of the workday a job before the day starts
Backed by 6 of 54 stacks: 4 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost04
Identity-based habits
Aim at who you want to become, not the outcome you want to hit
Backed by 4 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 4 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost05
After-action review
Debrief what happened, what should have happened, and what changes
Backed by 3 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost06
Habit stacking
Anchor a new habit to one you already do without thinking
Backed by 3 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 1 recommend it, 1 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost07
Never miss twice
One missed day is an accident; two is the start of a new habit
Backed by 3 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 3 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost08
Temptation bundling
Only allow yourself something you want while doing something you avoid
Backed by 3 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost09
Workday shutdown ritual
A fixed end-of-day routine that closes open loops so work stops
Backed by 3 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost10
Deliberate wandering
Unplanned, inefficient exploration kept on purpose as the counterweight to efficiency
Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost11
Digital declutter
A 30-day break from optional tech, then reintroduce deliberately
Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost12
Hard thinking before lunch
Book the mentally demanding work for the morning and stop making big calls late in the day
Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost13
Minimalist training
Short, hard sessions built on a few sets per muscle, drop sets and non-competing supersets
Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost14
Pomodoro technique
Work in timed sprints, usually 25 minutes on and 5 minutes off
Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost15
Two-minute rule
Scale any new habit down until it takes under two minutes to start
Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 2 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost16
Vision setting
Write down a specific picture of who you are becoming, then filter decisions through it
Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost17
Yearly audit
Seven questions and a scroll through the year's photos before setting goals
Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost18
20-slot punch card rule
Imagine a lifetime card with only 20 punches: every big decision has to earn one
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost19
3x5 notecard planning
Write the next day's three to five most important tasks on a single index card
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost20
5 Second Rule countdown
Count 5-4-3-2-1 out loud and move before hesitation talks you out of it
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost21
80/20 analysis
List what produces results and what produces misery, then cut hard
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost22
A few high-quality decisions a day
Aim for three well-made decisions rather than a hundred rushed ones
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost23
ABC goal system
Set three levels for a daily goal so a bad day still counts as progress
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost24
Anti-to-do list
A short written list of behaviors to avoid, kept beside the ordinary to-do list
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost25
Aspirational hourly rate
Setting a personal hourly price far above what you earn, then honoring it
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost26
Attention management
Pick what deserves your focus instead of counting the minutes
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost27
Automatic rules
Decide the behavior once, as a rule, so it is not decided in the moment
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost28
Backward planning
Start from the fixed deadline, list what has to happen before it, then work back
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost29
Blank sheet method
Write what you already know before reading, then add each session in a new color
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost30
Budget and deadline discipline
Treating the number and the date as hard limits that end the project
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost31
Challenge network
A named group whose job is to attack your work, not encourage it
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost32
CODE method
Capture, organize, distill, express: four steps from reading to output
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost33
Day one, week one mentality
Show up every day as prepared as you were on the first day of the job
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost34
Decision journal
Record the reasoning before the outcome is known, then read it back later
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost35
Disagree and commit
State your objection once, then back the decision fully instead of relitigating it
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost36
Energy calendar
Color-code each finished day's calendar by what created energy and what drained it
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost37
Evening review
Going back over the day at night: what you did, said and could have handled better
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost38
FBI feedback method
Say the feeling, then the behavior that caused it, then the impact it had
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost39
Fear-setting
Write down the worst case, how to prevent it, and how to repair it
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost40
Implementation intentions
Decide in advance: I will do X at TIME in PLACE
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost41
Infinite mindset
Play for staying in the game rather than for beating this quarter's number
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost42
Intermediate packets
Finish one small reusable piece per work session, not the whole project
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost43
Inversion
Ask what would guarantee failure, then avoid those things
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost44
Long-term games with long-term people
Picking work, partners and industries where you keep meeting the same people
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost45
Maker days and manager days
Whole days given to creative work or to other people, never both
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost46
Microburst
Set a timer for ten minutes, then stop when it goes off
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost47
Monk Mode
Shutting out the world for months to finish one large piece of work
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.48
Notecard system
Reading with a pen, then moving the best passages onto 4x6 index cards by theme
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost49
Obituary test
Decide what you want your obituary to say, then live so as to deserve it
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost50
One Page Miracle
One sheet naming what you want in relationships, work, money and health
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost51
PARA method
Sort every note and file into projects, areas, resources or archives
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost52
Personal Quarterly Offsite
Companies do this every quarter; the same session run for one person
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost53
Positive framing
State the outcome you want instead of the one you are trying to avoid
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost54
Pre-Mortem
Name what will derail this before you start, not in the postmortem
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost55
Progressive summarization
Compress a note in layers, adding one only when you open it again
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.56
Public speaking course
A structured class in speaking to a room, taken to get past the fear of doing it
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost57
Reflected Best Self Exercise
Ask twenty people for a story of you at your best, then find the pattern
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost58
Regret minimization framework
Picture yourself at 80 looking back, then pick the option you would regret least
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost59
Saying No Gracefully
A three step script for declining without wrecking the relationship
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost60
Second-order thinking
Keep asking and then what until the picture of the consequences stops changing
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost61
Shipping creative work
Publishing on a schedule rather than waiting for the work to feel ready
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost62
Six-page narrative memo
A written memo read silently at the start of the meeting, in place of slides
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost63
Specific knowledge
Building the kind of skill nobody knows how to teach, by following real curiosity
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost64
Strategic quitting
Setting your quit conditions in advance, then quitting without drama
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost65
The 1-2-3 Method
One essential task, two urgent ones, three maintenance items, then stop
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost66
The Golden Circle
Explain why, then how, then what, in that order
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost67
The smallest viable audience
Naming the fewest people you need to serve well, then building only for them
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost68
Twelve favorite problems
Hold a dozen open questions in mind and test what you read against them
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost69
Two-a-day training
Splitting the day: an aerobic session in the morning, strength work later on
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost70
Two-way door decisions
Sort choices by how reversible they are, then move fast on the reversible ones
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost71
Walking meetings
Taking the conversation on foot instead of around a table, and ending it with the walk
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost72
WHY discovery exercise
Ask a close friend why you are friends, then listen for what they say about themselves
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 0 do it, 1 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost73
Yesterbox
Answer only yesterday's email today, so the queue never grows
Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed.