Happy (Good) Friday :)
With a new quarter kicking off, I wanted to take a moment to revisit something we do every week — and remind you why we do it.
Because here's the thing: as owners, we have a tendency to beat ourselves up about what we haven't done.
At the end of the week, the month, the quarter — the default setting in our heads is to look at the gap between where we are and where we want to be. Dan Sullivan calls this the gap and the gain. When you're in the gap, it never feels like enough. You're always behind. Always falling short.
At the end of the week, the month, the quarter — the default setting in our heads is to look at the gap between where we are and where we want to be. Dan Sullivan calls this the gap and the gain. When you're in the gap, it never feels like enough. You're always behind. Always falling short.
The 3-1-3 is a deliberate pattern interrupt. It's how we get out of the gap and into the gain.
Here's what it looks like:
3 Wins: What are three things that look and feel like progress this week?
Start by writing down three things that look and feel like progress this week. Three achievements. Three wins. I do this every single week, and without fail, it shifts something. It changes the gear your brain is in. Some weeks you'll need this more than others — but I'd argue you need it every week.
1 Objective: If you could only focus on one thing next week, what would it be and why?
A week is just about enough time to drift. Enough meetings, enough work, enough noise — and by Friday you're not quite where you started. So we pause and realign. This is your nudge back to your core priority. Do it weekly and it's a small correction. Skip it for a month and it's a much bigger haul to get back on track.
3 Tasks: What are the three most important tasks that will move the needle on that objective next week?
You've got plenty going on — I know that. But this isn't about ignoring everything else. It's about establishing a clear focus so you know exactly what needs to happen.
Bonus — Your 20% Time: When are you going to do this work?
The 80/20 principle tells us that 20% of our time produces 80% of our results. In a 40-hour week, that's roughly 8 hours — about 90 minutes a day — of your most valuable, undistracted, deep work. Once you've written down your three tasks, go into your calendar and time block exactly when you're going to do them. Protect that time.
***
The whole thing might take you 10 minutes. Some weeks a bit more. But by the time you're done, you've shifted from the gap to the gain, realigned around what matters most, written down what needs to happen — and actually scheduled when you're going to do it.
***
The whole thing might take you 10 minutes. Some weeks a bit more. But by the time you're done, you've shifted from the gap to the gain, realigned around what matters most, written down what needs to happen — and actually scheduled when you're going to do it.
That's the 3-1-3. That's why we do it every week.
It's the start of Q2. Fresh season, fresh quarter, fresh start. I want to make a concerted effort this week — all of us.
So here's what I'd love you to do: Do your 3-1-3 today, and reply to this email with it.
So here's what I'd love you to do: Do your 3-1-3 today, and reply to this email with it.
Send me your three wins, your one objective, your three tasks, and when you've blocked your 20% time.
I'll read every single one, comment where I can, and maybe we'll start a few good conversations along the way.
Let's go.
Chris.