Research I. – Worksheet Notes
Section One: Your Career Options
Come up with a list of at least 10-15 career options.[frm-field-value field_id=1096 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Try to come up with at least five more options that people, not too removed from your current position are pursuing right now.[frm-field-value field_id=1098 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Now that we have some options, consider the values you have for your career. Brainstorm a list of values (freedom, autonomy, income, recognition, etc.) and circle the top three.[frm-field-value field_id=1100 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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With your options and values clarified, let’s combine them. Consider your two brainstormed lists of options. For each of your circled, top-3 career values, list the top three options on your list.[frm-field-value field_id=1102 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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List 1-5 career options here that you want to continue with research.[frm-field-value field_id=1104 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Two: Pre-Interview Research
Start by doing a Google search and look for information about your career path.[frm-field-value field_id=1106 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Now look at books. Are there industry and profession-specific guides that explain how your career works?[frm-field-value field_id=1108 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Is there any other information you can gather?[frm-field-value field_id=1110 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Three: Finding Expert Interview Candidates
Start by tapping your existing network for possible candidates. Who do you already know (directly, or through a mutual contact) that is 2-3 steps ahead in this career direction? 10-15 items.[frm-field-value field_id=1112 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Next, consider some people that you know about, but don’t know personally. This could include coworkers, members of a professional organization you belong to, or even mildly famous people.[frm-field-value field_id=1114 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Spend some time now to consider how you might be able to systematically find people who meet your criteria (See Cal’s lesson: “Where to Find People to Contact” for more details).[frm-field-value field_id=1116 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Four: Contacting Candidates
Start by doing a little research on each expert first.[frm-field-value field_id=1118 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Contact your experts. If you’re not sure how to write the email request, see Scott’s lesson “How to Write Email to Reach Busy People”.[frm-field-value field_id=1120 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Once you hear back, set up a meeting. If you’re not sure the etiquette for setting up such a meeting, see Cal’s lesson “How to Set Up Your First Meeting”.[frm-field-value field_id=1122 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Research II. – Worksheet Notes
Section One: Pre-interview Planning
To start, you should spend at least 15-30 minutes doing background research on your expert BEFORE the meeting.[frm-field-value field_id=1124 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Next, you should choose a focus of the interview.[frm-field-value field_id=1126 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Do some reflection on your expert at that particular stage of his or her career. What skills and assets did they possess that you currently lacked? What skills and assets do you possess that put you at an advantage to them?[frm-field-value field_id=1128 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Skills which matter for reaching the next stage in my career are:[frm-field-value field_id=1130 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Prepare at least three potential questions you’d like to ask. Remember we are conducting a journalistic interview, not a mentor-style interview, so start questions by asking for facts.[frm-field-value field_id=1132 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Three: Post-interview Analysis
Write down the hypotheses you had and underline those that you feel more strongly about, after having done the interview. Cross out any you feel less strongly about after the interview.[frm-field-value field_id=1172 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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What are the big takeaways from your interview?[frm-field-value field_id=1174 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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What skills do you think this person developed to get from where you are, to the next stage of their career?[frm-field-value field_id=1176 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Four: Follow-up
Write a thank you email to your expert, thanking them for their time and help. Be sure to ask them if it would be okay to send a follow-up question to clarify some matters.[frm-field-value field_id=1178 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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What question would you like to have asked, but either didn’t have time or didn’t think of them during the interview?[frm-field-value field_id=1180 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Project I. – Worksheet Notes
Section One: Identifying your Skill/Next Step
To move forward in this section, we need to identify a single skill or step to work on next.[frm-field-value field_id=1182 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Two: Project Idea Brainstorming
If you can work on the skill directly—select a project which does that.[frm-field-value field_id=1184 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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If you’re not currently working on this skill in your job, could you push yourself into a project or situation which does?[frm-field-value field_id=1186 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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If you said yes to the above, and you are already practicing the skill, can you make the practice more intense, ambitious or focused?[frm-field-value field_id=1188 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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If you can’t work on the skill in your job, you might want to look at projects you can do on the side which could improve your skill level.[frm-field-value field_id=1190 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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If working on the skill directly is not possible, what are substitute activities that would train you in a large percentage of the component skills?[frm-field-value field_id=1192 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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How have other people gotten good at this skill? List some ways your experts got good at these skills.[frm-field-value field_id=1194 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Now that you’ve considered your options, brainstorm a list of 10-20 project ideas that could possibly tackle the skill or step you’ve decided upon.[frm-field-value field_id=1196 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Pick the best three project ideas you have and take it to the next section—remember direct is better than indirect, proven is better than experimental, main job is better than side project.[frm-field-value field_id=1198 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Three: Refining Project Ideas
Start by writing down your best three project ideas from the last section. We’ll now see if we can make these project ideas even better.[frm-field-value field_id=1200 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Can you make the project ideas more focused? Write down ways you could eliminate busywork and make the project more about the skill/step you need to do next.[frm-field-value field_id=1202 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Can you make the project ideas more ambitious?[frm-field-value field_id=1204 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Can you make the project idea smaller?[frm-field-value field_id=1206 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Can you get strong, external feedback?[frm-field-value field_id=1208 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Four: Generating a Project Mission Statement
Pick the best idea of your workshopped alternative and try to reduce it down to a highly compelling 1-2 sentence description.[frm-field-value field_id=1210 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Project II. – Worksheet Notes
Section One: Timeline & Milestones
Copy your project mission statement here. Is there any vagueness related to the exact outcome of the goal your aiming for or what work will be required? If there is, try to make it more clear and explicit and rewrite it here:[frm-field-value field_id=1212 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Break your project into milestones.[frm-field-value field_id=1214 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Determine the end deadline by adding up the amount of time you need for each milestone and dividing it by the amout you’re willing to contribute towards completing it each week.[frm-field-value field_id=1216 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Two: Weekly Project Schedule
How many hours per week is required to be 20% ahead of schedule? This is your weekly time investment.[frm-field-value field_id=1218 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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How will you fit these hours?[frm-field-value field_id=1220 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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What activities will you sacrifice for this project?[frm-field-value field_id=1222 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Are you confident you can implement this plan?[frm-field-value field_id=1224 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Three: Sticking Points and Risk Management
List points in the project that you’re likely to procrastinate on. This could be administrative tasks that will make you uncomfortable (e.g. soliciting feedback) or deep work tasks that really strain your abilities in a hard way.[frm-field-value field_id=1226 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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What can you do to overcome procrastination in these cases? List at least three strategies you plan to use for each procrastination sticking point.[frm-field-value field_id=1228 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Anticipate possible delays in your project.[frm-field-value field_id=1230 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Are there other possible sticking points that might prevent you from making progress.[frm-field-value field_id=1232 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Four: How to Know You’re Ready to Start
Do you feel ready? If not, why not.[frm-field-value field_id=1234 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Deep Work I. – Worksheet Notes
Section One: Maximizing Deep Work Habits
Start a deep work tally.[frm-field-value field_id=1236 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Think about your work in the previous week, in particular, your project work. Try to remember all of the times you got distracted and write those down here:[frm-field-value field_id=1238 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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For each of those distractions, write down a strategy that could prevent being distracted similarly in the future:[frm-field-value field_id=1240 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Two: Project Check-in
Review your progress on your project so far. What’s going well? Write down what you’re pleased with accomplishing over the last week.[frm-field-value field_id=1242 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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What is not going well on your project? What could be improved?[frm-field-value field_id=1244 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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List three things you’ll do differently next week to ensure you stay on track to complete your project.[frm-field-value field_id=1246 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Deep Work II. – Worksheet Notes
Section One: Eliminating Busyness
First write down all of your existing obligations. These should be anything that you don’t enjoy doing that take up your time. (Examples: answering emails, meetings, project X, etc.)[frm-field-value field_id=1248 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Next to the above list, write whether each of these tasks is urgent (U), important (I) or not-urgent (NU), not-important (NI).[frm-field-value field_id=1250 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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For every commitment labeled not-urgent (NU) and not-important (NI), can you eliminate this commitment? If you can’t eliminate it, how could you restrict its influence, say by batching it to certain times of the day or week?[frm-field-value field_id=1252 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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For every commitment labelled urgent (U) and not-important (NI), what would happen if you ignored this commitment? Could you eliminate it or reduce its impact?[frm-field-value field_id=1254 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Two: Fixed-Schedule Productivity
Decide on a constraint for your working time. This should be phrased in terms of what hours you will NOT work, as opposed to which hours you will work. (Example: I will not work after 6pm weekdays, nor on weekends)[frm-field-value field_id=1256 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Gather all of the tasks you want to accomplish next week and write them down. Now, looking at your calendar, create a tentative plan for when you will accomplish each task.[frm-field-value field_id=1258 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Three: Energy Assessment
What are three steps you can take right now to improve your energy that you will actually implement?[frm-field-value field_id=1260 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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a) How often do you feel stressed or anxious? b) List the five people you spend most of your time with.[frm-field-value field_id=1262 user_id=current]
If your relationships are mostly draining, can you shift the time spent interacting with the person or communicate with them to reduce the strain?
[frm-field-value field_id=1268 user_id=current] Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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a) What are the five most common activities you do outside of work and errands? b) How would you rank these in terms of intellectual engagement? Write “low” or “high” next to each one. c) Now, write down your five favorite activities which have high intellectual engagement.[frm-field-value field_id=1264 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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List your top goals in life. These should represent the things you want to accomplish both in your career and your personal life that are deeply meaningful to you.[frm-field-value field_id=1266 user_id=current]
List your top five obligations. These are the things you spend the most time doing which you have to do. If work is the dominant category, you might want to further subdivide it into different things you work on.
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For each major obligation, ask yourself whether it helps you accomplish something deeply meaningful to you or not. If it doesn’t, ask yourself why you’re continuing with it?
[frm-field-value field_id=1270 user_id=current] Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Mastery I. – Worksheet Notes
Section One: Evaluate Project Progress
Are you on-track to complete your project?[frm-field-value field_id=1271 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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The second is your project metrics, if you created any.[frm-field-value field_id=1275 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Two: Evaluate Skill Progress
Did you create skill metrics when designing your project?[frm-field-value field_id=1279 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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If you didn’t create skill metrics, now might be a good time to generate some for the remainder of your project.[frm-field-value field_id=1281 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Three: Finding New Sources of Feedback
Brainstorm a list of 5-10 ways you could get feedback.[frm-field-value field_id=1283 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Take this list and provide the best three sources of feedback you could use to get information that will help you improve your skill further.[frm-field-value field_id=1285 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Taking the first list, now provide the best three sources of feedback you could use to evaluate how well you’re currently performing in the skill.[frm-field-value field_id=1287 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Now that you’ve identified new sources of feedback, create a brief outline of how you could implement at least one source of feedback to more objectively assess your performance and another source of feedback which can provide you with information to improve your skill further.[frm-field-value field_id=1289 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Mastery II. – Worksheet Notes
Section One: Quarterly Review Checklist
Set up a reminder on your calendar to do the quarterly review three months from now.[frm-field-value field_id=1291 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Are you currently working on a project? If you aren’t, why not? If you are, is it moving ahead or not?[frm-field-value field_id=1293 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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How many expert interviews have you set up in the last three months? If the answer is lower than you’d like, write down some steps you can take now to reach out to more people to further deepen your career knowledge.[frm-field-value field_id=1295 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Section Two: Career Capital Analysis
First do an inventory of what skills you possess. Group skills together that stem from a related competence[frm-field-value field_id=1297 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Appraise the items on this list for their market value. Rank each item as being either high, medium or low value.[frm-field-value field_id=1299 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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Give yourself a score of 1-10 depending on how well you perform at that skill, related to the competition. Note: 1 = amateur, 5 = expert (outsiders would say you’re a competent craftsman), 10 = world class (you’re one of the best in the world).[frm-field-value field_id=1301 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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How can you shift your time to focus more on higher-value skills? Which skills do you want to develop to a higher level over the next few years?[frm-field-value field_id=1303 user_id=current]Edit Note | Go to the Worksheet
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