Monthly Method

This episode is my argument for why I don't believe in habits. Not against consistency (consistency is everything) but against the conventional method for getting there: the trigger-behavior-reward loop, the 21-day calendar, the check marks on the wall.  What I've been calling the Click Method is what I saw actually work. Something shifts in how you see a behaviour, and after that, the old way sto...

In this episode, I sit down with Claudia — an architect from Germany — to talk about how to run an Agile sprint using nothing but a simple notebook. No productivity apps. No dashboards. No digital overwhelm. We revisit the idea of running sprints inside a bullet journal and explore the difference between analog tools and “digital infinity.” Things mentioned in the episode: The Monthly Method cours...

What if the reason you’re stuck isn’t the goal you picked — but the fact that you’re trying to pick the "perfect" one? In this episode, I share why your first sprint goal barely matters, what the first sprint is really for, and why messy starts often lead to the most meaningful progress. If you’ve ever felt busy but not truly moving forward, this might change how you begin. Learn about my private...

In this episode, I share a counterintuitive realization I had after noticing my own behaviour around Black Friday—and how it completely changed the way I think about New Year’s resolutions, procrastination, and consistency. Book mentioned in the video: Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov Video about chaotic ambition: https://youtu.be/o3XosnSnGPU Learn about my private membership where we cultivate a focused...

Everyone says to break goals into subtasks. But what if that’s exactly what’s slowing you down? I show why this common productivity advice fails when you’re building something new—and what to do instead. You’ll learn a faster, lighter Agile-inspired system that: - Cuts planning time to one hour - Keeps you focused without overwhelm - Builds clarity through action, not research If you’ve ever falle...

Most people think of goals as boxes to check off. But what if they were something completely different? In this episode, I share how I think about goals in a way that makes decision-making easier, life less overwhelming, and priorities much clearer. 👉 A free tool you can use right away to get crystal clear on your next 3 actionable purpose-driven goals https://monthlymethod.kit.com/focus-finder ⏱...

Enrollment for the Focus Room October Sprint closes tomorrow! 🎉 In this episode, I share what the Focus Room is, how we run 3-week sprints with live planning, coworking, and reviews, and why it’s a calm, sustainable approach to productivity—tailored to your real life, not hustle culture. Join us before doors close Thursday to start your sprint this Friday! Join the Focus Room → https://monthlymet...

What if your life and projects were as simple and durable as a Fisher-Price toy? In this episode, I talk about the Fisher-Price simplicity , how I've learned about it, and how it inspired me to apply it in my own life. I talk about how my pursuit of elegance and optimization often led to unnecessary complexity, and why I’m choosing to rebuild my foundations on simplicity instead. Think: fewer fril...

Learn more about the Focus Room: https://monthlymethod.com/focus-room/ Enrollment closes this Thursday.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I share a fresh perspective on why rest is essential for productivity —through the lens of agriculture. Just as farmers rotate crops and allow fields to rest to maintain soil health, we too need scheduled breaks to protect our focus, creativity, and long-term output. I talk about: The silent crisis of soil depletion and what it teaches us about sustainability. Why rotating crops a...

My complicated relationship with summer is about to end.  Learn more about the focus room here: https://monthlymethod.com/focus-room/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Polina from The Monthly Method discusses her hiatus from podcasting and introduces the 'Three Levers' framework, a concept she learned as a junior product manager. The framework helps simplify and streamline any project. Learn more about the Focus Room : https://monthlymethod.com/focus-room Timeline: 00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back 00:20 The Three Levers Framework 01:05 Applying the Framework...

The final ingredient of my Agile-inspired personal productivity system is the cool-off week. In this video, I share its origin story, explain what it is, describe what I do during this week, and reveal why it has been the key to staying consistent with my productivity system for the last 10 years. The Calm Ambition Club: https://monthlymethod.com/calm-ambition-club/ Blogpost mentioned: When feelin...

Sprint retrospective is the most important ritual in Agile philosophy. I'll share how you can build your own goal management system that is perfectly tailored to your life circumstances.  The Calm Ambition Club: https://monthlymethod.com/calm-ambition-club/ Blog posts mentioned: Sprint-end celebration https://monthlymethod.com/sprint-end-celebration/ The baby shower story https://monthlymethod.com...

Why the advice to disappear for a year is problematic. And what you can do instead.  Enrollment for the Calm Ambition Club - February sprint closes tomorrow https://monthlymethod.com/calm-ambition-club/ Chapters: 00:00 - YouTube, we have a problem 01:23 - The only way to change our lives 02:04 - What happens if you manage to disappear for a year? 03:00 - My favourite quote 03:43 - Celebrating limi...

What a good gym membership can teach us about goal setting in other areas of our lives? Learn more about the Calm Ambition Club: https://monthlymethod.com/calm-ambition-club/ Chapters: 00:00 - Have you ever wondered why people choose to pay for a gym membership in this day and age?  00:32 - What does it teach about our goals in general? 01:29 - Shopping for information 01:52 - Back to the initial...

Ever feel like your work has to be perfect before hitting 'publish'? Discover how embracing B- work can actually accelerate success. Blogpost with all the links mentioned: https://monthlymethod.com/ b-work / 00:00 - My story of working in a tech startup 03:23 - Perfectionism and the B- work 05:19 - Done first. Improved later. 06:56 - The B- work can change the world. 09:39 - Time constraints help....

I share the best tool I have found in Agile methodology for overcoming perfectionism and analysis paralysis. I talk about the process of picking your sprint goals and polishing them up with the Definition of Done.  Watch this episode is in video format: https://youtu.be/k7kR9OUn1B0 00:00 - Are you a perfectionist? 01:25 - Agile concepts we've already covered 02:25 - The purpose of your first sprin...

One of the core Agile concepts is working in short sprints vs. setting long-term goals and plans. Let's look into what a sprint is, how long it should be, how to calculate sprint capacity, and choose a sprint focus. As always, we'll discuss how you can apply all of this to your own personal projects and goals.  Timeline: 00:00 - Innovation in the tech industry 00:47 - What is a sprint? 02:07 - Wha...

Backlog is where an Agile sprint begins. It's the foundation of the Agile Framework. Let's dive into the deeper meaning behind a backlog, why you need one in your life, and how to build one from scratch. Timeline: 00:00 Why Agile? 01:26 Backlog - what it is 01:58 Chaotic life filled with frantic action 03:00 How much time we actually have 04:10 How do we measure the quality of our goals? 06:56 The...

Let's review the core components and rituals of a sprint cycle and how you can apply those to your personal goals and projects. Link to the video version of this episode. Timestamps: (00:00) - - Overview (00:20) - - Creating backlog (01:51) - - Calculating sprint capacity (02:18) - - Deciding on the number of goals for the sprint (02:57) - - Sprint planning and scrum board (03:54) - - Duration of...

In this episode I talk about why long-term goals don't work and how we've been mislead all this time by the traditional goal setting advice. I also share my story of finding out about Agile and how it changed my approach to personal productivity. Link to the video version of this episode. Timestamps: (00:00) - Traditional productivity advice (00:32) - New Year's Resolutions (00:55) - My first job...

A quick episode to say hi and give you some updates on my life and the Monthly Method. Please let me know what you think about the group sprints I have in mind! Timeline: 00:00 Intro 00:41 What happened last year? 2023 updates 04:13 What's happening this year? Summer 2024 07:59 Plans for the fall 2024 Links mentioned in the episode: - Read blog posts from last year: https://monthlymethod.com/blog/...

Today we are discussing finalizing your sprint goals using the definition of done. 00:00 - Intro 00:51 - Recap of our progress so far 02:40 - Finalizing sprint goals 04:05 - Checkpoints 05:00 - Adding definition of done 10:08 - Recommendations of a successful first sprint 12:13 - If you want to launch a side hustle next year 12:55 - If you have questions about this series FREE Workshop "3 steps to...

Let's look at how you can apply agile principles to New Year's Resolutions. Today we are talking about using sprints, sprint capacity and backlog review to set new year's goals. 00:00 - Intro 00:50 - Sprints & picking sprint duration 08:15 - Don't plan the entire year 10:55 - Sprint capacity 17:30 - Backlog review 19:50 - When you have to many goals to choose from 22:00 - Homework 22:33 - If y...