What, Why, When Where, and How
solving the mystery of when you work best
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The nook in my office is covered with huge pieces of paper, post-its, and lots of notes as I chip away at my book project. It’s fun to physically experience the writing process while standing up and squatting down to jot a note here or draw a line there.
I've reached the “deep thinking” stage in my writing process, a stage that must be protected at all costs. The best way I’ve found to encourage this type of intentional work (for both myself and my coaching clients) is a framework I love to use to set up actionable, achievable productivity plans: determining what, why, when, where, and how. Today I’ll share how each element can support your work, and how I’m using this framework to move forward with writing my book.
What
For my clients, an aversive task related to writing projects usually means there is some ambiguity around what they need to actually do. We know that step one is “open the document” and the last step is “submit your final draft to your advisor/editor,” but the steps in between are a vague version of “work on my book/article/disseration.”
Figuring out the what for a project gives us clear tasks to put on our to-do list, which means it’s easier to scope out the order in which to complete each task and estimate how much time they might take. Plus, brainstorming a list of tasks ahead of time can help us predict any obstacles we might run into and make proactive plans to mitigate challenges that could pop up down the line.
Related Resources:
Why
Knowing why we want to do something is just as important as knowing what we’re going to do. Procrastination takes the reins if we don’t feel intrinsically motivated to complete a task, and self-motivation is even more challenging if a task feels big and complex.
If our reasoning feels artificial or forced, like taking on a task just because we “should,” we might struggle to follow through. Connecting our project and individual tasks to a value that is personally meaningful or related to a future goal can help us say “yes” to working on it.
Related Resources:
When
Deciding when to work on a project seems simple (just schedule it into your calendar, right?), but to get the most out of our productivity sessions, it’s important to think about your energy and focus levels in addition to how much time you have.
Is there a particular day of the week when you tend to have more or less energy? Same goes for the time of day when you’re able to focus more or less readily. Based on this knowledge, what would you strategically schedule for a “higher energy/focus” and “lower energy/focus” time block?
Related Resources:
When You Don’t Have Time for Deep Work (with a no-cost Pomodoro tracker)
To Block, Box, or Both?: exploring time management techniques
Where
When planning to work on a task, it’s helpful to consider whether that task lends itself to a specific location, like reading on the couch or writing at your standing desk using a walking pad. Some tasks are best done with two screens, and others are better with a notebook and pen at your favorite local coffee shop. Just like it’s helpful to assign specific tasks to specific days of the week or times of the day, intentionally pairing a task with a location increases your ability to stay focused and get it done.
Please note that if you’re unable to work in your ideal setting or with the amenities that bring you comfort, it doesn’t mean your task can’t get done or that you’ve neglected your needs. Rather than feeling frustrated about your circumstances, focus on what you can control (making a fancy beverage at home and writing in a different room than usual, for example), and then do the best you can.
Related Resource:
The Relationship Between Physical and Mental Productivity Spaces (NOTE: You’ll see a sign up segment before the article begins, please ignore that as it is for my archived Substack!)
How
Once we know what we’re doing, when and where to do it, and feel motivated with a clear why, we can experiment with tools and approaches to further personalize our process. That process is your how.
The personalization of these general frameworks is what makes working with each of my clients so interesting! They all work in different ways, and once we uncover that, the work becomes much more approachable and (dare I say?) joyful.
Here are some examples of personalizing how you like to work:
If you want to increase your momentum and practice taking breaks, experiment with using the Pomodoro method and setting timers.
If you find it difficult to get started or end a work session on time, experiment with a new opening and closing routine for your work sessions.
I’ll share some resources below to support your how, but I invite you to check out my newsletter archive and blog posts for more ideas to fit your project!
Related Resources:
I’ve been using this What, Why, When, Where, and How approach to my book project in July so I can develop a plan to make progress strategically. My goal is to limit decision-making during a work session so I can settle into deep work, and stay there. Here’s what that looks like.
What: Reading through the 40+ pages of notes I wrote in June. Developing a new document for pulling the most important content and wording I like from the pages. Honing in on topics for each chapter. Developing my outline for the book.
Why: I want to write this book to honor Edythe Eyde. I want to have a first draft of a book proposal by my birthday in September. I am having a lot of fun chasing my curiosity. I want to model writing a book on my PhD research for a public audience.
When: Touching my book most days of the week. Attending virtual co-working sessions every week. Giving myself permission to work on my book after hours if I feel drawn to it.
Where: Working on paper so I can limit e-distractions (bye-bye inbox!!). Experimenting with working in the coffee shop and library both with and without my laptop to see how that feels. Filling in my mind map on the wall in my office and then developing a virtual version.
How: Using my Forest app for gamified and focused Pomodoro sessions. Using my Brick app to block the internet during writing time. Setting micro-goals at the start of each writing session. Checking off my running project to-do list. Chatting with Kris and my writing buddies about my progress to keep up my excitement.
Curiosities
One of my July Personal Algorithm goals is to read “a home for creating” by Chloe Almeda, and I took her suggestion to read Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett. I’m so glad I did, because it was a fun read and full of cats and women with strong personalities (the best kind of book).
The new Phoebe Bridgers song, “Lost Boys,” was worth the wait! I still can’t believe that I got tickets to see her in October before they sold out. Phoebe is doing this interesting thing where she’s banning all phones from her shows, which I think is going to make for a cool experience.
A few years ago I was influenced on Instagram to buy Bodha smokeless incense, and it’s been our “house incense” since then. I recently took a risk and splurged on their special “Tenderness” scent and it is excellent.
Have a great time thinking of your what, why, when, where, and how, my friend. I would love to know which aspect of this framework holds the most opportunity for you. Feel free to reply directly to this email if you’d like to share!
Take care and talk soon,
Dr. Kate
Email: [email protected]
Website: katehenry.com
Podcast: Honing In
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