What is it about?
My 1-to-22 approach is about limiting my input for a goal.
Advantages?
Increasing the likelihood of sticking to a routine which leads to my goal.
Why?
Breaks looming tasks in mini units and detaches the outcome from my identity and in this way helps me to overcome my barrier of my perfectionism.
Downsides?
Enforcing factors are likely to be required e.g. at least start alarming in phone / smartwatch and/ or teaming up with others or utilizing accountability partner(s). Alternatively self conditioning to to the gamified routine at a certain daily / weekly time or evenslot can suffice.
Details
In a nutshell, the 1-to-22 approach is about limiting your input towards a goal and in this way reducing the impact of the outcome of your input from your identity .
The game includes 4 main steps
1. Choose the repeating action event slot
Choose an event slot in which you can usually engage in the respective task for 22 minutes and save this in your calendar and/ or to do list and or set up alarms on your phone and/ or other smart devices to remind you of this event. Set the goal to engage in the task at least 4 times per week but not more than on 6 days per week. Define a goal for the event slot e.g. in my case: publish a post – no matter how how polished or unfinished it might be at that point (text or audio or video recording on my website and/ or youtube channel and/ or social media channel).
2. Choose your wish/ goal
Set a timer for 3 minutes and decide on a wish which is important to you would like to become true. E.g. in my current case: finally beginning to publish my website and YouTube channel on a regular basis. Take note of the day you decided to commit to this gamified approach and note what you decided to aim to achieve. You could also make a quick voice note or a video or just a few lines as a google doc with date and time.
3. Apply enforcing factors
For this you can for instance choose one, several or of the following options:
- Create emotional commitment: E.g. set up an alarm with a song you connect with your goal which goes off always before your chosen time to engage in the routine
- Reduce friction: E.g. configure your devices (phone, laptop, etc.) in ways so that a website relevant to your routine is the home screen or saved as a short cut on your phone start screen etc., or if its about nutrition: make sure to have healthy food option you like easily accessible for you at all times, or if its about workout: have your workout equipment easily accessible in your living space. It doe snot need to be in sight so at least for me. What James Clear suggests in his book “Atomic Habits”, doe snot work for me that if you aim to practise playing guitar more often to have the guitar placed in a prominent spot in sight in your living space.
- Remove distraction: E.g. configure your devices (phone, laptop, etc.) in ways which allow only access to routine relevant websites during your chosen time slot for your routine, or if its about nutrition: remove convenience food from your living space or get vault which opens only at certain times or with a code as an emotional barrier for you to eat the convenience food too often
- Choose a reward for yourself
- Team up with 1 person or more you trust with this to also commit to this plan, to be each others accountability partners for this and if possible to always aim to work on the respective task at the same time and to present the results to each other directly afterwards. This can be a link to the post or a photo or video clip of the result or of oneself while doing the task. Alternatively use another accountability / team partner. This can also be anonymous via online platforms. Or you just tell some people you know about your plan and update them on your ongoing engagement in the task.
4. Act in your chosen event slot
Work for at least 2 but not longer than 22 minutes. Adjust the tasks you do in this time slot as you go in reasonable ways. Share you results with your accountability or team partner(s). I so far I don’t like that label “accountability partner” and prefer “team partner”. “Team partner” is also not ideal since it can mean different things. But for now I use “team partner(s)”. Save in your calendar an event slot in which you will review your results you made so far and post about them online or share with others you know e.g. to least your team partner(s) or better more people you trust to celebrate your achievements to get them inspired too.