Methodology

There are too many ideas in the world,
and not enough action.

Without supreme organization and productivity,
bold projects never happen.

Action Method is an intuitive approach to task
management, designed to simplify work and life.
Action Method helps you manage life’s projects by
boiling them down to their most basic elements,
always with an emphasis on action.

  • 1. Action Steps

    The key to Action Method is leaving every occasion (a meeting, an article you read, a conversation) with a clear set of tasks that need to be completed. These tasks are your Action Steps. Each Action Step should start with a verb: "Call Y," "Follow up with X," "Buy a gift for Z."

    Action Steps

  • 2. References

    References are everything that does not require action. Notes, links, files, sketches - any information related to a project that gives context to your Action Steps. This can include Backburner items —the brilliant ideas that you want to come back to later, but are not yet actionable.

    References

By separating Action Steps from References, you always have a clear sense of the tasks required.

Too many systems either exclude a "task" functionality or minimize its importance. We believe that success
comes down to identifying what needs to get done and who needs to do it, and then making it happen.

Best Practices

As a company founded to empower creative professionals to make ideas happen, we have interviewed hundreds of the most
productive individuals and teams in the world, discovering best practices across industries for managing everyday projects.
These best practices have informed our methodology and design.

A few of the principles that define Action Method:

  • Actions are only "delegated" if they are accepted

    We become truly accountable only when we actively choose to accept the action steps assigned to us. This is not the case with "to do lists" that multiple people can view, or emails that may or may not get read.

  • Good design breeds great productivity

    It's simple: if a system functions properly and is attractive, you are more likely to stay loyal to it.

  • Email is unreliable

    Email does not function well as a to-do list, because the actions you must take get buried in regular communication. Tasks should have a system of their own.

  • Work and personal life collide

    People often separate "personal" tasks from "professional" tasks (e.g. formal "to-do" lists at work, post-it notes on the refrigerator at home). But Action Steps are Action Steps, regardless of their context. Having everything you must accomplish in one system is your best bet for anxiety-free living.

  • Actions should be captured, and managed, everywhere

    In our mobile lives, Action Steps should be captured and managed wherever you are, and with many different mediums. Whether on paper, your computer, or your mobile device, you should use a consistent system and design.

  • If nothing else... ACTION ACTION ACTION

    Action Steps are more important than anything else. That’s why our system is organized around them.

Visit 99U for more resources on the Action Method: