The Input-Output Framework

Hey friends,

Sorry for the late email this week. For the first time in several years, I went on a bender last night and binged 8 episodes of Money Heist on Netflix until 3am and completely 100% forgot that it was a Sunday and that I had to send this email.

This week’s email is a guest post from my friend Chris Lovejoy.

How to make the most of free moments: the input-output framework

Today I want to share a framework that that has supercharged my productivity over the last few years. It has helped me make the most of free moments that arise throughout the day, and I believe the positive cumulative impact has been huge.

The first step

is that I divide everything that I do into either an

input

or an

output

activity.

Input is seeking to understand the ideas of others; studying, reading or listening to someone’s point of view.

Output is creation; writing a blog, working on a project, brainstorming solutions to a problem.

The second step

is to decide what I want my inputs and outputs to be.

I personally love learning about technology, psychology and productivity. I have more books and articles on these than I have time to read. These are my main inputs.

I love to write about ideas that I think can help others, on my blog or my newsletter. Writing helps me gain clarity on what I think. I love thinking about ways technology could be used to improve healthcare. These are my main outputs.

Within both input and output, I have a rough hierarchy in terms of the value of the task and the attention required. I’d rather read a book than listen to an audiobook, but it requires more attention. Likewise, I’d prioritise an audiobook over reading short articles on my phone, which comes ahead of watching an educational YouTube video – each level broadly requiring less optimal conditions then the previous.

I have a similar hierarchy for output activities.

The next step is where the productivity arises. Whenever a free moment arises, all I have to do is ask myself:

In my current context, what is the highest task in the hierarchy I can do?

(and is my current priority input or output?)

If I’m at home, with peace and quiet for the next few hours, I’ll start writing an article or grab and book and start reading.

If I’m on a noisy bus, I know I’ll struggle to read a book. Easy: I pop on an audiobook.

If I’m at a café, waiting for a friend who could arrive at any moment, I’ll take my phone out and read short articles on Pocket or Medium.

The nice thing about this approach is that it removes the need to make decisions in the moment. Free moments pop up throughout the day, and this framework makes it frictionless to be productive with them.

It works best if I know what I’m working on; what articles will I be writing next? what books shall I read?

If my context changes, perhaps a lecture is cancelled or a friend wants to come over in 15 minutes, I only have to re-ask the question: “In my (new) current context, what is the highest task in the hierarchy I can do?”, and then get cracking.

Life’s not all about productivity, but productivity is about managing time and time makes up life. This framework helped me take control of my time, which includes freeing up more time to be delightfully unproductive.

I hope you find it as helpful as I do 🙂

Have a great week!

Chris

This Week On Not Overthinking

Not Overthinking is the weekly podcast hosted by me and my brother. If you enjoy these emails, you’ll hopefully like that too. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castro (my favourite podcast app) or any other podcast app – just search for ‘Not Overthinking’.

The Parent, The Adult and The Child – A Discussion of Transactional Analysis | Not Overthinking

In this episode, we discuss transactional analysis. Taimur talks us through the ideas behind the theory, and how your internal mind can be split up into three parts – the Parent, Adult, and Child with examples taken from the book I’m Ok, You’re Ok by Thomas Harris. Enjoy.

My Favourite Things This Week

1 – Podcast –

I listened to a fantastic episode from the Art of Charm podcast this week (Yes Theory – The Art of Facing Your Fears) which featured an interview with the guys behind the Yes Theory channel on YouTube – one that I absolutely love to watch. They’re just such a wholesome combination of inspiring, humble and ‘normal’ dudes and this all comes across in this interview – well worth a listen.

2 – Book –

I managed to read Normal People in basically one sitting last Monday. I started at 11pm at work after a recommendation from a friend, read for an hour until midnight, drove home, arrived back at 00:40, changed and brushed my teeth, got into bed at 1am and read non stop until 4:15 when I finished the book with a tear in my eye. I also heard it’s just become a TV series on the BBC but the book is superb.

3 – Book –

Another book that made me cry this week is A Million Miles in a Thousand Year by Donald Miller. It’s really made me reconsider my life and think more deeply about the choices I make. I’d highly recommend everyone reads it.

Quote of the Week

“If you’re confused about life, you’re not alone. There are almost seven billion of us. This isn’t a problem once you realise that life is neither a problem to be solved nor a game to be won”

From The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. Resurfaced with Readwise.

This Week’s (FOUR) Videos