This is the first blog post in a series about my experiences working through the Productivity Field Guide by David Sparks, available in the Plus and the Standard editions. I intend to write 10-12 posts covering each of the major topics in the Field Guide.
The Productivity Field Guide comprises a 100+ page PDF or ePub book and 50 video tutorials with 5 hours of content. The Plus Edition also provides 12 webinars in which Sparks walks participants through the process.
I’m writing this series for several reasons. First, through the writing process, I want to think more about my process. Second, I hope to help others by showing my thoughts, processes, and struggles as I implement a roles-based productivity system. Third, I hope my example will inspire others to learn about and try this system to see if it works for them.
Why am I interested in a productivity system when I’m retired and don’t have a full-time job? Most people equate “productivity” with their paid working life, and much of the productivity literature supports this assumption.
My definition of productivity, however, is not limited to my working life but my entire life. We’re not talking here about how to get more done in less time, how to manage emails, etc. Rather, this system is about identifying what’s important to you and doing that in your daily life. It applies equally to work life and personal life.
As a retiree, I still need a sense of purpose, meaning, and a reason for being. I need it more now than when I was working full-time when my career gave me a sense of identity and purpose. For more information about this topic, see my How a Roles-Based Productivity System Brought Clarity and Purpose to my Life in Retirement.
The Development of the Productivity Field Guide Took Over Seven Years
David Sparks released the Productivity Field Guide to the public in January 2024. But it had been in the works for over seven years before its release.
Sparks had struggled for years to balance his full-time litigation attorney job with his growing MacSparky interest in Apple technology. At one point, he left his law firm and established his part-time practice, hoping that would free up more time for his MacSparky work.
However, he could still not produce and ship the work he wanted to as MacSparky due to his legal work, family, and other obligations. As a result, he went on a “productivity quest.” He read lots of productivity books, but he felt something was missing.
He found the answer in a system he developed over the years that helped him find his purpose in life in the roles he lived, define his best behavior in each role, and intentionally strive to improve.
The release of the Productivity Field Guide was a passion project for him. He devised a system that helped him and thought others might find it helpful.
Sparks had previously released parts of his core system in videos and podcasts over the years. He released a short video and PDF planning guide in October 2020 and re-released it in a more accessible format in January 2022 as the Personal Retreat Video and Planning PDF.
Roles vs. Values — A Roles System That Works for Me
When I first encountered Spark’s roles-based system in October 2020, it clicked for me like no other productivity system. It seemed a natural fit and what I was looking for.
At group retreats or reading personal guides, I’ve attempted to figure out what’s important to me by using traditional exercises that ask questions like, “What are your values?” or, “What is your overarching life value?” I didn’t find these approaches helpful and could never adequately answer those questions. As a result, I’d feel frustrated and confused, a failure because I couldn’t identify my “one value to rule them all.”
I’ve found that the “pick an overarching value” approach often results in a nice-sounding generic vision statement that is too esoteric and nebulous to be of any practical use. I took a popular cohort-type productivity course based on this approach, and it was so unhelpful that it became the only class I’ve ever taken advantage of for its “money-back guarantee.”
Composing a list of my values seemed too abstract and esoteric, not necessarily grounded in the truth or reality of my life.
I’ve found that to get to my fundamental values, I must start by listing all my roles. Starting with my roles is genuine, concrete, and authentic rather than abstract. Roles I spend my time and effort on are good indicators of what I care about.
Spark’s system came across to me as practical and down-to-earth. It helped me discover what was important to me and identify my big question: Why? My Why in life, or my life purpose, is to do the best job I can in fulfilling each of my important life roles.
The Release of the Productivity Field Guide Has Inspired Me to Redo My Roles System
I started working on my roles system three years ago. In January 2021, I took a multi-day retreat using Spark’s video and PDF as my guide.
During my retreat, I identified my roles. I wrote what Sparks calls “Arete statements,” a Greek word meaning excellence that ancient philosophers used to encourage followers to exemplify in all areas of their lives. See My Experiences and Tips for Doing a Roles-Based Personal Retreat.
The release of the Productivity Field Guide has inspired me to do a complete review and rebuild of my system.
In the Field Guide, Sparks provides context for his system by explaining the circumstances in which he created the parts of the system, why he developed them, and how all the parts fit together into one unified whole. I didn’t have that when I first started in 2021.
In the Field Guide, he provides a step-by-step approach readers can follow to create and implement their own system. Weekly webinars, which follow these steps, are being held as a part of the Plus Edition of the Productivity Field Guide.
These webinars, along with an online community forum, provide me the opportunity to learn from others who are implementing this process. I also didn’t have that benefit when I started in 2021.
Start the Process by Creating Your “Carrying Water” List
Sparks recommends in his videos that students start the process by creating a “carrying water” list to become aware of all the tasks they are already doing. It is out of this list that we will identify our roles.
The name comes from the illustration of how impossible it is for a 5-gallon container to hold 10 gallons of water. In the amount of tasks we take on for ourselves, we often try to force 10 gallons into a 5-gallon container.
Over a week, I listed everything I was doing. This included everything from cleaning my bathroom to journaling in the morning, from preparing meals at lunch and dinner to doing my laundry.
After only a week of listing items, I was amazed at how much I was doing in many different areas of my life. And now, a couple of weeks later, I am still adding new activities to the list.
The list will never be complete. I’m sure there are tasks I do once a year (income taxes) or only occasionally that I haven’t thought of yet or haven’t appeared yet. Sparks suggests we need to develop “water radar” to add the things we missed (or are considering adding).
As time goes on, new tasks will present themselves. When I started this process, I wasn’t volunteering for the National Park Service, but that began as a direct result of an inspirational role (Serving Altruist) I had created.
It’s vital to maintain an ongoing sense of “water radar.” If new tasks become available or are asked of us, we need to identify them as potential new “carrying water” items.
Next, we need to consciously consider whether we can carry it and whether it fits any of the roles we’ve identified as important. If we don’t have room for it or it doesn’t fit our roles, then perhaps we shouldn’t do it.
Or, perhaps a potential new task is important to us, but we don’t yet have a role listed for it. In that case, we might want to create a new role to include a new task.
Embarking on a Journey of Enhanced Productivity and Purpose
The Productivity Field Guide by David Sparks offers a practical and down-to-earth approach to productivity that goes beyond work life. As a retiree, I have found value in implementing a roles-based system to bring clarity and purpose to my life.
The release of the Field Guide has inspired me to review and rebuild my system. I’m grateful for the step-by-step approach and resources provided by Sparks.
Starting with a “carrying water” list of tasks has helped me identify my roles and prioritize what is truly important. I look forward to continuing this journey and discovering how this system can enhance both my work and personal life.
Next week, we’ll discuss “identifying your roles and writing your arete statements.” I hope you’ll join me for the blog post and the journey.