This is fairly unconventional (and no doubt painfully dull to some), but I’ve been experimenting with something referred to as “personal agile” over the last 6 months, and, ngl, it’s been a bit of a game-changer for me.
Balancing work, family, side projects, and personal development is a challenge, and I’ve found that applying some principles from my software development work to my daily life helps me manage it all more effectively.
For a long time, I genuinely struggled with work/life balance—trying to juggle family life, work, side projects, training, and even finding some decent downtime.
I’d burnout, try something new, burnout again.
Most would tell me to take stuff off my plate, but I prefer to see these things more as challenges. So, like many, I explored countless productivity frameworks, trying to find the right fit for something that would enable me to work on multiple projects, stay healthy, and still have time for my family. As Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, wisely said:
The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
It took quite a bit of figuring out, but I’ve found this works for me. It might not work for you, and that’s okay—keep exploring! You’ve got to dig deep and experiment to find what truly works for you.
I eventually realized that it’s not just about managing tasks and projects; it’s about managing focus and energy. This led me to develop (kind of) my own system (if you Google “personal agile,” you’ll see others attempting this), inspired by the agile methodologies I use at work.
How It Works:
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Planning: Every week, usually on Sunday, I’ll sit down for an hour and plan the next week’s work—what I want to get done. A decent calendar app works here; I just use the built-in macOS/iOS calendar. I time block my contexts, so I’ll have, say, a “work” context usually stretching from 9-6, and a “family” block from 8-10, and so on. This changes depending on what I’ve got on.
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Chunking by Complexity: Instead of organizing my tasks strictly by time, I break them down by complexity using a Fibonacci sequence (yes, just like in agile). Each day, I aim for about 13 points max, which usually breaks down to around 6-7 hours of solid work. It’s not rigid, but it gives me a clear, manageable target. Each task is also given a priority of “A,” “B,” “C,” “Delegate,” or I just delete it if needed.
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1 Point = ~30 Minutes: I treat each point much like a half-hour slot. This helps me stay focused and ensures that I’m making steady progress. On days when I’m “on it,” this approach helps me knock out tasks efficiently without burning out.
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Consistency is Key: Whether it’s coding, learning, spending time with family, or squeezing in a workout, the key is consistency. It’s not about having huge breakthroughs every day; it’s about the compound effect of steady, incremental progress. As James Clear points out in Atomic Habits:
You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
Personal agile is my system.
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Flexibility: This system also aligns well with the Pomodoro technique if that’s your thing, but it’s flexible enough to adapt to whatever works best for you. Some days are more intense, and some are lighter—what matters is that you’re consistently moving forward.
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Review: At the end of the week, I’ll have a look through my logged tasks and total the points. This lets me see what my “velocity” is. Tbf, at this point, I’m fairly good with the planning aspect, but this review process helps me stay on track and make adjustments where needed.
This approach has allowed me to deliver consistent value at work while also keeping my focus sharp for the other important areas of my life. As I mentioned earlier: Looking back on it now, and seeing my own system being a unique combination of GTD, agile, 12WY, and a few other things, I realize that it’s not about finding the perfect system—it’s about finding what works for you. Remember:
Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.” - Bruce Lee
It’s taken some practice, but it’s what keeps me balanced and productive. Give it a try and see if it works for you!