The Minimum Will System That Creates Everyday Results

13x4 x One Thing At A Time

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13x4
13x4 x One Thing At A Time
Copyright 2012 Tom Cassidy & Angela Lob
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the authors.

13x4 Personal Version

Do you ever ask yourself, I KNOW I need to get more done, but HOW? Youre not alone. Only about 3% of
the people on the planet have the self-discipline of an Olympic athlete.
In essence, there are only 2 ways to be more effective:
1. Increase your willpower and just do it anyway.
2. Use a System that gets it done with minimum willpower.
The 13x4 is a simple system that gets it done with minimum willpower because it encourages you to focus on
one thing at a time. It's based on actual science and was proven to work over 240 years ago by Benjamin
Franklin.
Use this guide to help you create your own customized 134 Wheel... your own personalized system of
personal effectiveness.

How To Use This Guide

Think about what youd like to focus on over the coming year. In what areas would you like to raise
your effectiveness?
Use F.A.S.T to crystallize your focus areas and identify the tool youll use to adhere to each.
Note that the examples are provided in order to illustrate and instruct. They are not meant for you to
duplicate unless you completely resonate with the particular focus areas being used.
Follow the 3 steps in How To Create Your 13x4 Wheel and cast your own customized wheel using the
blank wheel on the last page of this guide.

Hold Fast Using The F.A.S.T Method

F.A.S.T. stands for

Your choice of
F-ocus
that betrays your
A-ttitude
illustrated by your chosen
S-tory
handled moment to moment by the appropriate
T-ool

Example:
F-ocus: Self-Active
A-ttitude: What is my approach to this focus area what do I want it to be?
I think of Stephen Covey's "be proactive" habit, which is the opposite of being in a victim mentality. I want
to go from "everything happens to me" to "I proactively choose what happens in my life."
S-tory: What is a story that illustrates the power of having this focus in my life?
I was going through a difficult time in my life. My marriage was ending, and I wasn't allowed to see my
children. I was pretty miserable for quite a long time a couple of years. Actually, I was seeing myself as
a victim. I was thinking this was my story, and I was telling this story to everyone else. It defined me for a
while, but I didnt want to feel miserable. And it was only when I had the realization that it was up to me,
that I could be self-active and take control... it was only after I moved on that I had some magical things
happen. I started doing great stuff and met an amazing woman who I ended up marrying...
T-ool: What is a tool I can use to maintain this focus area?
I can use The Sausage Machine, which means I will essentially ask myself, "What am I putting in? Am I
casting myself as 'the victim'?"
2

Example #1
3

Example #2
4

How To Create Your 13x4 Wheel

1. Divide your wheel into 2, 3 or 4 major domain areas, labeling each domain.
In the first example shown on page 2, the four major domains are Mind, Body, Soul and People. You might
choose other major domains, such as:
Emotional, Intellectual, Spiritual and Physical
Social Life, Personal Life and Professional Life
Reflection and Action

2. Choose one central focus area that relates to the other 12 items yet also stands alone as a
focus area for one week at a time. This will be your gateway focus. You will place it in the
center of the wheel.
In the first example on page 2, Awareness is the focus point. In the second example on page 3, Planning
is the focus point.
What is your central focus area?

______________________________

3. Choose the other focus areas youd like to concentrate on for one week at a time within
each domain.
If youve chosen four major domain areas, chose three focus areas that correspond to each of the four major
domains youve chosen. If youve chosen three domains, then write in four focus areas that correspond to
each of the three. If youve chosen two major domains, then write in six focus areas that correspond to each
of the two. Use the listing tool below to draft how you might like to organize your wheel.
Domain #1:

Domain #2:

Domain #3:

Domain #4:

Focus areas:

Focus areas:

Focus areas:

Focus areas:

1. ______________________

1. ______________________

1. ______________________

1. ______________________

2. ______________________

2. ______________________

2. ______________________

2. ______________________

3. ______________________

3. ______________________

3. ______________________

3. ______________________

4. ______________________

4. ______________________

4. ______________________

4. ______________________

5. ______________________

5. ______________________

5. ______________________

5. ______________________

6. ______________________

6. ______________________

6. ______________________

6. ______________________

Created by: __________________________________________

Date: ______________________