What’s Michael Hyatt’s Freedom Compass? How can you determine which to-do tasks are more valuable than others?
In Free to Focus, Michael Hyatt offers a tool called the Freedom Compass. Similar to the famous Eisenhower Priority Matrix, the Freedom Compass helps you evaluate the value of the things you do.
Keep reading to learn how the Freedom Compass can change your life.
A Fundamental Tool: the Productivity Matrix
We’ll be discussing the Freedom Compass and how you can create one to increase your productivity. This tool’s purpose (gaining productivity) shares similarities to the famous Eisenhower Priority Matrix. The Eisenhower Priority Matrix is a two-by-two grid where you sort your tasks into zones according to two criteria (importance and urgency) and follow specific guidelines for handling the tasks in each zone. Hyatt’s “Freedom Compass” uses different criteria and different guidelines, but the overall concept is the same: Organize the things you need to do into four categories, then handle each category appropriately.
Creating Your Productivity Matrix
Hyatt’s Productivity Matrix helps you evaluate tasks based on two criteria: interest and skill. Interest means that a task invigorates you—thinking about it gets you excited, and working on it makes you feel energized rather than drained. Skill represents your ability to get results: A task you’re skilled at is one that you can do correctly and efficiently.
Your Productivity Matrix should end up looking something like this:
| “When it comes to this task, I am…” | Not interested | Interested |
| Not skilled | Grind Zone | Inefficiency Zone |
| Skilled | Tedium Zone | Productivity Zone |
Note that there are four distinct zones your activities can fall into:
1. The Grind Zone contains tasks you neither enjoy nor excel at. These are things that simply drain your energy and waste your time.
2. The Tedium Zone is for activities that you’re skilled at but lack enthusiasm for. These are the tasks that you tend to get stuck with just because you’re good at them.
3. The Inefficiency Zone encompasses tasks you love doing but aren’t particularly good at. This zone can be dangerous because your passion might blind you to your lack of skill, leading you to waste a lot of time that you could have spent more productively. However, note that tasks in this zone can move into your Productivity Zone if you become more skilled at them. This potential to improve means it’s not necessarily bad to work on Inefficiency Zone tasks, just be mindful of why you’re doing those tasks and how long you’re spending on them.
4. The Productivity Zone is for tasks that you’re both interested in and skilled at doing. This is where you can accomplish the most work in the least time. Also, note that personal activities (like spending time with loved ones, and taking time for rest and recreation) are just as important as work, making them good candidates for this zone.
Using Your Productivity Matrix
Hyatt says you should try to spend as much time as possible doing tasks in your Productivity Zone, while minimizing the time you spend in the other zones. This process begins with an honest self-evaluation: Think about how you currently spend your time and energy, and identify which of your activities fall into each zone of the Productivity Matrix.
For example, does your job fall into your Productivity Zone (meaning that it holds your interest and you’re skilled at it), or into your Tedium Zone (meaning you’re good at what you do, but not really interested in it)? Do the same for any other tasks that take up a significant amount of your time, such as activities you regularly do with clubs or other social groups, hobbies you practice, and volunteer work or side jobs you have.
The author also says that activities outside of your Productivity Zone are things you should consider removing from your life if possible. The next section goes into detail about removing such activities.
(Shortform note: It won’t always be possible to avoid the tasks in your Tedium Zone, but by finding ways to make those tasks more interesting, you may be able to move them into your Productivity Zone. Research suggests that one way to become more engaged with any activity—such as work, or other unavoidable tasks like chores—is to set challenging-yet-attainable goals for yourself. For example, if cleaning your house is in your Tedium Zone, you might challenge yourself to have one room completely cleaned by the end of the day. That challenge gives you a concrete goal—thereby motivating you to work toward that goal—and a clear endpoint so you can enjoy the satisfaction of finishing an important task.)
