One Day Maker Transition

Shaan shares how he transitioned from a manager's schedule to a maker's schedule while working as a product manager.

"I was a product manager with meetings, one-on-ones, and stand-ups - you can't just say 'hey guys, I'm gonna create some open space.' But I knew I wanted to move towards this unscheduled life, so I started small.

First, I carved out a single day. I said 'I can have as many meetings and a shitty calendar 4 out of the 5 days a week, but on Thursdays that's my day - Thursdays I keep clear, Thursdays are sacred.'

Then I was able to do Tuesdays and Thursdays. I was so productive on those days that I experimented and realized this was a good method for me. Then I asked: how do I get myself into a role where this could be my default work style?

I worked towards that goal. It wasn't something I could go 100% on immediately, but 9 months from now I could work towards it. I told my boss and team this is how I'm going to organize things - I'll do all my meetings only on Mondays and leave the other 4 days clear to do whatever is the highest impact thing where I can roll up my sleeves and dive in."