In a world where we’re constantly told to “do more with less,” it’s no wonder stress, burnout, and overwhelm have become standard features of modern work life. But what if the key to greater productivity wasn’t about doing more but doing what matters most?
That question is at the heart of Rob Shallenberger’s new, second edition of Do What Matters Most: Lead a Life by Design, Not by Default. I sat down with Rob on the Transform Your Workplace podcast to unpack the habits that can increase productivity by 30–50%, while actually decreasing stress. That’s not hyperbole—it’s a life strategy that’s backed by global training experience and thousands of success stories.
Rob explained that a person who does pre-week planning in the context of their vision and goals, as outlined in the book, will accomplish between 800 to 1,000 additional priorities each year—and do so with measurably less stress. He acknowledged that these aren’t just numbers; they represent real-life priorities like date nights, overdue health checkups, or one-on-ones with team members. In other words, these are the kinds of things that create lasting fulfillment, not just task completion.
The Power of Pre-Week Planning
Rob’s system is built on three core habits: crafting a written personal vision, setting meaningful goals, and doing pre-week planning. It’s that last one—pre-week planning—that Rob considers the foundation of it all.
He shared that most people don’t realize how much time is available to them until they actually start planning with intention. “I hear all the time people say, ‘I found so much time in my schedule I didn’t even know I had.’” And it’s not just about time. It’s about focus. Once people begin pre-week planning, they start noticing how often they’ve been focusing on the wrong things until they shift to the right ones.
Why Personal Vision Matters
Despite the popularity of vision boards and motivational quotes, Rob says only 2% of people have a written personal vision. That’s a huge missed opportunity.
He invites people to identify the five to seven roles that matter most in their lives and create a written vision for each one. “Your personal vision doesn’t have to change the world,” Rob told me. “It just has to change your world.” Whether that’s your role as a parent, spouse, leader, or friend, your personal vision gives both direction to your goals and purpose to your calendar.
Stretching the Rubber Band
One of the most memorable analogies Rob shared was comparing personal growth to a rubber band. “If it just sits in a drawer, it gets stale and loses its flexibility. But when stretched, that’s where growth happens.”
He gave a personal example of this stretch: running a half-trail marathon in Moab, Utah, at age 50, alongside his 23-year-old son. For him, it’s not about competition—it’s about becoming the better version of himself. And that’s exactly how he defines growth: making incremental improvements in all areas of life.
As a former fighter pilot, Rob explained that complacency and comfort were dangerous in the cockpit, and they’re just as dangerous in everyday life. “One of the greatest hindrances to our growth is comfort and complacency,” he said. “We stop checking the right things, and we stop growing.”
Relationships as the #1 Predictor of Longevity
One of the more surprising insights Rob shared was that the number one predictor of longevity isn’t diet or exercise—it’s relationships. Backed by a decades-long Harvard study, this finding highlights why intentional time management matters so much.
He pointed out that COVID-19 was so damaging not just because of the virus, but because it forced separation—something deeply unnatural for humans. Rob emphasized that while many of us know what’s important (eating well, exercising, staying connected), the real issue is prioritizing those things. And most people—68%, according to his research—say that managing their time is their biggest challenge. Another 80% don’t have a system to do it, relying instead on sticky notes or to-do lists.
Helping Employees Navigate Personal Struggles
We also discussed what leaders can do when someone on their team is going through a personal struggle. Rob shared a compelling stat: employees dealing with a major personal issue are 40% less productive at work. His advice? “Teach this person how to do pre-week planning as outlined in the two chapters of the book. That single habit alone will transform someone’s life.”
He recounted stories of dramatic, life-changing shifts from this practice. One combat controller in the Air Force, for instance, scheduled his first date night with his wife in years—after realizing during training that his marriage was on the verge of collapse. Another executive at Pepsi reconnected with a son he hadn’t spoken to in seven years. That one call, prompted by pre-week planning, not only rekindled a lost relationship but also introduced him to two grandchildren he didn’t even know he had.
Prioritization Through the Matrix
To help people better understand where their time goes, Rob uses a variation of the Eisenhower Matrix—something he calls the Do What Matters Most matrix. The goal, he said, is to live more in quadrant two, the space where things are important but not urgent. “If we’re in any other quadrant besides two, then our lives are probably pretty high stress. We’re probably not very happy. We’re probably losing peace.”
He encourages teams to use this matrix not just for self-reflection, but as a shared language. Saying “I have a quadrant one issue” becomes a way to communicate urgency without confusion—and to recenter on what really matters.
The Vision Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect
When I confessed I didn’t have a personal vision statement myself, Rob reassured me that I’m not alone—and that perfection is not the goal. “Something is better than nothing,” he said. “Even if it’s not perfect. If it gives you direction and it’s meaningful, you’ve got it.”
He encourages writing vision statements using positive, aspirational language like “I will,” “I choose,” or “I strive.” These aren’t goals—they’re declarations of who you want to become. “We wouldn’t say ‘be less depressed.’ That’s what we don’t want,” Rob explained. “Instead, we might say, ‘I strive to be a kind and caring husband who supports my spouse and helps her feel like a 10.’”
Building Momentum as a Team
While the book primarily focuses on individual change, Rob also outlined how teams can integrate these habits. It starts with each person doing their own vision, goals, and pre-week planning. Then, through a weekly alignment meeting, teams come together to stay synced on what matters most.
Rob was clear that this isn’t about creating vision statements as a group, but rather fostering a culture of intentionality—what he called a “culture by design.” When teams consistently align their actions with their priorities, productivity and morale go up together.
The Pilot Analogy
As a fighter pilot, Rob would never consider taking off in an F-16 without pre-flight planning. The consequences could be catastrophic. He sees pre-week planning in the same light. “How many of us go into our weeks without a plan and expect a different result?”
Most people only plan their work responsibilities, Rob noted. His system encourages people to plan across all their roles. The CEO of Clif Bar, who went through his training, told him she wished she had learned this in her 20s. She—and many others—realized they had been planning too narrowly for too long.
Making the Habit Stick
I asked Rob how people could sustain this momentum, especially after the initial excitement wears off. He laid out three steps: first, use the right tools. His team has created physical planners and digital extensions for Google and Outlook (available here). Second, schedule time each week to plan—ideally between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. And third, create reminders or “touch points” to stay consistent.
He added a final, critical piece: grace. “We’re not machines. If you miss a week, that’s okay. Just don’t let it become the norm.”
Final Thoughts
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or like life is happening to you instead of through you, Rob’s framework offers a way forward. Not through hustle culture or productivity hacks—but through clarity, intention, and heart.
When I asked what next steps he’d recommend, he didn’t hesitate: read or listen to the second edition of Do What Matters Most, make sure you have the right tool, and test it for four weeks. “Create your vision, set your goals, and commit to pre-week planning. Just try it—and see what happens.”
For most people, what happens is a shift—from living by default to leading a life by design.
Brandon Laws is a workplace culture and leadership enthusiast, host of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, and VP of Marketing and Product at Xenium HR.