Chapter 3 — Productivity Superpowers: Capture → Clarify → Organize

Why a System Beats Willpower

Willpower is a shaky fuel. Systems win because they reduce decisions. The Capture → Clarify → Organize (CCO) loop turns mental clutter into scheduled actions. You’ll stop carrying 47 open loops in your head and start trusting a repeatable process that takes minutes, not hours.

The CCO Loop (Overview)

• Capture: dump ideas, tasks, and worries out of your head into one place (voice, text, or photo). • Clarify: ask AI to extract tasks, deadlines, contacts, and decisions from the raw material. • Organize: put the results where they live — your calendar (time), your task list (commitments), your notes (reference).

Capture — Your Three Inboxes

1) Voice: the fastest way to think in motion. Use Otter.ai or your phone’s recorder. 2) Text: type in Notes/Keep/Notion on the go; don’t format, just dump. 3) Photo: snap the whiteboard/fridge list; send to AI for transcription and extraction.

Transcription Workflows (Free-First)

• Otter.ai (iOS/Android/Web): record, auto-transcribe, then share transcript to your AI assistant. • iOS Voice Memos → Share → your AI app: ask to 'extract tasks with due dates from this transcript.' • Android Recorder/Google Recorder: transcribe in-app; share to AI for extraction. • Desktop: drag audio into Otter Web or upload to your preferred transcriber.

Clarify — Teach AI Your Structure

Raw notes are messy; structure unlocks action. Tell AI exactly what you want extracted: • Tasks — action verb, owner (you), due date, estimate, tags. • Decisions — the question, status, next step. • References — links, files, people mentioned. Ask for a TABLE so you can paste it into Notion/Sheets. Add the rule: 'Do NOT invent dates; ask if missing.'

Organize — Where Things Live

• Time (Calendar): blocks that must happen at a time. Use Google Calendar/Apple Calendar. • Tasks (List): commitments you can do anytime that week. Free-first: Apple Reminders, Google Tasks, Microsoft To Do. Advanced: Notion, Todoist. • Reference (Notes): ideas, docs, links. Notion/Google Docs/Apple Notes are all fine. Keep it simple.

Your Weekly Review (30-Min Ritual)

1) Empty capture: voice dump (2 min), screenshot/notes dump (3 min). 2) Clarify with AI: extract tasks/decisions into a table (8 min). 3) Organize: schedule 3 focus blocks; load 5–10 tasks into the week (12 min). 4) Close the loop: pick 2 rewards. Momentum needs treats (5 min).

Templates — Notion & Calendar

Notion — 'Task Intake' (properties): Task (title), Status (Not Started/Next/Waiting/Done), Due Date, Estimate (min), Tag, Source, Notes. Notion — 'Weekly Plan' (page): Top 3 Outcomes, Focus Blocks (Mon/Wed/Fri), Tasks table (view: Next), Rewards. Calendar — 'Focus Block' template: Title 'Deep Work — [Outcome]', 90 minutes, notifications off, phone in another room.

Tooling (Free-First + Paid Options)

• Notion (free): great for a unified notes + tasks workspace; Notion AI for summaries. • Otter.ai (free tier): accurate transcripts; shareable links. • Apple Reminders / Google Tasks (free): simple, everywhere. • Microsoft To Do (free): solid on Windows ecosystem. • Grammarly (free): tone, clarity, and typo catches for emails.

Automation Quick Wins (Optional)

• iOS Shortcuts: one tap to record a 60s voice memo → share to Otter. • Android Routines: home screen widget to start a recorder and open your 'Weekly Plan' page. • Email triage: forward long emails to AI with 'Summarize + next steps'.

Starter Prompt Pack — Clarify

1) 'Extract tasks, due dates, and estimates from this transcript. Output as a 5-column table: Task | Due | Estimate | Tag | Notes. Do NOT invent dates.' 2) 'Turn these notes into a weekly plan with 3 focus blocks and a simple task list for Mon–Fri. Keep it realistic.' 3) 'Rewrite this email to be clear, kind, and concise. Keep under 130 words and add a short bulleted summary at the top.'

Starter Prompt Pack — Organize

1) 'I have 9 tasks and 5 hours. Propose a schedule with 3 focus blocks and a light day. Include buffer time.' 2) 'Prioritize these tasks using MoSCoW (Must/Should/Could/Won’t) and explain in one line each.' 3) 'Suggest 2 rewards that fit my week: one small (15 min), one larger (90 min weekend). Keep them free or cheap.'

Do-Along — 15 Minutes

• Minute 0–3: voice-dump everything on your mind. • Minute 3–8: transcribe and ask for a task table (use the Clarify prompt). • Minute 8–12: drag 5 tasks into your list; schedule 2 focus blocks. • Minute 12–15: pick 2 rewards. Close the doc. Done.

Troubleshooting

• Overload? Cap to 5 tasks/day. Add a 'Later' list. • Over-scheduling? Default to 90-min blocks; never stack more than 3 in a day. • Messy transcripts? Ask AI to 'clean for readability without changing content.' • Calendar chaos? Use one calendar for personal; color-code focus vs. meetings.

Privacy & Safety

Don’t paste sensitive IDs, medical details, or private legal matters. If needed, summarize instead of sharing raw data. For work data, follow your employer’s policies. When in doubt, redact names and specifics before sending to AI.

Diamond Tips

• Protect your mornings for hard thinking; protect your nights for reflection. • Make it visible: pin your 'Weekly Plan' to the top of your notes. • Momentum math: one 90-min block = three 30-min blocks of distracted effort.

End-of-Chapter Checklist

□ I recorded one voice dump. □ I extracted a task table with AI. □ I scheduled 2–3 focus blocks. □ I picked 2 rewards. □ I captured one lesson in 'Wins & Lessons'.

Audiobook Cues

[VOICE: calm] Organization is a kindness for your future self. [PAUSE] Open your calendar. Book one 90-minute block this week. Name it 'Deep Work — [Outcome]'. [SMILE] Done beats perfect.