A Productive Conversation Rob Shallenberger Talks About Pre-Week Planning and Leading a Life by Design
In the latest episode, I sit down with Rob Shallenberger—CEO of Becoming Your Best Global Leadership and one of the world’s foremost authorities on productivity and time management. Rob’s background is as dynamic as it is inspiring: from flying F-16s and serving as an Advance Agent for Air Force One to training Fortune 500 companies and governments alike.
We focus on the updated second edition of his bestselling book Do What Matters Most, diving deep into the transformative power of pre-week planning, the productivity quotient, and why it’s crucial to schedule your priorities rather than just prioritize your schedule. Rob’s mission is clear—help people lead lives by design, not by default.
Six Discussion Points
- How task saturation leads to misprioritization—and how to combat it
- Rob’s four-step pre-week planning system and how it creates peace and balance
- The productivity quotient: why aiming for 70–80% is the sweet spot
- Real-life stories that show how planning changes lives—including generational impact
- How Rob's military background shaped his approach to time and leadership
- The role of AI in planning—why it’s a tool, not a replacement for human intuition
Three Connection Points
- Do What Matters Most – Second Edition (Amazon)
- Rob’s Planner Tools and Resources
- Becoming Your Best Website
This conversation with Rob left me both inspired and affirmed in my belief that quality productivity stems from intentional design. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or stuck in reactive mode, Rob’s framework provides both structure and flexibility. I encourage you to test out his pre-week planning approach—just four weeks can make a meaningful difference.
Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive Potential
If you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.