Friction Sweep

Introduction

Welcome back to the weekly newsletter.

Execution doesn’t die from big problems. It dies slowly from tiny ones. A slow login. A missing file. Ten tabs where you get lost. A tool you hate. A process that needs three approvals. None of it feels dramatic until your day is gone and you feel you didn’t achieve much today. This week is about a simple reset: a Friction Sweep. You list the small drags that slow you down, then remove one each day.

A Friction Sweep is a tactical planning habit. It’s not “work harder.” It’s “make work easier.” You identify five small frictions that keep stealing minutes and focus, and you clear them fast. The goal is simple: less drag, more output, lower stress.

Weekly highlight: List the five tiny frictions slowing execution and remove one daily.

Most people think they need more discipline but that’s not the only way to improve the execution. Often it’s less resistance. When tasks feel heavy, it’s often because the path is messy: you can’t find the doc, the template is outdated, the tool is slow, the approval loop is unclear. Your brain then delays it because it’s annoying. Remove friction and action becomes automatic.

What counts as “friction”

Friction is anything that makes a simple task take longer than it should. Common examples:

• Files: you can’t find the latest version, naming is chaos, links are buried
• Logins: too many tools, passwords, MFA chaos, switching accounts
• Approvals: unclear owner, slow sign-off, endless “just one more review”
• Setups: meetings with no agenda, recurring tasks with no template
• Tools: slow laptop, too many notifications, messy desktop, broken automations

These things are small. That’s why they’re dangerous. They hide.

Step 1: Create your “Top 5 Frictions” list

Take 10 minutes. Write five items that steal your time weekly. Not theoretical. Real. If you can’t name five, review your last week and ask: “Where did I get stuck for no good reason?”

Good friction list items sound like:

• “I waste 5 minutes every morning finding the right file.”
• “I keep retyping the same emails.”
• “I don’t know who approves X.”
• “My calendar is full of meetings with no purpose.”
• “I lose time switching tools.”

Step 2: Classify each friction (so you fix it properly)

For each friction, tag it:

• Search friction (finding things)
• Switch friction (moving between tools/tasks)
• Permission friction (waiting, unclear ownership)
• Noise friction (interruptions)
• Setup friction (starting is hard)

This matters because different friction needs different fixes.

Step 3: Remove one friction per day

Your daily removal should take 5–20 minutes. Examples:

• Create one “Home Base” folder with shortcuts to your top docs.
• Rename 10 files with a simple standard (Date + Project + Version).
• Create one template for a recurring task (weekly update, meeting agenda).
• Cancel one recurring meeting or ask for an agenda rule.
• Move MFA + passwords into one manager so logins stop draining you.
• Turn off one category of notifications during core work blocks.
• Clarify one approval chain: “Who owns the final yes?” and write it down.

The key: remove friction in the order it hits you most often.

Step 4: Lock the fix so it stays fixed

A friction fix that doesn’t stick is a waste. After each fix, add one small “lock”:

• pin the folder
• save the template
• write the owner name
• add a calendar rule
• set a default workspace

This turns a one-time clean-up into a permanent speed-up.

What changes in a week

After 5–7 days, you’ll feel it:

• faster starts
• fewer delays
• less task switching
• cleaner handoffs
• lower mental load

You won’t “feel motivated.” You’ll just move faster because the path is clear.

Application

• List your Top 5 Frictions today.

• Pick the one that hits you daily. Remove it in 15 minutes.

• Repeat once per day for a week.

• After 7 days, keep the best three fixes and make them your new standard.

Summary

If execution feels hard, don’t push harder first, remove friction first. Clear one small drag each day and your week becomes lighter, faster, and more controlled. This is tactical planning that actually works.

Till Next Time,

Maciej

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