In true Sharran Srivatsaa form, the second he joined the BAM Board, he dropped insanely smart, tactical, and clear frameworks designed to give all of our businesses a lift.
My business has already been impacted by one simple thing I learned yesterday from his new 6-part Productivity Playbook inside BAMx. (Seriously, if you haven’t joined BAMx yet, what are you even doing?)
It’s called “Start, Stop, Continue,” and it gave me instant clarity.
I did this with three kids in the background, which I only mention because it was that easy. (I still recommend a quiet, focused setting, but I take what I can get.)
I’m using it again this week with my assistant because it’s that clear, that tactical, and that worth repeating.
The Framework (Do This Exactly)
Step 1: Brain Dump
This is not about sorting. This is about clearing space.
Before you even think about building your “Start, Stop, Continue” list, you need a clean mental slate. The Brain Dump is just you, a sheet of paper, and every single task, idea, to-do, distraction, and obligation swirling in your mind.
Write down everything.
No structure, no categories, no going off on tangents, no overthinking. Just offload it all so you can stop reacting and start planning.
Once your mind is clear, then you can focus on what actually matters.
Step 2: Build Your “Start, Stop, Continue” List
Now that your brain isn’t spinning, ask yourself:
“What do I currently do? What do I need to do? What do I need to stop?”
Sort that into three buckets:
- Start: What’s not happening yet but should be? These are new efforts, smart pivots, and needle-moving habits.
- Stop: What’s no longer worth your time? What’s draining your energy or pulling you off course?
- Continue: What’s already working that you want to double down on?
Step 3: Move It Into Action
Here’s how you make the list work:
Continue: Take every item in this column and schedule it. If it’s not on your calendar, it doesn’t exist. I promise, following your calendar leads to a happier life.
Start: These are your growth levers. Add them to your weekly planning meeting with yourself, your assistant, or your team. Then decide how and when to get them into your task list or calendar.
Stop: This is where Sharran says you build your greatness: the Not-To-Do List.
He says this list should be your biggest one, where your wisdom lives. Every time you learn what doesn’t work, write it down. The Not-To-Do List becomes a set of personal rules that protect your time, energy, and focus.
I just started my not-to-do yesterday.
I will say, I have a running list of lessons I’ve learned by listening to my mentors, the stories of their rise, their missteps, and the things they wish they’d done differently if they could start over. I’ve tried to take an unfair advantage of that opportunity. To internalize their hindsight before I even hit those forks in the road. And honestly, I think it’s one of my greatest assets. So when Sharran says, “The Not-To-Do List is what builds your greatness,” I believe it 100%.
Quick Recap
Brain Dump: Get everything out of your head to clear space.
Build Your List: Define what to Start, Stop, and Continue based on what matters most.
Sort Into Action:
Add “Continue” items to your calendar.
Add “Start” items to your planning or task system.
Add “Stop” items to your Not-To-Do List and honor it.
This was just one small thing I pulled from Sharran’s new 6-part Productivity Playbook inside BAMx, and I felt instantly more focused and in control.
There’s so much gold in there, and I am not even through it yet, but the difference is actually doing something with it.
If you’re in BAMx, go watch it. If you’re not… might be time (you can start a free trial here).
This is the stuff that moves the needle.
