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3-Box Whiteboard
a weekly rhythm I’d keep even when tired
written by
Naomi Judson
The whiteboard never became a mural. It stayed three boxes. It asked less and gave back more: space to breathe, and work that shipped.
I used to start quarters with twelve goals and end them with thirteen open tabs.
One morning I stood in front of a whiteboard and drew three boxes. No titles yet—just three places where something had to live. I set a timer for ten minutes and asked a simple question: “What actually changes my next 90 days?”
The first box became Pipeline: a weekly rhythm I’d keep even when tired. The second became Delivery: a checklist that would prevent rework and late nights. The third became Owner Energy: habits that kept me kind to the person doing the work.
I wrote one sentence under each.
Pipeline: “Two check-ins + one helpful post, weekly, logged.”
Delivery: “Kickoff script, midway review, offboarding packet—always.”
Owner Energy: “Walk after lunch, phone off till 10, one free evening.”
It looked too small to matter. I left it anyway.
Week two, a lead closed because I followed up when I said I would. Week three, a project finished early because the midway review caught a snag before it grew teeth. Week four, I didn’t cancel a friend dinner to “get caught up,” because I wasn’t behind—I was inside a plan.
The whiteboard never became a mural. It stayed three boxes. It asked less and gave back more: space to breathe, and work that shipped.
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