The Pyramid Technique

Aims of the tool

Develop time management and organizational skills

Description of the tool

(download the attachment)
Steps:
1) draw a pyramid on the flipchart
2) theory:
Some people don't see the forest from the trees, other people don't see the trees from the forest.

A lot of people have a tendency for zooming out, they dream of big things but don't know how to transform them in actionable steps.

Other people tend to zoom in; the know how to do the small steps but don't look at the big picture.

The Pyramid Technique proposes a solution.

On the 2nd level you write your primary goal. You have other goals of course, but, since they are not primary, you write them outside of the pyramid.
E.g. write a book

On the first level you write the projects you need to do to reach that goal. (a brainstorming session can be added here). You also have other projects that you want to accomplish but if they are not related to your goal you'll need to leave them outside the pyramid.
E.g. take book writing lessons, subscribe to the Nanowrimo contest, find a mentor

At the base of the pyramid you write your first task of each project (or daily tasks). If you have tasks unrelated to the projects in the pyramid you write them outside.
E.g. search for online course in book writing, check http://www.nanowrimo.org, post a request for a mentor on a youth website

Now that you have your plan, all you have to do in order to reach that big goal you're dreaming of is take one of the steps located inside the pyramid each day. As long as you do one of those tasks per day, prioritizing them over the tasks outside the pyramid you'll arrive at your goal. Sometimes it takes longer (if you're only doing one thing per day), and sometimes a lot less time (if you're dedicating a specific time to those tasks).

The Pyramid Technique helps the big dreamers see the next steps and shows the task-oriented people how to upgrade their vision :)