Bright Spot Analysis [How to improve your life, fast]

Three questions for you:

Which day of last week have you been the most productive?

Is there something you did that made it so productive?

And is it something you can do every day?

And here is another three questions:

Which customer / colleague / friend do you have the best relationship with?

Is there something you did with them that made the relationship so good?

And is it something you can do with other people too?

This pattern of questions changed my life. It helped me see what worked and do more of it.

I call it Bright Spot Analysis.

Bright Spot Analysis

I first heard of this technique from Dan & Chip Heath in the context of management. Managers would ask questions such as “Which production line is the most productive?”

However, I soon realized that Bright Spot Analysis is even more powerful when I apply it to myself. For example:

When did I feel the most inspired recently? Is there something I did that day that contributed to my inspiration? And is it something I can do more frequently?

Which activity of mine gives me the most energy? Is it something I can bring more often into my days?

Which meeting of mine (with customers, colleagues, friends, or romantic dates) went the best recently? Is there something I did that made it so good? And, if so, is it something I can do more often?

How to do Bright Spot Analysis

Bright Spot Analysis consists of three steps.

The first step is to find the Bright Spot. You ask yourself a question such as “between GROUP, which is the best?” – For example, “Which day last week have I been the most productive? Wednesday.”

The second step is to find out the root cause. You ask yourself, “What made the Bright Spot so bright?” – For example, “What made last Wednesday so productive? I slept early the previous night.”

The third step is to reproduce the root cause, if possible. You ask yourself, “Is it something I can do more often?” – For example, “Can I sleep early more regularly?”

If needed, you keep asking follow-up questions such as “What caused it to happen?” – For example, “What helped me go to sleep early last Tuesday? I didn’t check my phone after having entered the bedroom.”

It’s easier than it sounds. Try it now.

1) Which colleague of yours do you have the best relationship with?

2) What did you do that contributed to making the relationship so good?

3) Is it something you can do with other people too?

Dark Spot Analysis

The sister technique of Bright Spot Analysis is Dark Spot Analysis. It’s very similar, except that you look for the worst instead of looking for the best. For example:

1) Which day last week have you been the least productive?

2) What did you do that day that killed your productivity?

3) Is that something that you can do less?

(And which steps can you take today to ensure you will do it less in the future?)

Learning from others

You can also use Bright and Dark Spot Analyses to learn from others.

For example, “Which of my colleagues is the most effective? Is there something he does that makes them the most effective? And is it something I can do too?”

That said, I suggest using Bright and Dark Spot Analyses to learn from yourself more frequently than to learn from others. This is because you know yourself better than you know others.

Summary

Bright Spot Analysis is an extremely useful tool that you can use in just thirty seconds.

First, identify the Bright Spot. Which day last week have you been the most productive?

Second, find out the root cause. What did you do that day that made it so productive?

Third, attempt to do it more often. That thing you did that made the day so productive, is it something you can do every day?

If you do one Bright Spot Analysis a day, your life will improve fast.

(I first mentioned Bright Spot Analysis in my book on team management.)

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