Working the Crucible: Vision → Weekly Practice → Monthly Review

Use these worksheets as the fixed six-stage Crucible progression, not as a one-time planning exercise or a scorecard. In the first pass, establish Vision and make the first Weekly Domain Plan. Then repeat the weekly stages—plan, notice evidence, review roles, and recalibrate—using what happened to shape a more workable next strike. Every fourth weekly cycle, complete Monthly Domain Review in addition to the regular weekly worksheets. “Domain” means an area of life you choose to focus on; “role” means how you participate there; an “Edge” is a quality of character you bring to that role. Edges are a lens for reflection, not domains to add or scores to optimize.

Use only as many spaces as are useful. The worksheets allow you to leave unused rows blank; the Weekly Domain Blotter is optional; you can revise a plan as conditions change. Describe evidence about the plan and circumstances, never a verdict on your worth.

Visionary Domains

Start with Visionary Domains. This is the compass for the cycle: it helps you decide where to direct attention and why before you choose a weekly strike.

Flexible examples: Use the examples—health/capacity, work/contribution, finances, relationships/community, family, meaning/values/growth, recreation/creativity, and home/daily life—as prompts, not a prescribed taxonomy. Rename, combine, replace, or ignore them. Select up to three active focuses for this season; other areas can be maintained or deferred without being dismissed as unimportant.
Each “Focus Domain” entry: Write the chosen domain on the first line. In “My longer-term vision here,” describe the direction you want this part of life to move toward, in your own terms; this is a compass, not a deadline or a promise to control every outcome. In “Role I want to embody,” name how you want to participate (for example, the kind of parent, friend, learner, steward, or craftsperson you aim to be). In “Visible proof or next action,” note what you could observe in real life that would show movement toward that vision, or a first action that could create such evidence. In “Edges I need / balance,” choose qualities that may help you enact the role, qualities that need support, or a strength that may need moderation. There is no correct Edge for a domain.
The nine Edges: Direction, Craft, Alignment, Stewardship, Adaptation, Service, Legacy, Integration, and Expression are reference qualities. Use the questions beneath their names to notice what the situation calls for. You do not need to fill an answer for every Edge, choose one “winner,” or rate yourself. The “Needed / balanced / overused / developing” space is for a short pattern or quality you want to keep in view across the focus areas; leave it blank if no useful pattern emerges.
“Which visions reinforce one another?” Record connections where progress in one area also supports another. “Tension / trade-off (including what must not be neglected)” is for competing demands, costs, or a maintenance need you do not want the active focus to erase. In “What action honors more than one vision or manages the tension?” identify a practical way to hold the connection or reduce the trade-off; it need not solve the tension permanently.
“My next action” is one meaningful, visible move that can begin the cycle—not a complete plan for every domain. “Review point / cycle” names when or after what kind of cycle you will return to the vision and look at evidence. Choose a timing that fits your season; do not turn it into a universal target.

Weekly Domain Plan

Use Weekly Domain Plan to translate the compass into work this week. The “strike” is the concrete action you intend to take; it should be small enough to attempt in your actual circumstances and connected to a reason that matters.

“Week of” identifies the week covered, so the plan can be compared with the later evidence. Use the same week when transferring planned strikes to the optional blotter and when completing the weekly review.
Each of the three “Focus Strikes” rows: Leave unused rows blank. In “Domain,” name one active area from Visionary Domains. In “Role / Vision Link,” connect what you will do to the role you want to embody and the longer-term direction; a few words are enough if the connection is clear. In “Relevant Edge,” choose the quality you want to bring to this particular action, rather than trying to activate all nine at once. In “One Concrete Action,” write an observable verb-and-outcome commitment, not a broad aspiration. In “Time / Container,” give the action a realistic place in the week—such as a time, duration, appointment, or repeatable event—so it has a chance to happen. In “Effort,” mark Establish if this is new ground you are trying to create, or Maintain if you are sustaining something already in motion. This describes the work, not your value or discipline.
“Capacity I can realistically give these strikes” is a reality check: note the time, energy, attention, or other limit you can actually offer after existing responsibilities. Use it to right-size the strikes rather than to criticize yourself.
“Restoration / recovery I will protect” makes replenishment part of the operating plan. Name the rest, recovery, or boundary that helps keep the work sustainable; do not treat recovery as a reward you must earn.
“Bounded relationship / community action” is for one appropriately limited act of connection or contribution if it matters this week. Name a concrete action and keep its size compatible with your capacity; leave it blank if it is not relevant.
“What is this plan in service to?” reconnects the week’s tasks to the vision, role, people, or value they are meant to serve. Use this question to distinguish a meaningful strike from activity that is merely busy.
“One boundary, refusal, or defer decision” records what you will protect, decline, or postpone so the chosen strikes can fit. Make the decision actionable—what will you not add, or what will wait?—rather than turning the line into a judgment about other people.
Week-end evidence and learning: In “What evidence did I notice?” capture what actually happened, including partial progress or unexpected support. In “What did I learn about effort or capacity?” note what the week taught you about the size, timing, or conditions of the work. In “What will I adjust next cycle?” record a possible change to test; the deeper friction analysis belongs on Weekly Recalibration. These are learning prompts, not a completion score.

Weekly Domain Blotter

The Weekly Domain Blotter is an optional, low-friction evidence log between planning and review. It is not a habit scorecard and does not replace the other worksheets.

“Week of” should match the corresponding Weekly Domain Plan.
“Planned Domain / Role Strike” rows: Copy the strike in words from Weekly Domain Plan so you can tell which commitment each row tracks. Include enough of the domain/role/action to recognize it; do not substitute generic categories or assume the rows correspond to fixed kinds of life activity. Use up to three rows and leave the rest blank.
Monday through Sunday cells: For each day, write D when the planned action happened, P when some meaningful part happened, or N when it did not happen. A cell may remain blank when you did not track it or the strike was not expected that day. Use words or another clear mark if that is easier. Do not add points, totals, streaks, or a “winning” target: the marks are clues about what happened to the plan in real conditions, not a grade.
“What do the marks show about the strikes?” Use the two lines to add context the marks cannot carry by themselves: what helped, what changed, what was postponed, or what the pattern suggests about the plan. Note events, not just completion.
“What moment is useful to revisit?” Choose one specific moment that raises a useful question—perhaps a missed or partial strike, an unexpected interruption, or a moment when the action went well for an unexpected reason. Briefly record what happened, without deciding yet that it proves a personal flaw. Bring that moment to Weekly Role Review and Weekly Recalibration.
Handoff: Bring the daily marks and evidence into the planned-action recap on Weekly Role Review. Bring the selected friction moment into Weekly Recalibration. After choosing a bounded adjustment there, carry it into a fresh Weekly Domain Plan. Use this blotter only if it helps you notice the week; blank cells and an unused blotter are acceptable.

Weekly Role Review

At week’s end, use Weekly Role Review to examine how you participated in up to three roles. If you used Weekly Domain Blotter, bring its marks as evidence; they are one source, not the whole story.

“Week of” identifies the period being reviewed and should agree with the plan and any blotter.
Each “Domain + Role” panel: In “Domain,” name the area of life; in “Role,” name the way you participated there. In “Observable evidence: what I did / said,” record concrete behavior, words, or a specific event rather than an identity label such as “I was bad at this.” In “Planned action happened?” select Yes, Partly, Not yet, or N/A based on what occurred; N/A is useful when the action no longer applied, not a failure state. In “Edge(s) that helped,” identify a quality that was available in your behavior and how it helped the role. In “Lacking / needed or overused,” note a quality that was difficult to access, a support the role needed, or a strength used so intensely that it became costly. You may answer only what is useful; do not force an Edge explanation.
Nine Edges reference: Use the names as vocabulary when they help you describe behavior. The reference is not a requirement to assign an Edge to every role or score all nine.
“What Edge or behavior showed up more than once?” Look across the role panels for a recurring response, choice, or condition. Describe the pattern neutrally; one event may not establish a pattern. “What would you like to keep, balance, or repair?” chooses what to do with that observation: preserve what served you, moderate an overused strength, seek support, or make a repair.
“One Next-Week Role / Edge Practice”: In “In domain / role,” choose the context where you want to practice. In “I will practice this Edge by doing,” describe an observable action that expresses the quality in that role. Prefer a small behavior you can recognize over a vague intention to “be more” of something. If the review points to a structural problem, take that friction to Weekly Recalibration before finalizing next week’s plan.

Weekly Recalibration

Use Weekly Recalibration when one friction event deserves closer attention. This is a controlled adjustment to the next week, not a redesign of your whole life. Keep the vision as the direction; change one workable part of the conditions or strike.

“Week / Date” identifies when the event occurred or the plan period being recalibrated. “Domain” names the life area affected.
One Friction Event: In “Role,” name the role involved. In “What happened? (facts),” describe one specific event in observable terms—what was scheduled, what occurred, and what changed. Keep interpretation and blame out of the facts line; select the moment from your Weekly Role Review if you completed one.
Intended / Actual: In “Intended action,” copy or summarize what you had planned to do. In “What I actually did,” record what happened, including a partial action, an alternative response, or a decision not to proceed. The contrast is for learning about fit and conditions, not for prosecuting yourself.
Inner Response: In “Feeling / body response,” note what you noticed internally at the time. In “Protective story or need,” name what you feared, assumed, or needed protection/support for. Treat that story as information to examine—not as proven fact or a character defect.
Edge Reflection: In “Edge that helped,” name a quality that supported your response, if any. In “Felt lacking / overused,” identify what was hard to access or where a strength became too much. Use the printed Edge names as prompts; leave this open if no Edge interpretation fits.
Cost / Impact: Use “Time / capacity,” “Progress / quality,” and “Wellbeing / connection” to note concrete effects of the event on the work and people involved. Use “Other impact” for an important effect not captured by those prompts. Keep observations proportionate; the worksheet is not asking you to quantify every consequence.
Structural Cause: Check any conditions that contributed: Unclear strike / next action, No scheduled container, Overcommitment, Capacity / recovery, Boundary not clear, Support missing, Edge misapplied / unbalanced, or Other. More than one may apply. Use the line to specify “Other” or explain the condition. Look for something about the setup, load, timing, support, or boundary that can be changed—not only a personal trait to fix.
Bounded Next-Week Adjustment: In “Domain action / role,” write the revised action or role focus. In “Edge cue / practice,” name the quality or reminder that could support it. In “Time container,” give the revised action a realistic place in the week. Change only what the evidence suggests; keep the parts of the vision and plan that still fit.
Protect the Adjustment: In “Boundary / what I will defer,” record a limit or commitment that will wait if needed. In “Support / recovery needed,” identify a person, resource, or recovery condition that would make the change workable. In “When will I do it?” choose a realistic time or trigger.
Evidence and review: “Evidence / track point” says what you will notice to judge whether the adjustment helped. “Review date / moment” states when you will check. In “What will I notice to learn whether this adjustment helped?” make the signal concrete enough to observe, while allowing that the answer may be mixed. Carry the bounded adjustment into a fresh Weekly Domain Plan; the next cycle tests the adjustment rather than resetting your worth or vision.

Monthly Domain Review

With every fourth weekly cycle, use Monthly Domain Review to step back from the heat of a single week. Complete it in addition to that cycle’s Weekly Domain Plan, evidence gathering, Weekly Role Review, and Weekly Recalibration. Draw on Visionary Domains, the Weekly Domain Blotter when used, your calendar, and your own notes. This is a checkpoint, not a replacement for weekly work, a mandatory restart, or a demand to rewrite a vision that still matters.

“Month” names the month you are reviewing. “Weeks … through …” bounds the weekly cycles or dates you considered; choose the span that matches your evidence rather than forcing a fixed number of weeks.
Aim & Domain Evidence: In “Domain(s) in focus,” name the areas whose direction you are reviewing. In “What time/actions aligned?” compare the intended focus with calendar entries and actual actions. In “Gap or meaningful progress,” record a notable difference, movement, or change in conditions. Treat calendar time as evidence, not a complete measure of meaning or care.
Capacity & Restoration: “Capacity / rest that helped” captures conditions that made meaningful action possible. “Relief, recovery, or support needed” names what would reduce overload or replenish capacity. In “Adjustment,” state a practical shift to workload, rest, support, or rhythm; do not infer that difficulty means you lacked character.
Role & Edge Patterns: In “Responsibility / role evidence,” summarize how you showed up in roles over multiple weeks, using specific examples rather than a global judgment. In “Edges helped / felt lacking,” note qualities that repeatedly supported the work or were difficult to access. In “Overused strength / pattern,” name a strength or behavior that became costly when over-relied upon. Look for recurrence, but do not invent a pattern from one isolated event or turn this into a rating.
Agency & Friction: “Where did I have agency?” identifies choices, actions, or boundaries that were available to you, including small ones. “Pressure / recurring friction” records repeating demands or obstacles. “Structural cause or support” names conditions, resources, or changes that explain or could ease the friction. Hold responsibility and constraints together without blaming yourself or others for conditions outside their control.
Next-Month Choice: Choose up to three domain/role priorities. For each “Priority … domain / role,” state the focus in a way that connects to the longer-term direction. Beside it, mark Carry, Change, or Defer: carry what remains meaningful, change what the evidence or season calls for, or defer without declaring it unimportant. Leave unused priority rows blank. In “Outcome / milestone,” describe a meaningful result or sign of progress for the month; in “Support rhythm / boundary,” name a repeatable support, schedule, recovery rhythm, or limit that protects the work; in “Visible action,” name the first concrete action someone could observe. These are choices, not universal quotas.
Edge reference: The printed nine Edges—Direction, Craft, Alignment, Stewardship, Adaptation, Service, Legacy, Integration, and Expression—are a reminder of qualities you may notice, not a list to optimize. “Which repeated pattern matters to your chosen priorities?” connects a useful month-long observation to the plan. Keep other domains in maintenance or deferred rather than treating them as forgotten.
Action Steps Summary: “Monthly review point” names when you will revisit the month’s priorities. “Next weekly plan” identifies the immediate weekly cycle or date when you will translate the priorities into strikes. “First visible step” is the smallest action that starts that translation. Bring the chosen priorities into Weekly Domain Plan and keep the monthly review point as a checkpoint, not a verdict.

Repeat the loop

The fixed order is Visionary Domains → Weekly Domain Plan → Evidence (optionally using Weekly Domain Blotter) → Weekly Role Review → Weekly Recalibration → Monthly Domain Review. Repeat the weekly stages in order, adding Monthly Domain Review every fourth weekly cycle without replacing any weekly worksheet. Return to Vision when your season changes, but you do not need to redefine your domains every time a week gets difficult. Let the Crucible shape the work through evidence and deliberate adjustment—not through a score of your worth.