The Experimental Mindset

Sundays are a great day to get your errands out of the way, like grocery shopping. Also, take time for cooking meals, cleaning rooms, or dropping things off at different shops. You most likely don't have the time and energy to do these activities after work.

But don’t spend all of Sunday on these tasks. Even though they’re important, you still need some time to decompress.

Make sure you also do something you enjoy, like brunch with friends or spending time with your family. 

This gives you something to look forward to during the week and it also helps you to disconnect.

Doing a little consistently is always going to be more effective than doing a lot but inconsistently.

Inconsistency will most likely kill your confidence and your ability to succeed in a creative career or any creative endeavor.

Momentum is based on the idea that an object in motion stays in motion.

• It’s more effective to write 200 words every day than it is to write 1000 words once a week
• We’re better off practicing an instrument for 15 minutes every day than we are an hour once a week.

... is a philosophy that emphasizes the need to take a meaningful step towards your goals every single day, no matter how small. This means you no longer get days with zero new accomplishments.

For a manager handling a set of team members, staggering of specific To-Dos and stacking them together makes it a focused task, and is done with efficiency.

Example: All one-on-one meetings can be stacked in a single day, while team meetings can be done on another day.

The main objective is to save time and leave open days for deep work, where there are no meetings to attend and the tasks at hand can be focused on without official distractions.

As information moves slowly, one-on-one meetings help identify problems that can be resolved the next day during a team meeting. Senior management can take it up later in the week if required.

• How does this impact me?
• When have I experienced this?
• What would I do about this?
• Where can I take this conversation?
• What do I need to tell?

1. Disinterest in connecting.
2. Long-talkers and explainers who never get to the point!
3. Knowledge. Talkers know.
4. Distraction by what’s next.
5. Multi-tasking.

If you find your mind frequently jumping around, an app can be life-changing to help you focus.

It can train you to notice when your mind is wandering, and help you to get back on track.

The modern working environment is making our ability to focus on a huge issue: Open-plan offices, social media, etc.

When you need to do deep work, remove the distractions and work on a single task. The task will get done quicker and to a higher quality.

How much time you should spend on deep work will depend on your job.

Plan ahead for the week, month or year when you are energized and feeling motivated, for better results for getting stuff done.

If you can’t hold yourself accountable, it’s a good idea to bring in an outside influence.

An accountability partner forces you to acknowledge the ways you’re sabotaging yourself, take personal responsibility and complete that to-do list. 

• The corporate jargon is often described as fluffy, without any real substance and aimed towards the speaker’s self-inflated ego.
• Words are substituted for analogies and references that take longer to process, and have the intention of wrapping, hiding or impeding actual, effective communication.

Corporate speak may not mean anything of value to anyone in a meeting, but like the Emperor's New Clothes, no one wants to point out the inefficiency and mind-numbing nature of the constant use of the jargon. Everyone pretends that they are on the same page as everyone else.

If you have a few projects at a time, focus on one. Work with intense focus. Do not allow distractions.

When you feel your motivation slows down, switch to another project.

Determine the urgency of your tasks to figure out which requires priority.