In this Episode…
Today I launched my productivity book recommend video series on LinkedIn. It is the start of another venture to help people become even more productive.
I also worked on an email project and waxed lyrical about how progress is really made.
I’m almost too embarrassed to admit it, but I was late publishing the podcast AGAIN. Listen to find out why.
Episode Show Note…
Progress Is Made In Steps So Small You’ll Hardly Notice
Many of the insights I have about life, the universe and productivity come at times when I am doing something completely random. This morning I had an insight whilst doing my usual morning yoga practice.
I’ve picked a couple of routines from YouTube and alternate between them daily. Both are demanding in their own way. One is called Yoga Workout For Full Body Results – The Only Workout You’ll Need.
When I started that a few weeks ago, I struggled with some of the exercises and had to give up part way through. Now it is easy and I am working on adding refinements I could never have imagined weeks ago when I started. It’s all about marginal gains.
Today It Has Been About E Mails
I have been working on a masterclass I am doing next week with a client. The topic is emails. We are going to talk about the principles of how to handle them AND share my clients software and its abilities to make e mail much easier.
I am reminded of a story about Ghandi. A woman asked him to help stop her son from eating so much sugar. He asked the woman to come back in two weeks. When she did he said to the boy “stop eating sugar”. When the woman asked why Ghandi didn’t say that to him two weeks before, Ghandi said he needed to go an stop eating sugar himself first.
I feel like that about e mail!
Closing Down E Mail Is Therapeutic In More Ways Than One
I shut down my e mail for the whole morning today so I could concentrate on a particular task. It worked. Having that complete isolation from potential distractions gave me a sanctuary of peace that allowed me to focus and concentrate on my task.
But there was another reason I switched it off. I sent an email that potentially could have caused quite a severe negative reaction from the intended recipient. It wasn’t a deliberately provocative email. It was just about a subject matter that to date has been somewhat contentious.
But my e mail was the right one to send. But I didn’t want to see any reply that might return. So I shut off that potential source of discomfort. Running away? Possibly. But it allowed me to focus so who cares.
POST SCRIPT -as it was, there was no repercussions from that e mail.
My One Minute Book Recommend
Today saw the first issue of my One minute Book Recommend.
I chose the 9 Habits Successful People Do Differently by Heidi grant Halvorson.
There’s a lot of great stuff in this book that will help you perform at an even higher level.
It’s author is a motivational psychologist and best selling author and the book is based on an article she first wrote for the prestigious Harvard Business Review.
It is an easy read because it is well written and contains practical things you can apply straight away.
However these aren’t quick tip type recommends but principle based behaviours that will yield results when applied consistently over time.
I’ve personally benefitted from reading this book and have recommended it to the thousands of delegates who’ve been through leadership programmes I’ve worked on.
Passive Procrastination At It’s Finest
It was interesting to note that a third of the people who commented on my post about the One Minute Book recommend said they’d put the book on their list. No one said they’d bought it.
Well intentioned passive procrastination or am I just really bad at promoting a book?
I’m Late Doing My Podcast Again!
It’s 9:30pm as I prepare my podcast again. I’m too embarrassed to write about all the excuses so you’ll have to listen to the audio to find out why.
