WEEK 50: CONNECTIONS

WT = Waiting Time. DT = Development Time.

PLANNING (task, scheduling, and WT = DT):  I plan to write my Leap Year W21 post into the site Medium on Wednesday at 6 PM in study. I plan to turn those small WTs into Grateful Time, where I look to see what I can be grateful for in those situations. For example, last week I thought how great it was to discuss difficult topics, as usually the learnings and results of the talk are very beneficial. 

EXECUTION (strategies used):  W50 in the books! Although I use a combination of many strategies throughout the week, there are always some that are used more than others depending on what comes up. For example, I relied heavily on the Be a Pro and Implementation Intentions strategies this week, as I was not able to complete the task until Saturday. The highlighted strategies that were used in the week are listed below along with the I CAN'T statements that they help overcome. 

Procrastination...I CAN'T because I am not motivated or do not feel like it...

Be a PRO: I actually learned this strategy through insights from Jeff Goins, Tim Ferris, and James Clear. 

First, Jeff Goins mentioned in a podcast that “action will follow mindset.” Second, James Clear wrote that it does not matter what you want to become better at, the only skill that separates a “Pro” from an “amateur” is the ability to show up. Third, Tim Ferris said on his 4-Hr Work Week blog that “Practicing key habits when we don’t want to is the most key habit to all.” This reinforces this idea of being a “Pro” by having the mindset to show up consistently and completing the work.

The difficult thing about being a pro requires us to consistently follow through. Yet, we often let the challenges of everyday life get in the way and only attempt to do the work when we feel motivated. This produces small gains if any and leads us down a path of frustration. There will be days when you do not want to complete a key habit or activity, but develop the mindset of a “Pro” by showing up, sticking to your schedule, and then completing the tasks that move your forward.

Early Scheduling = Implementation Intentions: This is a strategy that I credit to completing my tasks consistently on a weekly basis. In this strategy, you first PLAN to complete a task at a SCHEDULED time (day and time) in a specific location as early in the week as you can. More specifically you fill in the following statement.

I plan to [task] on [day] at [time] in [location].

Three benefits are produced from doing this. First, you get a sense of accomplishment if you complete the task in the beginning of the week at the scheduled time. In addition, it allows you to devout more time to do additional tasks to reach your goals within the same week. Second, it provides more time to complete the task if life presents you with something that needs to be attended to during the original scheduled time. Lastly, research shows that you are 2X to 3X more likely to follow through on your actions. I learned about this strategy from James Clear, who is a great blogger that writes on the science of human behavior and how to build better habits. He shows the research on how Implementation Intentions help you follow through on your plans and achieve your goals.

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Two more weeks left in my Leap Year process and it is a mad sprint to the get my first manuscript done, but I know everything will turn out. 

I wanted to share how I have been able to crystalize the main purpose of the Leap Year in the past couple of weeks. This has taken 50 weeks to get to this point, but I can concisely state its purpose now. Thus, I can answer easily answer if someone asks "What is the purpose of the Leap Year?"

Identify what you are passionate about. This will lead you to find the highest expressions of your talent that you can share with the world. You do this by consistently devoting time to pursue activities that will help you discover what you are passionate about. That is the purpose of the Leap Year, and the book will provide practical steps to do this in the face of everyday challenges.

There it is!

What went well?

Short and sweet this week. Weekly task completed and the purpose of the Leap Year crystalized. Additionally, I am making good progress on the first manuscript and making a lot of connections through the editing process. Ideas that seemed separate when I added them to the book are now coming together and actually reinforcing each other.  

Cannot wait to share this will everyone!

What is something we can improve upon? What actions can we take next week?

Not holding everything inside and talking about things like an adult as they come up. Similar to a volcano, the more you hold things in, the more pressure is pent up, thus the bigger the eruption. 

What is something to avoid next week?

Bottling things up. 

Thanks for tuning in and see you in W51.