WT = Waiting Time. DT = Development Time.
PLANNING (task, scheduling, and WT = DT): I plan to write my Leap Year W31 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 finally have a new job!
EXECUTION (strategies used): 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, Implementation Intentions, and TRUST strategies this week, as I was not able to complete both tasks until SUNDAY. 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 completely sure or am not qualified to...
TRUST: This is a strategy that took me over a year to finally internalize and came from the learnings from Benjamin Hardy, Dane Maxwell, and Seth Godin.
The path to achieving big things will always be hazy, unclear, and filled with uncertainty. This lack of clarity will bring about feelings of fear, but know this is a natural part of the process. Just have a "bias towards action" and embrace the dance with fear on a daily basis. Lastly, understand your comfort zone is but a small dot within your safety zone, so do something which terrifies you everyday for 20 seconds. This will help you to stretch your comfort zone and take on things you never thought possible.
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): Tony Robbins has said "Activity without purpose is the drain to your life."
The Leap Year process has allowed me to truly understand this quote. Let me explain. Before I started my Leap Year process I would complain I did not have enough time for the meaningful things in my life. The funny thing is, I really didn't know what was meaningful yet.
I would have a lot of ideas or would make a lot of plans, but nothing really every came to fruition. It was like I was a hamster in a wheel, spinning around and around, but getting no where.
As I reflect this week, I see the importance of having a purpose. This clarity truly adds focus to your activities, and helps you accelerate and make progress towards your dreams.
Take for example this week, I had a second interview for our "dream school", was chosen to be a part of a group of entrepreneurs launching the last Foundation class, editing my book, and still managing to stay on top of all my other daily challenges of being a husband and father. I find I am doing about 10X as much before I started the Leap Year process, but am able to manage and follow through on all of these activities with minimal stress.
I am not saying it is a walk in the park, but the Leap Year process has helped me identify what I am passionate about. This in turn, has allowed me to focus on my passions of writing the book, launching my software company, and providing for my family. This clarity has streamlined and guided the activities I complete everyday.
The Leap Year process is not sexy and it does not fix all of your problems overnight. However, you will be able to find the clarity to add the focus to your life if you are willing to show up every week and put in the consistent work to identify what you are passionate about. This opens up more possibilities and allows you to create things you never thought possible.
Write a book, launch a software business, get a job at my "dream school", and improve all areas of my life...I have to pinch myself, but this is all happening and it is due to the Leap Year process.
My hope is it will do the same for you. There will be tough weeks when you do not feel motivated, but show up and do the work, as this will lead you to reaching places you never thought possible.
What went well?
Completed the weekly task in the face of getting a new job, helping with launch of The Foundation last class, and following on my daily responsibilities as a husband, father, and my 9-5.
What is something we can improve upon? What actions can we take next week?
Appreciate more. There is so much to be thankful on a daily basis, so I will make it a point to pause and truly appreciate all the amazing things in my life.
What is something to avoid next week?
Judging or finding lack in situations.
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