9. Finding Focus, Writing, and Habits

In episode 9 I share why it's so hard to find and regain focus in a business and how I'm working to address it. I also explain how writing helps me break down complex topics, and revisit some of the habits I've been working on over the last few weeks.
In episode 9 I talk through a bunch of topics on my mind in the last week – finding and regaining focus as a team, how writing helps me break down complex topics, and I check in on some of the habits I've been trying to build.

Focus
  • It's really hard to gain once you lose it as a business.
  • Loss aversion can hold you back from making the right decisions.
  • You often lose focus for very good reasons – regaining it can cause people to be short-term frustrated. Difficult transition, but the long term benefits are almost always worthwhile.
  • Not everyone will be happy in the short-term, and that’s OK – as long as you take their feedback onboard, understand it and address it as best you can.
  • Focus is hard!
Writing to learn
  • Writing 200 words a day – Ulysses (a writing app) has helped me achieve this goal.
  • Writing helps me understand topics better.
  • Writing forces me to learn – if I want to teach and share with others I need to understand the subject better.
Habits
  • Skipping – not done enough in the last few weeks, despite feeling great when I was doing it. My goal is now to aim to do a shorter time skipping and bake it into my routine.
  • Writing – going well! Writing 200 words a day, thanks to encouragement from Ulysses.
  • Blocking time in my calendar, instead of using a todo list – has changed a lot about my approach to time management.

Actions / take aways

  • Focus is about saying no to really good ideas.
  • Be clear on what you want, and what your priorities are – so spend time on those.
  • Don’t be afraid to take time out to get clear on what is important to you.
  • Challenging topic you're struggling to understand? Try to write it down. Scribble it, type it, and you’ll likely find it helps you clarify your thinking.
  • Habits: try breaking down your habits into the smallest possible activity. Don’t give up!

Links and further reading

Thanks, and see you next time!

P.S. I'm on Twitter https://twitter.com/jamesjgill
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