9. Finding Focus, Writing, and Habits

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

Atomic habits by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habitsHabit tracker journal: https://baronfig.com/tools/confidant/guided?edition=clear+habit+journal&journal=flagship&recurring=One+time+purchase (signup here to get $10 off and tell them I sent you: http://baronfig.refr.cc/jamesgill)Ulysses for writing goals: https://www.jamesgill.co/ulysses/How one CEO spends their time https://review.firstround.com/an-exact-breakdown-of-how-one-ceo-spent-his-first-two-years-of-company-building

Thanks, and see you next time!

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

Music: Jakarta by Bonsaye

Podcast hosting: Transistor