✨Steve MacLellan, P.Eng - The Financial Engineer✨’s Post

Manchester City's win has demonstrated the importance of consistent effort in achieving goals, even when faced with challenges, and ultimately rewriting the record books. This win transcends casual fan banter. It prompts a deeper reflection: How consistent am I in pursuing the goals I outlined for 2024? This matters significantly because consistency is critical to my growth and relevance as a person and in the industry I practice. John Maxwell captures this sentiment perfectly: "Small, daily acts of discipline, consistently applied, lead to remarkable achievements in the long run." What does consistent action look like for you? Have a productive week. #consistency #growth #mondaymotivation

Book 5 of 2024 'Deep Work' by Cal Newport Deep Work is always an interesting read for me. I've read it four times now because I try by all means to practice what Cal Newport recommends. However, I do not agree with all his ideas, especially his advice that you should quit all social media. I will mention why in a later post after I go through a reread of the Almanac of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson. In the first part of the book, Cal Newport argues that being able to work deeply with focus is an increasingly important skill that is becoming rare due to shortened attention spans. He asserts that we are now in the knowledge economy, where three groups of people will thrive: 1. The Superstars - People who are incredibly good at what they do. 2. The Owners - People who have access to capital. 3. People who can work with intelligent machines and technology. To be able to work with technology and to be a superstar requires being able to work deeply, stretching your mind to its limits, which is what Cal Newport advocates for. In addition, he advises that: 1. You should be able to work deeply for hours at a time - distraction-free. 2. You should embrace boredom. Deep work is boring work. 3. You should drain the shallows. Cut shallow work. Minimize distractions. We are living in a distraction-riddled world. The average human attention span is now way less than the attention span of a goldfish. The ability to work deeply will give you an edge in all facets of life. I recommend this book. A must-read. TJC

✅✅✅✅Deep Work by Cal Newport✅✅✅✅ ➡ ➡ The Book in Three Sentences 1️⃣ Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. 2️⃣ Shallow work is non-cognitively demanding, logistical-style work, often performed while distracted. 3️⃣ Deep work is like a superpower in our increasingly competitive twenty-first-century economy. ➡ ➡The Five Big Ideas 1️⃣ In order to produce the absolute best stuff you’re capable of, you need to commit to deep work. 2️⃣ The ability to quickly master hard things and the ability to produce at an elite level, in terms of both quality and speed, are two core abilities for thriving in today’s economy. 3️⃣ “To learn hard things quickly, you must focus intensely without distraction.” 4️⃣ “Your work is craft, and if you hone your ability and apply it with respect and care, then like the skilled wheelwright you can generate meaning in the daily efforts of your professional life.” 5️⃣ “The key to developing a deep work habit is to move beyond good intentions and add routines and rituals to your working life designed to minimize the amount of your limited willpower necessary to transition into and maintain a state of unbroken concentration.”

Just 3 days left until our Edinburgh event! Join us on 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰, from 9:00 AM to 4:45 PM at the Royal Scots Club, Edinburgh, EH3 6QE. This is a 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧!!! Don’t miss out on this hands-on, in-person event where we’ll share: 🛠 The proven roadmap to scale your business rapidly and sustainably. 🛠 Strategies for attracting consistent, high-quality leads and architect partnerships. 🛠 Techniques for mastering the art of conversion and winning more projects effortlessly. 🛠 Tips for implementing effective systems to streamline your operations and eliminate firefighting. 🛠 Insights on finding, attracting, and retaining top-tier trades to support your business growth. Mark your calendar and get ready to take your construction business to the next level! 🌟

It was a pleasure, as always, to join friends (old and new), industry peers, and a broad range of professionals for an event hosted by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. The convening consisted of a presentation and illuminating panel discussion, "Shaping the Future of Downtown: Catalysts to Ensure Success," both addressing Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation's recent research on economic disruption in Downtown Boston. As one of the region's leaders in building construction, civil and utility infrastructure construction, and general contracting, particularly for projects with public or commercial outcomes, it's imperative that BOND Brothers, Inc. keep our finger on the pulse of these ongoing issues and their implications. While Massachusetts, and specifically Boston, has experienced tremendous growth over the first part of this century, COVID fundamentally changed how people work and where people want to live and what worked for us for the first twenty years will not work for us for the next twenty years. Boston is not the only city that is facing this reality but we have to use this inflection point to reinvent ourselves by leveraging our strengths in education, health care and life sciences and finding new ways to ensure Boston and Massachusetts are affordable and family-friendly destinations for residents and tourists alike. The Mass Taxpayers Foundation's full report, which I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with, is here: https://lnkd.in/d3qxq8_H and you can watch the presentation here: https://lnkd.in/dWeRFVA4

If you had the most beautiful blueprints in the world for the most spectacular home, what value would they have it if there was no action plan to build it? Not much. William Danforth, the founder of Nestle Purina, said, “No plan is worth the paper it is printed on unless it starts you doing something.” You have some big goals and dreams for your life and family. Maybe you’ve even spent some time mapping them out so that you know what you need to do and understand how to do it. If you know what your goals are, you’ve become one of 10% of people who write down their goals. If you revisit those goals daily, you become one of the one percent of people who do this activity. Now I’m going to ask you a big but simple question. What are you going to do now? When you know what your goals are, when you visit them daily, and when you take a few daily steps forward with an action plan and faith you truly set yourself apart from the crowd. People who develop systems that include action steps are almost always more successful than people who don’t. My friend I want you to win. Let’s get intentional about helping others feel better and earn more income for your family. You deserve it and the people around you are waiting for you to level up.

What reality are you creating? Are you shaping your life with intention? Or letting circumstances decide for you? Are you the architect of your future? Or just a bystander in your own story? What reality are you creating? Every thought, every action is laying bricks for your tomorrow. Make sure you’re building something you actually want to live in.

Become emotionally attached to the process of growing a single step at a time. The rest becomes noise, and you become the standard. That’s something I’ve learned from working with Sean Sullivan, AMB CGP, CAPS, WWYW, the winner of the Custom Home Builder of the Year Award for 2023 from the NAHB. Benchmarks can be misleading. They play into an illusion of overnight success. That illusion keeps people unsuccessful by feeding our shiny object syndrome. To create massive amounts of value for society, you need to devote a massive amount of effort towards very few things over a very long time. Headlines don’t have enough space to talk about 3,000 days of 1% improvements. Grateful to be a part of a team where kaizen is celebrated, and we value 10 year time horizons.

🔍 How can architects leverage research to foster diversity, equity, and cultural competency in their work? Episode 152 of Practice Disrupted features Kendall A. Nicholson, Ed.D. discussing the crucial role of equity and social justice in architecture. From his unique insights on the 'Where Are My People?' series to advancing equity through ACSA's initiatives, Kendall unravels the layers of diversity and representation essential for our built environments. Dive into a conversation that bridges research with real-world impacts and reshapes our understanding of architecture’s role in societal transformation. 🤝 Tune in and be inspired to think deeper about the spaces we inhabit and the narratives they hold.✨️

Imagine being able to complete a reno in weeks instead of months… People are constantly amazed that we can knock out a reno in 4-6 weeks, expecting it to take 6-9 months of stress and mess. But after years of refining and perfecting our process, we've turned it into a fine art. Before, our typical process was chaotic and time-consuming. We struggled to keep projects on track, and delays were a constant headache. It felt like we were spinning our wheels and not getting anywhere. Now, with our streamlined system, we save a HUGE amount of time. It's not just about getting the job done faster; it's about doing it better. We've created a set of proven steps that anyone can follow to achieve amazing results in a fraction of the time. The impact on our team and business has been incredible. We can take on more projects, deliver consistent quality, and keep our clients happy. Plus, the reduction in stress and workload has made a massive difference in our daily lives. What time-saving strategies have worked for you? 🤔