First Friday - January 2024

What I’m reading

Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal.

Ali is a former doctor who has transitioned into a multifaceted career as a YouTuber, podcaster, entrepreneur, and author. The book is a comprehensive guide on enhancing productivity through positive means. It emphasizes taking ownership of work for intrinsic motivation, cultivating energizing relationships, and the importance of kindness. It also covers asking for help and effective communication strategies, including the importance of sharing good news and being candid. Lastly, it offers practical strategies to overcome procrastination, emphasizing that motivation and discipline alone aren't enough.

 Key concepts: 

1. Empowerment through Confidence: Using self-talk and imaginative techniques to boost self-confidence.
2. Skill Enhancement: Adopting a beginner's mindset and teaching others to deepen understanding.
3. Ownership of Work: Cultivating autonomy and intrinsic motivation in tasks.
4. Energizing Interactions: Building supportive relationships and performing acts of kindness.
5. Asking for Help: Overcoming the reluctance to seek assistance.
6. Effective Communication: Sharing good news and practicing candidness.
7. Combating Procrastination: Utilizing practical strategies beyond motivation.

X thread by Teddy Mitrosilis

15 timeless lessons from John Wooden, one of history’s greatest leaders

Wooden is one of the best coaches to ever live -- he won 10 championships as UCLA’s men’s basketball coach. Some of my favorites from the thread:

• Big talkers and little doers: Don’t tell people what you can do. Instead, show them what you can do. Too many people are “big talkers” and “littler doers.” If you want to be your best, be the opposite.
• Character creates longevity: Ability may get you to the top of your field, but character is required to stay there. It’s easy to relax after reaching a goal. Avoid this complacency at all costs. Have the self-discipline to stay the course.
• Preparation is the prize: Satisfaction comes from preparation, not an outcome. The process is the prize, not a score or trophy. Prepare well and execute to the best of your ability — that’s all you control.
• Winners make the most mistakes: Mistakes come from doing things. Success also comes from doing things. If you want to live mistake-free, do nothing. If you want to win, go out and make mistakes.

Concept I’ve been studying

Go “1-0” in as many aspects of the day as possible.

What does this mean?

The "go 1-0" concept, introduced by Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang, is about focusing on and winning each individual moment or task. It's a strategy that emphasizes the importance of small, incremental victories in achieving larger goals. In the context of basketball, it means approaching each game, or even each play, with the mindset of achieving a singular victory without getting overwhelmed by the bigger picture. Applied to everyday life, this philosophy translates to breaking down larger tasks or challenges into smaller, manageable parts and aiming to succeed in each of these parts individually.

Importance of the Concept

1. Promotes Focus and Mindfulness: By concentrating on one task at a time, individuals can give their full attention and effort to that specific task, leading to higher quality results and reduced stress.
2. Encourages Consistent Progress: This approach keeps motivation high, as each small win is a step towards a larger goal. It's easier to maintain momentum when you're regularly achieving and recognizing these mini-victories.
3. Builds Resilience: Viewing each day or task as an opportunity for a "1-0" win helps in bouncing back from setbacks. Instead of seeing a failure as a major defeat, it's just one lost battle in a series of many, and there's always another chance to "win" the next one.
4. Enhances Personal Development: In personal growth, this concept encourages continuous learning and improvement. Each small step forward, be it in acquiring a new skill or improving a habit, contributes to overall development.
5. Improves Team Dynamics and Performance: In a team setting, focusing on achieving "1-0" in individual responsibilities leads to a collective success. This approach can enhance teamwork, as everyone works towards their personal best, contributing to the team's objectives.
6. Facilitates Goal Achievement: Large, daunting goals become more attainable when broken down into smaller tasks. Achieving these smaller goals consistently leads to the eventual realization of the larger objective.

Applying the 'go 1-0' mindset has proven to be incredibly effective for me. By breaking my day into segments and focusing on winning each small part, I've created a powerful rhythm of positive momentum. Getting my 3-year-old to bed has proven to be the hardest '1-0' moment in my day as she finds every excuse to delay bedtime lately.

Best podcast of the last 30 days

Paul Assaiante: Face Your Fear [The Knowledge Project Ep. 183] - Pod Link

Paul Assaiante is the most successful coach in the history of college athletics, having led the men’s squash team at Trinity College in Connecticut. During his tenure, Assaiante guided the team to 17 national titles, including 13 consecutive championships and a remarkable 252 consecutive wins from 1999 to 2011. Throughout the podcast, he shares lessons learned from over 30 years of coaching.

Key Highlights:

• Overcoming Fear and Anxiety: Strategies for facing and managing fears.
• Embracing Adversity: Finding growth and learning opportunities in challenging situations.
• Importance of Practice: How consistent practice contributes to skill development and success.
• Identifying and Overcoming Obstacles: Recognizing and tackling barriers to achieving goals.
• Dealing with Perfectionism: Understanding the impact of perfectionism and how to manage it.

Before listening to this podcast, I had never heard of Paul Assaiante. It was an excellent episode, and he shared valuable insights from his years of coaching.

My personal growth

How I’ve failed…

Overcommitting – Looking back, I see I've been a bit over the top in signing up for stuff. My 'do as much as possible' motto wasn't really the best approach. It got me involved in a bunch of boards and projects, but honestly, it just made it hard to focus on the really important stuff. Now, I'm trying to be more choosy about where I put my time, both in my personal life and at work. I'm aiming for quality over quantity, hoping to really make a difference in a few key areas rather than just skimming the surface of many.

Personal development priority – time boxing calendar

Historically, I haven’t been great at strategically time boxing my calendar. This is something I’m working on as I head into the new year.

What I aim to achieve with time boxing – both at the daily and weekly level:

1. Improved Focus: Enhancing concentration by dedicating specific time blocks to individual tasks.
2. Increased Productivity: Limiting distractions and multitasking, leading to more efficient work.
3. Better Prioritization: Allocating time based on the importance and urgency of tasks.

Closing culture thought

Over the holiday break, I discovered a new podcast called 'Everybody Pulls the Tarp,' which deeply resonated with me as it aligns with the culture we've built at Clearsulting. This idea of shared responsibility and teamwork, regardless of one's role or title, forms the bedrock of our collaborative culture.

It's one of the major reasons I founded Clearsulting. In an industry often dominated by inflated titles, heavy egos, and fancy corner offices, we operate differently, paving our own path. We roll up our sleeves, get our hands dirty, and run towards challenges.

This mindset is a powerful reminder of our commitment to collective effort, capturing the essence of what makes Clearsulting unique and successful. As we step into the new year, let's continue embracing this philosophy in all that we do, demonstrating that together, we can achieve greatness.