It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)
Greetings to you!
Each week I send out a short leadership blog that's called "Tuesday at 2:00pm". The purpose of this is simply to provide a brief thought on leadership that you can read and think about in just a few minutes. I send it out every week at 2:00pm (PST) and encourage you to make an appointment with yourself to pause and think about the thing I'm writing about.
Russ...
LEADERSHIP QUOTE:
"Focus is the art of knowing what to ignore." James Clear
What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.
A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:
Happy New Year to you!
I took a couple of weeks off of writing this weekly post, and now I'm back.
Someone asked me recently why I write this weekly post. Here was my response...
"I write because I constantly want to challenge myself to think, to process, and to grow. This weekly journal is an act of discipline in my life where I want to push myself to pause for a little bit and contemplate a thought, an idea, a quote, a theme. I began sharing this with you years after I began doing it for myself. If you find this helpful, wonderful! If you don't, that's fine too! I started sending this to a small leadership community I was involved with for years called Leader Mundial. It was a way to connect weekly with them (you) and encourage you to always be thinking! The list has grown beyond that Community now. I write because it's a way for me to process together. I don't write because I have the answers or am an expert.
I welcome the many comments, questions, suggestions and resources that you send me regularly."
This year, I'm working to write less content, pose more questions, and to keep this weekly appointment at a 10 minute or less pause in your day.
What regular rhythms do you have in your life/work life that feed you, challenge you, encourage you on a regular basis?
DEEPER STILL:
The quote above from James Clear (Atomic Habits) is a great reminder about the power of focus. One of the definitions of focus is simply "the center of our interest".
Here are a couple of things I do regularly to address distraction in my life, which helps me to focus:
#1) PLAN AND SCHEDULE
I allocate time to projects, priorities and areas of focus, and it actually shows up on my schedule. Example: Friday morning this week I need to send an email out to a group of people, and it will take some time to prepare, so I put in on my schedule for Thursday and make an appointment to get it done.
#2) ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS
We all know what distracts us and either we fight these things or we regularly give in to them. I challenge you to fight them and set yourself up for success. Examples: Turn your notifications off, turn off your phone during a time of focus, put headphones on to eliminate outside noise or close your office door when you don't want interruptions.
#3) COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE AROUND YOU
Let people know what you're doing, especially those who need access to you. Don't assume they know you're trying to focus. Examples: Let people know when your door is closed, you're working on a project and when your door is open you're available. I try a thing called "no meeting mondays" and I work hard to not schedule outside meetings because I'm focusing on the week ahead, I'm planning, doing projects, making calls and am using the day to prepare for the week. I let people know that.
What have you developed in your life to help you focus on the things that are most important to you?
Things I'm Reading, Listening To and Watching This Week:
James Clear and his book Atomic Habits is one of the best books I've ever read on habits, priorities and focus. I read it every year and find ways to integrate his ideas into my life in many ways!
I enjoyed the Carey Nieuwhof Podcast with Will Guidara, author of my favorite book of 2024, Unreasonable Hospitality. Really good interview & insights. Thanks for sharing this Austin!
I got this book from my daughter for Christmas (Thanks Rhe) and it was a really interesting read and perspective on indigenous life in Ecuador with a tribe I'm very familiar with. I've been to many of the places talked about in this book and am challenge by the story! We Will Be Jaguars by Nemonte Nenquimo
I have a documents safe and there's a moisture smell inside, and my passport pages curl. I just put this Dry Tote in. I'll let you know how it works!
I enjoyed watching the Apple Film, Fly Me to the Moon. Great story and a fun movie!