Deep Thinkers with a Purpose

#attentionspan

Do you find it hard to focus? You're not the only one. In 2000, the average focus was about 2.5 min. This was on electronic devices.

You can probably already guess that it got shorter. It's now 47 seconds. That means that in less than a minute, you will shift your attention to something new.

You do a digital bounce/wobble between:

• Checking your emails
• Pulling up Slack and Teams notifications
• Checking out IG content.
• And a dozen of other things.

Is this a problem? In a recent UK study, half of the adults believed their attention was shrinking. This is partly due to the amount of data that is available.

Your processing time is faster to sort through it all. But you miss important details. It's like going to a buffet and quickly sampling all the dishes. You got to taste everything, but did you enjoy and appreciate the experience?

You can use technology to be more productive. But for many, it's causing confusion...

And mental health issues.

#goals

Here's something I've learned:

Visibility does not equal clarity.

Goals are like a hyperdrive of emotions and visuals. They charge you up. Get you excited. You see the raw materials that make them up.

I call this the mountain effect. They are a big summit in the distance.

But the path to get there isn't clear.

Where you're standing right now... It's leagues away from where you want to be. It's in the middle of uncharted territory.

When you look down the path, you see:

• Obstacles
• Risks
• Dangers

All of this is expected. It's an uncertain road you've picked.

You know you can get through it. You have to take the first step. You might step on a rattlesnake or fall into a ditch.

That's part of the lesson.

Let your mind hum in the background. Take healthy and thoughtful breaths. Use the experience as input to make better decisions. Learn "how" to move forward by moving forward.

Use proven strategies to overcome the mountain effect.

#purpose + #deepthinkers

Here's what I've been thinking about:

"We have to be particularly careful not to be led astray by ideas that are charming or solutions that seem exciting, just because they free us from boredom." -Jonathan Rowson, The Move That Matter

Raising kids, debating politics, your life purpose...have you ever felt like you used to be good at making? There comes a point in your life when you question everything.

You try to go deeper to find out:

• How to spend your time
• How to build the life you want

You get distracted by AI, Web3, and if you really understand what Blockchain is.

All you want to do is read a good book that is part of philosophy and application. And be able to do something with the info. The problem with philosophy and most wisdom is that it's hard to apply to the real world.

The very ideals you try to build, you destroy by pursuing them.

Then you have to deal with yourself...

• Your perception
• Your ego
• Your sense of self-worth

You want to be a good person but have to focus on yourself to become better. Is that selfishness, self-preservation or the way to a better understanding?

All of it is a reasonable answer.

Deep thinkers have it the worst. The creativity and purpose they see Is in the future. The world hasn't caught up yet.

Hats off to you if you're struggling to find direction, purpose, and meaning.

#dreamjob

The end of 2017 was strange for me. I just landed my "dream job" but was in the middle of divorce. My emotions were like crooks in the night ready to jump out and mug me.

What was difficult was working at a high level and managing the cutting highs and lows. Some days, I didn't think I could do it. But I couldn't give up.

I had to find a healthy way to become a rockstar in my new role, and not unravel at the same time. I thought that I had to "feel" differently for this to happen.

I was devasted by the impact of a toxic ex on my kids. So, feeling better? Ehhh. Seemed unlikely.

I considered the power of time...It's the space where we feel—make decisions, and create experiences. How could I use it to my advantage? I was sitting at my dining room table when I made a deal with myself:

I would write a new article every day and do it in 30 minutes or less.

Something with the limit of time excited me. I started doing it day after day Setting a time and writing. And it worked.

I'm not saying every article was amazing. But some of it was very good and authentic...

One of the pieces even went viral. It's the basis for all of my work to date. You can use time to form a healthy competition with yourself. It gives you a way to channel your emotions a get a positive output.

What healthy competitions are you challenging yourself with this month?

Write it in the comments.

#vision

Having a clear vision isn't enough if youdon't execute on it daily. I struggled with this for years. I used to struggle with alignment between my daily activities and my long-term vision. The solution wasn't just better planning, it was better doing.

What actually works?

• Be ruthlessly selective with high-value tasks
• Schedule deep work in short, focused bursts
• Align daily activities with your personal vision
• Separate emotion from execution

You can have the clearest goals in the world, but without dedicated time blocks for focused execution, you'll keep spinning your wheels. Stop waiting for motivation. Start scheduling your priorities.

What's your strategy for managing motivation?

Share in the comments if you're comfortable.

#productivity + #worklife

We're all phenomenal at one thing:

Being Productive In One Area

Jonah Berger points out in?Contagious, “Observable things are also more likely to be discussed.”

On the flip side, seeing if someone is happy, a leader in their community, or a great spouse is more difficult because it’s harder to see.

These areas of productivity are more private but just as vital.

Work is important, but it’s not the only thing that sustains us.

It's like we're all expert builders of skyscrapers in one part of the city, while the rest is nearly vacant land. Think about it.

We've got the best tools ever for chopping through our to-do lists. We're acing the urgent but flunking the important.

The catch?

You can't "balance" what you never put on the scales to begin with.

Money, career? They're visible; they're tangible; they're 'see money, get money.' Everything else is less obvious.

But what good is a skyscraper if it stands alone?

Maybe it's time our definition of productivity evolved. Not about getting your list of tasks done before midnight strikes.

But about constructing a city where every district—be it health, relationships, work, community—gets the attention it deserves.

What's one area you think you need to focus on more?

#failedbusiness

We made a $50K mistake. Here’s what we learned. ??

It was... well, frankly, ridiculous:

My co-founded business was bringing in hundreds of thousands after a few months. We had a growing team, investors ready to fund us, and a clear path to generating millions.

From the outside, everything seemed on track. But inside, something felt off.

With the cash came a breakdown in collaboration. Partnership meetings devolved from brainstorming impact to bickering over equity. Our meticulous mission statement was replaced by spreadsheet projections.

I lost all drive. I started to dread partner calls. What was going on?

We had built a highly profitable enterprise, but I felt unfulfilled. Something was missing.

The cold reality was this:

We had monetized our way to ruin. Our venture was grounded in dollars, not in any real purpose.

Yet we disguised it as meaningful.

The outcome was inevitable. Trust crumbled, accounts drained, the business folded.

Here’s the takeaway: True productivity extends beyond financial outcomes. If you zero in on the money alone, you’ll develop blind spots and miss crucial warning signals.

Alignment is key.

#smartgoals

Why you should ditch SMART goals for Agile sprints:

(Backed by science, not buried in it.)

I have a love-hate relationship with traditional goal-setting.

Here's what the research says...

Health Psychology Review notes that SMART goals can lead to:

• Reduced efficacy
• Stress
• Anxiety

—especially when they don't align with personal preferences

or the complexity of everyday life.

Psyche points out that SMART goals may cause pressure,

—making it harder for some individuals

to stick with their objectives.

A study in Psychology of Sport and Exercise suggests that SMART goals

might not be suitable for complex tasks.

Why? Because they can stifle creativity and flexibility.

The top 3 reasons not to use SMART goals are:

1) Rigidity:

The structured nature can limit flexibility and creativity, making it harder to adapt to changing circumstances.

2) Short-term Focus:

It can prioritize immediate, measurable outcomes over long-term vision and growth.

3) Oversimplification:

The approach may not suit complex or evolving goals that require more nuanced planning.

What's the solution?

Use Agile + sprints.

It helps promoting flexibility and adaptability.

Here’s how:

1) Frequent Iterations:

Sprints allow for regular reassessment and adjustment of goals, reducing the rigidity associated with SMART goals. This helps in adapting to changes and unforeseen challenges.

2) Balanced Focus:

By breaking down work into smaller, manageable chunks, Agile helps maintain a balance between short-term objectives and long-term vision, avoiding the short-term focus trap.

3) Reduced Stress:

Agile’s iterative approach encourages continuous feedback and improvement, which can lower stress by focusing on progress rather than perfection.

4) Enhanced Engagement:

Teams and individuals often feel more engaged and motivated, as Agile promotes collaboration and adaptability, fostering a more dynamic and supportive environment.

The future of success isn't inflexible frameworks—it's Agile.

DM if you want a SPRINT crash course

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