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-habits
• Habit 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