Write-Rest-Review; Newsletter #5

3 Little Wonder Bites 💭

📖 Current Read; The Effective Executive — Peter Drucker

I have to admit, I haven’t actually read this book. A couole of days ago, during a workout, I listened to a podcast summary by What You Will Learn (those guys are amazing at book summary’s). But the five key roles that an effective executive plays are still relevant and helpful!

One; An Effective Executive figures out where their time goes, and manages it. They analyse their day to day life to see if what they’re doing now is in alignment with what they should be doing to reach their goals. They are critical with themselves, they find out what tasks waste their time, what tasks can be delegated, and what tasks definitely have to be done. Once they know where they spend their time, and where they should be spending their time, they can change what they do so it acts towards their goals. For example, if they usually spend 10 minutes scrolling on social media, they will try cut that out as it simply doesn’t contribute to their overall work success.

Two; They focus on outward contribution. They prioritise direct results, while also enjoying the journey. An example relevant to me is when I plan essay outlines. Spending two hours planning an outline is not the same as spending two hours actually writing that essay. Figuring out what sources you are going to site and how you will structure your essay is essential, but writing it is what will bring you direct results. Ask yourself, What is the most important contribution I can make to help this day be a great one? Or, what is the most important contribution that will make this piece of work absolutely amazing? It’s similar to only doing the top 3 most essential things on your to do list, the things that contribute to your happiness and goals. Make sure what you do gives direct results.

Three; They build on their strengths. They build on their own strength and the strength of those around them. If they know that somebody else can perform a specific task to a much higher standard that they can, they will ‘pass’ that task onto the person more suited. This gives them more time, energy and resources to work on something that is their strong point and something that will contribute. In other words, operate in your zone of genius, a zone where you know what you’re doing, you have a great passion for it, and you’re willing to learn and stick it out till the end.

Four; They concentrate their forces. A topic that I focused on in my last newsletter, they spend their time on a few major tasks/projects that they know will yield success. They give it their upmost focus and stick with it till the end, confident that it will pay off. They also make sure that they complete these tasks with the most efficiency possible, finding the best way to do it.

Five; They make the important, effective decisions. Would an effective executive really be effective if they didn’t make the important decisions? They find out exactly what a task entails, exactly what everyone may gain from the completion of a task, and they find out if they are the person that should do the task. Before making a decision, they ask themselves questions such as ‘Does this contribute to my happiness?’ ‘Does this contribute to the success of my colleagues and my workplace?’ ‘Does it actually matter if this task doesn’t get done?

I find it helpful to imagine these five habits of effective executives as habits for life too, not just within the workplace.

🎧 Current Podcast; 7 Things Confident People Do Differently & How to Build the Habits In Your Life — On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Another week, another Jay Shetty podcast! This episode focused on ways you can build your confidence, as it is not inherent or fixed. Principle #3 is all about working in direct alignment with your dreams.

Say you have a goal, one that seems absolutely impossible and farfetched, it’s likely that it actually is within your reach, you just dont have the systems set up to get there yet. When you know what you want from life, one of the first steps is to figure out all the ways you can make it happen. It may be a new environment, a new routine, a new habit, a mindset shift. There could be people you need to talk to, and questions you need to ask. These new additions, or perhaps the things that you remove, will make it a little easier each day to get where you want to be.

If you want to workout 4 times a week, but find yourself sat watching youtube with no motivation to put in the work, you are not living in alignment with your goal. To combat this, lay out your workout clothes in a place you frequently pass! Or, find an accountability buddy, someone who has the same goal, and you can make sure you both get up and put in the work! Sooner or later, with consistency, you’ll see that your goals really are within your grasp. There’s no doubt that this can boost your confidence.

This too links in with study over envy! If someone you know is living the life you want, achieving the same goals that you have, study them and find out what they do differently. Then, take action and try implement what they do into your life.

Idea of the Week 💭

Sahil Bloom’s ‘Write-Rest-Review’ Framework.

In his tweet about this framework, he gives an insight on the way he keeps his business writing powerful. I’m giving this a try with essay writing and newsletter writing 😄

First, write. Whatever comes to mind, just get it down somewhere. Write the first draft and refrain from editing anything. The hardest part is often sitting down and putting your thoughts out there, but without the overwhelming urge to edit everything you type, there should be less friction involved!

Second, rest. Walk away for five or ten minutes. This could be reading a book, talking to a friend, meditating. Whatever it may be, make sure your mind is off what you just wrote. This gives your brain a creative break.

Third, come back and review it. Re-read your first draft, it’s bound to have flaws and imperfections. As you spent some time away from your work, you allowed your mind to rest and you’ll likely be much more open to new ideas and corrections. You’re almost reviewing it with ‘new’ eyes. This is where improvements are made.

Similar to almost all of the topics I talk about in these newsletters, the framework doesn’t just apply to writing. Maybe you’re editing a youtube video, or creating a piece of artwork! Whatever it is, make sure to step back for five minutes and then come back to the big picture.

To end, here’s a question from me!

What can you do today that will make tomorrow easier?

Thanks for reading 😆

Sam :)

P.S. if you plan to go ice skating, make sure to wear fluffy socks or it’s likely that your feet will hurt