5-Bullet Monday #48 (07/12/2020)

Happy Monday!

This week I published:

1.
How to Effectively Manage Your Time and Get More Done: 7 Useful Techniques
Getting things done is hard. With an endless list of things to do and only 24 hours every day, how do you get it all done?

In this video, I give you my top 7 time management techniques that you can use to start ruling your days.

—> Want to get updates on future videos? Subscribe to the channel by clicking here ;)

2.
Can’t Focus at Work? How to Fix Your Focus (10 Simple Tips)
You know exactly what you need to do. Your to-do list is ready, you’re prepared to work. You’re full of energy. You’re just about to start.

But something is missing. Your focus is gone, your brain drifts off. Have you ever been there?

When you’re unable to concentrate your thinking process isn’t clear. You can’t focus on a task and maintain attention.

So let’s break it down.

Want to get updates on future articles? Follow me on Medium by clicking here.

3.
Extreme Productivity by Robert Pozen: Summary and Notes
Extreme Productivity is an outstanding book on making the most of what little time you have. Do you want to be extremely productive at everything you do? It will teach you how.

In the book, Pozen shares tips and tricks on doubling your productivity. Whether it is reading, writing, office work, or traveling, there is something for you.

Here’s my favorite quote:

“Success depends in large part on a proper mind-set: focusing on the results you plan to achieve, rather than the number of hours you work. The results are what matter most to your employer, clients, and colleagues.”

Do you have recommendations on books I should read and summarize? Hit reply and let me know ;)

I’ve got a big list of summaries to do so plenty more in the weeks to come.

Right, on to the Medley ;)
 

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Bullet Monday,” a list of what I’m pondering and exploring.

What I’m pondering—
Twice a year, I take a few days to think about work. I do it at the end of June and again at the end of the year.

Even though I don’t produce new content, these days are extremely valuable. I lay down my strategy for the next 6 months. So when I’m executing, I already know what I’m doing next.

So I only have 2 modes of work:

1. Strategy
2. Go

Ideally, there shouldn’t be overlap.

My 3 main strategies for no overlapping:

1. When a strategy idea strikes while in Go-mode, write it down
2. Look at your notes when drawing a strategy
3. Take a few days/weeks off for best results in Strategy-mode

I wrote about these 2 modes in this tweet.

What other tips would you add to the list? Reply directly to the tweet ;)

What I’m planning—
So 2020 was a weird year alright. But not all was bad. In the next weeks, I’ll share some of the highlights (and failures) of this year.

So as the end of the year approaches, I started to think more about what I want to work on and do in my personal life in 2021.

I normally take the last 2 weeks of the year for this exercise. But this year is a bit different because:

1. I’m having surgery next Friday and that’s gonna take a couple of weeks of recovery
2. This happened

So 1 was planned but 2 was definitely not. Anyway, I’ve managed to get most of my things done on an iPad (which is surprising to me).

So here’s what I’m planning:

1. Work: what I want to focus on next year, projects I want to take, things I want to write
2. Personal: 

I plan the whole year and then go deep only in the first 90 days. I find that’s the best planning time-frame for me. It’s long enough to make ambitious plans but short enough to lock in execution.

I share the process I use to plan my work in Zero to Done.

But I haven’t shared so much about the personal side of my planning. Do you want to know more about my process? Happy to put it into paper/video if enough people are interested. Hit reply and let me know ;)

What I’m reading—
This week, I started and finished 2 awesome books by Austin Kleon:

• Steal Like an Artist
• Show Your Work!

Steal Like is an inspiring guide to creativity in the digital age. It’s about how to unlock your creativity by “stealing” from the community of other movers and shakers.

Show Your Work! is about getting findable, about using the network instead of wasting time “networking.” It’s not self-promotion, it’s self-discovery―let others into your process, then let them steal from you.

2 must-read books if you’re a creator/artist of any kind.

(side note: I was happy to discover he also uses flashcards for research)

Now I’m reading The Unfair Advantage by Hasan Kubba and Ash Ali.

It offers a unique framework for assessing your external circumstances in addition to your internal strengths. Started out slow but picks up after a couple of chapters.

I want to read move about strategy in the next few weeks. Any recommendations? Hit reply and let me know ;)

What I’m waiting for—
Packages keep arriving almost every day. If you want to follow it at home, I’m updating this Twitter thread as things arrive (and some arrive at annoying times).

It’s exciting to have new things arriving but also a bit overwhelming. My room looks like a warzone at the moment.

And I find it hilarious that all this “productivity desk” gear is arriving while I’m working on an iPad. But oh well…

Got some emails with people wanting to see a video of me setting it up. So I’m going to try my first “setting up video”. Just a heads up though: don’t freak out when you see lots of bandages around my nose ;)

What I’m building—
Want to level up your productivity game? The Productivity Vault has more than 300+ proven productivity tips. These are all the productivity hacks I’ve spent years collecting and testing.

The tips are divided into categories. Learn how to stop procrastinating, better manage your time, develop laser-focus, level up your email game, and a whole lot more.

You can do this research yourself. Do what I did and spend 2 years reading every piece of info I could find on productivity.

Or you can copy and use ALL of the same productivity tips I’ve used to get results faster and easier than trying to read and find them yourself. I’ve already done the research so you don’t have to. 

All you do is read my collection of the best productivity hacks, then apply what you’ve read.In a MINUTE, you can use and benefit from each performance-boosting hack. Everything that works with simple step-by-step instructions on how to apply to your work and life.

Get immediate access by clicking here.

Please give me feedback on Twitter. Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.

Just send a tweet to @dansilvestrecom and put #5BulletMonday at the end so I can find it.

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And should you come across anything interesting this week, send it my way. I love finding new things to read through members of this newsletter.

Have a great week ;)

Dan

P.s. don’t forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel ;)