Don't let them stop you
If your work can be stopped, it will be, every single time.
When you are doing something important, things will come up, don't let them stop you. You know the feeling, the work that needs to get done; you are in the zone and ready to crush it. You sit down, get started, and just as you are starting to feel like you are moving mountains and all is right with the world, you get a call, a text, and a knock at your door. All work stops your train of thought derails, crushing all other productive thoughts in its path, and you are left with the wreckage of what could have been great work. Don't let them stop you.
If you are a knowledge worker (working at a computer most of the time), you likely experience this kind of event daily. So, recognizing the destructive nature of distraction, you put up roadblocks to fix it. You get up early, block out time, close your email, and finally, you are ready to work. But, the kids get up early, a co-worker can only meet during that time you blocked off, and you start getting texts about projects rather than emails. At every turn, you are distracted. Don't let them stop you.
As much as you try, as diligent and intentional as you are, the distractions just come, unbidden. They never stop, never slow down. They will overtake you if you let them. They will stop you in your tracks time and again, thwarting quality work and substituting distraction in its place. Don't let them stop you.
If your work can be stopped, it will be, every single time. Quality work today requires a fight for focus. Fight for it today. Don't let them stop you.
Leadership reading from this week
Leaders, it’s about time you get comfortable being uncomfortable - If we want to keep the best people on our teams, we have to give them room to grow, even if that means disagreeing with us.
Why Are People Really Leaving Their Jobs? The Whole Reason Can Be Summed Up in 4 Words - Four words: Feedback that goes unheard.
Employees who quit have realized this 1 missing thing about their job - People want a sense of belonging.
This week I’m thinking about keeping team members happy.
People are leaving their jobs at a rate we have never seen before. Two of the articles above cite that people leave because their feedback isn’t heard, and they don’t have a sense of belonging. Those are just two sides to the same coin. People want work that means something, where they are a part of a community and their work matters. If their feedback goes unheard, it breaks that desire. If they don’t belong, it breaks it as well.
Other great reading from the week
Why Mandates Make Us Feel Threatened - Mandates threaten our autonomy, and that makes us feel out of control and threatened.
Stop rambling. Here’s how the most successful people get to the point, says public speaking expert - Let’s be honest, most people ramble. They ramble because they aren’t clear on the point they want to make. This will help.
Startup propaganda has demonized sleep as "for the weak." That couldn't be less true
Great podcasts from this week
The Halo Effect - Hidden Brain - This episode examines how it’s almost impossible to evaluate past actions because now we know how things turn out.
My Podcasts to check out
Tech Talk Y'all - My tech/comedy news podcast.
TogetherLetters - My podcast about the app that I’m helping build to keep people better connected.
Real Pink - I host the national podcast for Susan G. Komen. If you want some inspiration or information about breast cancer, give it a listen.
TechBridge Talks - A podcast about using technology to end generational poverty.
That’s a wrap!
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