This week I’m thinking about slowing down, but maybe not for the reasons you think. Slowing down enables creativity and reduces stress (as an article later will share). So, here are three ways I’m working on slowing down today:
Minimize distractions. Usually, I have slack, our internal communications chat, open all day; it’s distracting. I also have gotten into the bad habit of flipping over to my email often to see if something has rolled in that needs my attention. Both of these habits make me great at feeling like I’m getting work done when all I’m really doing is distracting myself with communication and avoiding the real work that needs to be completed.
The Pomodoro Technique. This is a productivity method where you focus intently on something, allowing zero distractions, for 25 minutes. Then you take a 5-minute break. You do this process four times, and then you take a longer 15 – 30-minute break. The beauty of this technique is that there is no task switching and thus no loss of productivity. It forces a deep focus that tends to produce better and faster work. This is the app I will be using.
Planning my work. This morning I won’t dive into my work, email, slack, or otherwise. Instead, I will look at what I need to get done today, make a plan, and then begin to execute. This will set me up to be proactive and thoughtful as I move into my day. I choose not to be reactionary today.
Great Reading for Nonprofit Leaders
Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Neuroscience All Agree: Your Daily Routine Needs More 'Non-time' - Again on the theme of slowing down here.
Slow Down and Write Better Emails - Slowing down to write good emails thoughtfully is critical for leaders, as some examples in this article point out.
What a Compassionate Email Culture Looks Like - Having a strategy (and training) on how a company uses email is important. Here are some ideas to get you started.
4 Fundraising Tips To Sample - Looking to ramp up your fundraising game? These ideas can help.
Check out my Podcasts
Tech Talk Y’all - A technology news podcast.
This week we talk about faster broadband, Netflix removing some people’s favorite feature, Russia’s botched twitter crackdown, and much more!TogetherLetters - A podcast about our new startup www.togetherletters.com.
This week we talk about how we now have a new and improved dashboard and website! Paid lists are next, and then, the world!
Other Interesting Reading
Here are a few other articles that I found interesting this week.
Why Channel 37 Doesn’t Exist (And What It Has to Do With Aliens)
I Read It So You Don’t Have To: Former GE CEO’s New Memoir - I listened to an interview about this book and thought the story was fascinating. If you want to know more about the decline of one of the world’s top companies from the guy that led it, check this out.
That’s a wrap!
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