In the past most businesses have focused on time management as the key to work performance. In today’s business environment, however, time management is secondary. We have many time saving devices. We are also more conscious of time wasting. The bigger issue has become our ‘attention bandwidth’. That is, how much of our attention is broken throughout the day. Here are 5 things I do to protect my attention bandwidth.
Protecting my Attention Bandwidth
1. DON’T CHECK YOUR EMAIL FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. Emails are time vampires. You will get reeled into reading or doing stuff that is not important. Before you know it you will have wasted an hour of your day before you even get started. And you would have wasted your most valuable morning energy and focus on the least important stuff.
2. TURN OFF ALL TECHNOLOGY for 60 minutes a day and focus on doing your most important work. The best time is when you first start working.
3. TURN ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATIONS OFF. That is, rings and vibrations telling you have mail or SMS.
You could be analyzing something or talking to a colleague or client and suddenly you get a message. Now your focusing not on what you are doing or on what the person is saying. But rather on whom that message could be from? That break in concentration will lead to poor service or mistakes.
The other dangerous thing about notifications is that it constantly trains our mind to focus on what else we should be doing next? Instead of what is happening now. It takes us out of the moment.
Turn off notifications and check emails and SMS when you want to.
4. BRAIN DUMP in your diary at the end of each day. Write your ‘to do’ for the next day. It gets things out of your mind so you can switch off and focus on your family when you get home.
5. TURN YOUR PHONE OFF WHEN YOU GET HOME. A lot of people in sales fall into this trap. They feel that they have to be at call 24 hours. They don’t want to miss a call. But customers do not expect that. They expect to deal with someone real; someone with a life! So turn off your phone as soon as you get into your driveway. Go inside and connect with your family.
There is no doubt that medicine makes this goal even more achievable. But if you look closely at the statistics you will notice that whilst people are living longer, they are not living a quality life. In fact if you visit nursing homes you will see that some are living a miserable existence of their dire circumstances.
Living 'till 100
My father’s recent stroke has been a wake up call for everyone in my extended family. On one particular evening around the dinner table the discussion centred around longevity and what the secrets are. I started recounting everything I had learned over the years about health and nutrition (it has been a personal study of mine since I was 17 years of age). Someone then asked me if I could email a list. So what started, as an email became a mini project. I began to compile a list of lifestyle tips that have the most impact on our wellbeing. I believe these 20 tips will sharpen your mind, keep your body strong, resistant to disease and help you live a long happy life.
Here they are:
1. Have long-term goals. Having something to wake up to every morning is the strongest of motivations for living with vitality. There are a cocktail of healthy chemicals that give life to our creativity, our energy and our zest for living. Having a purpose in life releases these chemicals daily. It is the difference between waking up with an energetic burst or waking up with lethargy and a headache.
2. Socialise more with friends.Research shows that people who have a wide circle of friends and who socialise often are much healthier than people who are isolated and lonely.
3. Stay in a good relationship. Research has shown that people who are in a loving long-term relationship are much happier and healthier than their single counterparts.
4. Travel regularly.Humans are nomadic by nature. When we stay in one location we stagnate. When we roam our five senses are stimulated. We feel most alive when we experience adventure. Travelling does not have to be overseas. In fact it’s healthier to travel locally. Get out and explore your own part of the world. I make a habit of going for weekend trips with my family and friends. We may drive to the mountains, visit apple orchards in autumn or go to the beach in summer. The main thing is to get out of the house.
5. Wake at sunrise and sleep within 3 hours of sunset. Research shows that every hour of sleep before midnight is the equivalent of two hours after midnight. Research also shows that waking at sunrise reduces our blood pressure, which is the single most dangerous factor leading to heart disease and stroke.
6. Follow a diet that’s true to your heritage.Before air travel we did not travel long distances within hours. This meant that our bodies evolved over many years by eating essentially the same food. That’s why I think it is overly simplistic to claim that some diets followed by certain cultures are best for everyone. If you are Japanese then eat Japanese food, if you are Italian, eat Italian food. It is in your DNA.
7. Read often. Reading not only sharpens your mind, but if you read the right material it can enlighten your view of the world and this keeps you inspired. I would also add, doing crossword puzzles and other brainteasers. Check out Lumosity
8. Mix it up – by using your opposite hand and foot. I try and use my left hand whenever I can, especially before I have to do some creative thinking. Using the opposite hand/foot sharpens the mind and keeps both sides of your brain working. If you have a stroke in older age you have greater chance of recovery.
9. Have an afternoon nap. The siesta was made famous in Spain, which had one of the lowest rates of depression in the world. It is a modern tragedy that the cities in Spain that have abolished the siesta now experience the highest rates of Prozac prescriptions. Having a nap may be difficult because most of us work Monday to Friday but even a 20-minute lie down in the park after lunch is sufficient.
10. Watch comedies and hang out with friends who are funny.We are often told to adopt the “don’t worry be happy” mantra. The easiest way to do that is to have more reasons to laugh in life. Laughter releases so many feel-good hormones that replenish our cells.
11. Move your body – naturally. Exercising in a mechanical way on expensive equipment in gyms is not what primes your body for natural strength. Walking, running, swimming, and moving your body in natural movements does. Squatting while doing gardening is natural. Bending to clean your home is natural. Push-ups, chin-ups, squats and sit-ups are also natural movements. In fact I think the best form of exercise you can do is to join a martial arts club. You can be 8 or 80 years of age and still get the benefits. The best form I have come across is Wing Chun.
12. Drink filtered or spring water.One of the best investments you can make is the installation of a reverse-osmosis water filter. It gets rid of the most harmful chemicals in our water supply. In particular, fluoride in water is the cause of many ailments, which lead to premature aging.
13. Never eat when you’re stressed or upset.Go for a long walk or cardio the stress right out of your system. If you are going through a period of emotional stress it is better to eat very small meals. Or better still, drink vegetable juices instead.
14. Keep your bowels clean. Nobody likes to talk about this subject but the fact is that stagnant food in the colon is the cause of much toxicity. And this is easily preventable. There are two easy lifestyle tips to follow: First, consuming lots of fruit and vegetables. Second, schedule “no. 2” toilet breaks as part of your morning and nightly ritual. A lot of people are so busy being busy that they neglect this routine. They don’t realise how much harm they are doing to their body.
15. Brush your gums and tongue.The link between gum disease, heart disease and stroke. Poor periodontal health causes certain oral bacteria to make the arteries sticky and inflamed. Excluding this risk factor is easy. All you have to do is floss and brush your teeth regularly – but at least at night.
16. Do your pelvic floor exercises. Also known as Kegel exercises. This assists in preventing prostate cancer in men and avoids incontinence in older age, which is listed as the single most demoralising thing for old people in nursing homes.
17. Listen carefully to your body.Whilst you may not experience obvious signs of intolerance to food and situations, it may be affecting you in a subtle way that undermines your energy. Often we are too distracted with life to really notice what is going on in our body. Paying attention to what drains us and what lifts us is the single most important thing that we should bring our self-awareness to. It can be the food we eat, the company we keep and our surroundings – like noise or air pollution. Just because the body gets used to something, it doesn’t mean that it’s not affected by it in a negative way.
18. Meditate – most people do not meditate because they think it is a complex eastern philosophy. The truth is sitting quietly in a warm and comfortable spot can be meditation. Listening to the sounds of nature can be meditation (sitting at a beach or natural reserve). So to is having a warm bath or having a nap.
Most people give up on the idea of doing nothing. Too many things go round in their head that they cant sit still. I know this because I used to be one of them. For those people I say, go for a long walk. This is meditation, especially if you know how to control your thinking during this time. The magic happens around the 45-minute mark. Your mind will switch off and your thinking will slow down. I follow the Circle of Positive Thinking (COPT) during my walks and that totally transforms my attitude. (Please email me if you would like the details of COPT)
19. Give yourself to charity.Why do celebrities go to Africa and put their time and energy into helping others? Because when you have all the money in the world you will realise that giving to others is the single most important way we can connect with other people. Do not underestimate the power of good wishes bestowed upon you by the people you are helping.
In my next blog I will share with you one particular secret to long life that is backed by scientific evidence and many years of research. This was recently shared to me by a GP friend of mine. I was surprised by the information and will share it with you after I have a chance to read the material.
I am talking about the sort of fearless leadership that sets a business assail toward new frontiers, where the journey lasts years, motivates many and delivers a bounty.
The following is a list of inspirational traits I have witnessed among business leaders whom I have had the pleasure of working with over the past 24 years.
Fearless Leaders Set the Pace
1. Fearless leaders do not try and predict the future. They focus on shaping it. In a fast and ever-changing business environment it is futile to try and predict the future, especially when it comes to consumer trends. Fearless leaders know this. Instead they focus on creating and setting the trend.
2. Fearless Leaders are decisive and act fast. Fearless leaders have a mindset toward making a decision, implementing it quickly, learning, adapting and continuously improving. Fast. It sometimes means accepting risks, forgiving mistakes and learning from everything. Fearless leaders set aggressive deadlines and insist on meeting them. They have no time for protracted analysis, long-winded meetings, and unnecessary reviews and checkpoints. Speed of decision-making. Speed of implementation. They thrive on it.
3. Fearless Leaders are always right – even when they are wrong. I know this is a contentious trait but fearless leaders don’t care if they are wrong sometimes. Conviction is better than tireless collaboration, which inevitably leads to inaction. Sometimes making a mistake and correcting it quickly is much more effective than impotent collaboration – just ask Mr Obama how that’s going.
4. Fearless leaders wear their heart on their sleeve. They are intense, passionate and often the most animated in meetings. They do not try and hide their true personality. What you see is what you get – in the boardroom or at the pub. They do not sugar coat anything. They tell it like it is and spare no one. But they are always constructive and never hysterical to the point of spooking others.
5. Fearless leaders put the business first and ego’s second. Including their own. There is something bigger than all of us in an organisation. And that is the mission. Anyone putting their personal interests ahead of the mission cannot call themselves leaders, let alone fearless ones. Anyone who has seen the movie Braveheart would understand what I mean here.
6. Fearless Leaders build a team of champions around them. Including their suppliers. They do this by recruiting the best, not tolerating mediocrity and demanding innovation, hard work and round the clock intensity. They recognise that nothing great has ever been created with a 9 to 5 mentality.
7. Fearless leaders have one-on-one meetings with the right people to get the ‘real’ picture. People are rarely full and frank in open business meetings. They will NOT say what’s really on their mind. Or worse still, they will not say anything at all. If you want to know what’s going on in people’s hearts and minds, a one-on-one meeting is best. Especially, if you do it out of the office. I usually go for a walk to get some fresh air and gain some perspective.
8. Fearless Leaders zoom in and out of their organisation. This is my personal favourite and one that I try and adhere to. Fearless leaders sweat the small stuff. They know that the smallest of details can sometimes mean the biggest difference in setting you apart from your competitors. They can zoom in on a specific issue and mix it with staff at any level. They can re-engineer, re-design and get technical. They also have the uncanny ability to zoom back out and not miss the big picture.
9. Fearless leaders build a legacy not an exit strategy. Fearless leaders are not satisfied with short-term results. They do not pursue a strategy that grooms their business for sale. They do not distribute dividends and bonuses at the expense of research and development. They stay focused on the future and the positive impact their products and services can make on society.
10. Fearless leaders are fiercely competitive – they hate losing!
If you want your woman to climb the table to kiss you on Valentine’s Day, read on.
VALENTINE'S DAY DESIRE
Most guys I know (myself included) are very courageous in sport and in business – but when it comes to intimacy they are so terrified of being rejected that they are sometimes reluctant to initiate sex. What most men don’t realise is that intimacy is not an ON/OFF button you can press whenever you want to get some. It is a culmination of your actions over days, weeks and months.
My philosophy is to talk less and show more. Talk is cheap. In fact the deepest moments of intimacy occur when you’re not talking.
1. Do like Andre Agassi – he has a black board in the kitchen where he writes a DAILY note to Stefi Graf telling her what he loves about her. It can be the simplest thing like “I love the way you eat a mango” or “I love the way you cover your mouth when you smile”. If you do not live with your partner, a simple text message on waking every morning is awesome. She will read it throughout the day.
2. Send Her A Gift Unexpectedly – Sometimes the “just because” gifts we give mean as much or more than those given on special occasions.
3. Arrange An Entire Evening Together – Create the atmosphere that you know that she loves, and make it like a complete date; the great meal, the right music, and a romantic comedy or film she loves. And finish off with a bath or shower together.
4. If She Works In An Office Setting: Send Her A Bouquet Of Flowers For Her desk That Will Last A Week – Include a card, letting her know you wanted her to have something lovely to look at that week at work.
5. Buy Her Something To Her Taste At A Lingerie Store – They have the most helpful people there who will help you put together a gift package that will be appreciated, romantic, and hopefully, used!
6. Check Into a Hotel – Take her to a nice hotel in town and enjoy room service, shopping, indoor swimming, or whatever she wants to do. Instead of booking her into the spa for a treatment, give her a full-body massage yourself. It’s not that difficult if you take your time and use the right oil.
7. Tell Her You Want To Shop With Her For A Special Present -Take her to her favourite stores, or ask her what she really wants or needs. Hold her hand throughout the experience. Shop with her patiently, and when she buys something, tell her that she deserves it.
8. Write Her A Love Letter – Be soft and generous in your praise of her. Use the kinds of words you used when you first got together
9. Ask Her To Plan A Weekend For The Two Of You – tell her you will go anywhere, do anything, and basically, cater to her and with her, for 48 hours.
My last tip is to work just as hard on your love life as you do on your work life.
Here are eight agreements you should make with yourself to help you build discipline and willpower in 2012. I do this exercise every year. Whenever I get complacent or fall into a rut I go back to these agreements and remind myself not to break them.
See something bigger in yourself!
Health – Cherish your body. Nothing else matters more. Focus on the energy you have. Eat well, exercise and relax daily. Fill your daily life with purposeful activities that give your body a reason to manifest energy.
Love – Love yourself by looking after your health and guarding your mind against negative images, negative thinking and negative associations. Look your best by wearing clothes that make you feel attractive. Have the courage to show and give love to your life partner, whether or not they give it back. Tell your partner daily what you love about them – words are powerful. Work just as much on your love life as you do on your work.
Family – Support your family at all times. Give them the confidence to pursue their goals and dreams. Help them overcome obstacles. Focus on their strengths and their good qualities. Remind them daily of that. Tell them you love them no matter what happens – whether they succeed or fail at anything. Spend time developing a relationship with all family members.
Work – Choose to love your work. Always do your best. Focus on the difference that your product or service is making to society. Have empathy for your customers. Value the privilege of serving them from the heart. Be grateful that you live in a society where there is the opportunity to work. At all times be honest in the execution of your work. Master your job by constantly learning and evolving. Always ask yourself, ‘can I do this job better?’ Be impeccable in your conduct at work. Be fearless in your execution.
Friendship – Let your words, laughter and charm bring a smile to others. Help your friends see the lighter side of life and not take themselves too seriously. Act with integrity and hold true to your standards and beliefs. Never compromise them to be popular. Never pre-judge others. Be open to new friendships. Always greet people with a smile and a friendly hello. How others respond is their own reality and has nothing to do with you.
Learning – Commit to 45 minutes of learning daily about every aspect of your life and not just your work and wealth. Limit watching TV and other popular media. Watch uplifting talks by great thinkers on TED.com. Read books from pioneering minds. Attend courses and seminars organised by people who care and have something unique to share. Listen twice as much you talk. Discover your talents by having self-awareness for your thoughts and feelings. Live a conscious life where you decide what you want to listen to, read and watch.
Wealth – Invest in yourself first before you invest your money. If you have a business invest in your own field of dreams first before investing with others on the stock market. Live a frugal lifestyle and reduce your dependence on money. Spend less, save more. Say no to consumerism and your addiction to buying more and more things that end up collecting dust in the attic. But don’t skimp on things that improve your life.
Charity – Learn about the plight of others in need. Don’t shut yourself out to other people’s suffering. Help others by giving your time and/or money. Charity does not have to be grand. A simple kind word of support is sometimes all that someone needs. Help a team member at work. Share an idea that can help a friend live a better life.
