Do you remember when you could study for an hour without interruptions, completely focused on the task? Without checking your phone, email, or responding to messages on Teams. An entire hour is dedicated solely to one activity. If we observe ourselves honestly, we will see that this is no longer part of our regular practices. Despite tasks still getting completed and results achieved, they come at a high cost: More hours are required. We experience greater exhaustion by the end of the day. We don’t reach our best potential. That’s why we assert that, above all, the most differentiating skill nowadays is the ability to work with mindfulness and concentration on truly relevant tasks, in time blocks of at least 45 minutes. The problem is that we start from such low concentration levels that this becomes truly challenging. Therefore, we propose five ways to enhance concentration in this illustration we have prepared. P.S. These practices will not only have a positive impact on your concentration but also on your enjoyment, your ability to listen to others, and your ability to make a significant impact.
Tag Archives: FASE Method
Sep
The power of disconnecting: Cultivating creativity and effectiveness. Recently, I had a young friend of my son over at our house. At 25, he’s a pilot with strong values. He’s friendly and open, but there’s a hunger for growth in his reflections, accompanied by humility, which is always a good sign. However, despite his promising future, I noticed a certain restlessness in him, perhaps even an excess of it. He confessed to me that he doubted whether he should achieve more in life. He shared his concerns with me repeatedly, and I sensed that he was somewhat consumed and excessively worried about the future. Interestingly, he told me that his own family often told him that he overthought things and needed to learn to relax. Naturally, he asked for my opinion, and I offered it to him with clarity: “You have a whole life ahead of you, at least around 45 years of opportunities. You must learn to enjoy the moment. But, when you do reflect, make sure your thoughts are effective and productive.” I suggested what I usually advise both myself and others when facing similar concerns. Regarding the restlessness that overwhelms us, I always recommend two actions: Record your thoughts: Write down all those ideas that pass through your mind. It can be in a notebook or a digital file. This will help you shape and clarify your thoughts. What isn’t written down doesn’t exist. Schedule time for reflection: Allocate an hour each week to continue your reflections. This will allow you to see how your thoughts and actions evolve over time and if you gain new perspectives. Nothing beats frequency and consistency over time. I advised him to avoid constant rumination about his concerns the rest of the time. He needed to relax and disconnect, especially concerning that particular topic. To do this, he had to ensure that, no matter how busy his schedule was, he found moments to take his mind off his worries. By acting this way, we discover that disconnection is a powerful ally for stimulating creativity and effectiveness. Now, it’s essential to understand why this works. When we work on something and give it a minimum structure in our conscious mind, by relaxing, we allow that information to pass into the subconscious. From that point on, our mind continues to work on it subconsciously. That’s why, at times, completely unexpectedly, a brilliant idea emerges from the depths of our mind during a walk, in the shower, or while driving. However, for this process to be effective, it’s essential to follow the steps 1 and 2 mentioned earlier. Furthermore, it’s crucial to have hobbies or activities that disconnect us completely from our work responsibilities. It can be anything from playing sports, painting, reading, cooking, meditating, or enjoying nature. The key is to find an activity that transports you to a state of relaxation and creativity, where you can set aside your concerns and allow your mind to work in the background. Learning to disconnect is essential for cultivating creativity and effectiveness in our lives. Taking time to reflect effectively and then allowing our minds to work in the background can lead us to discover innovative solutions and strike a balance between reflection and action. So, the next time you feel overwhelmed by worry and anxiety, remember the importance of disconnecting and giving your mind space to create and thrive. What’s that activity that truly allows you to disconnect?
Sep
Have you conducted the 4 key reflections upon the return from summer break? For many, September resembles January in the sense that it’s a good time for reflection and goal-setting. It makes perfect sense as we arrive filled with energy and good intentions. Moreover, we have less than 4 months to achieve our annual goals and objectives. Ensuring effectiveness from the very beginning is paramount. That’s why we invite you to ponder over these 4 questions as a formula to guarantee it: • Do you have a clear grasp of your priorities for the upcoming months, have you written them down, and have you aligned them with your manager? Or have you spent hours responding to and reading overdue emails instead? • Have you planned your schedule in a way that aligns it as closely as possible with these priorities? Or are you saying yes to every invitation that comes your way? • Have you designed a plan to maintain your energy at an optimal level until the year-end sprint? Or do you believe you don’t need it because you feel fresh after the summer? • What is the primary goal you must achieve before the year’s end, and what steps will you take to accomplish it? Or do you consider all goals to be equally important? Remember that it’s always a good time to reflect on the keys that enhance our personal productivity. That’s why we also recommend “LEAD YOURSELF” the book of the FASE Method.
Sep
Multitasking Isn’t for Humans We have accepted continuous multitasking as something normal when it is far from “normal.” One of the main issues today, acknowledged by most, is the lack of time spaces for concentration on a task, what we call “do deep work.” Maintaining clear focus on a single activity for 30 minutes is already quite challenging. The consequences of multitasking are evident: 1. Any task of a certain complexity will take us double or triple the time. 2. By the end of the day, we lose a lot of time due to the time investment required each time we switch from one task to another. And thus, the cycle starts anew. 3. When we close our work day our energy levels are minimal due to the high energy drain that multitasking entails. Month’s thought The problems we face are not that complex. The precise issue lies in how we approach them to solve them: periods of scattered attention while continuously practicing multitasking. Having the ability to do deep work on a single task for certain periods of time has become a distinctive skill. A Challenge Begin reclaiming your ability to do deep work during specific moments to regain focus. Reading or any task that demands concentration will be helpful. You’ll notice how you stretch the duration of time, and you’ll also relish it as you perceive the quality of your work increasing. Small Allies Select the most important topics for September and start planning to work on them in blocks of deep work time Moreover, introduce the necessary frequency and consistency. If you manage to bring higher quality attention to these priority topics, along with frequency and consistency over time, you’ll take a significant leap in the quality of the results you achieve. Recommended Reading Hyperfocus: How to manage Your Attention in a World of Distractions. “Hyperfocus” is a practical guide for managing your attention: the most powerful resource you have for getting things done, being more creative, and living a meaningful life. Our attention has never been as overloaded as it is now. Our brains strive to perform multiple tasks at once, while we fill every moment of our lives to the brim with meaningless distractions. The latest neuroscience research reveals that our brain operates in two modes when we use our attention effectively: a focused mode (hyperfocus), which is the foundation for high productivity, and a creative mode (scatterfocus), which allows us to connect ideas in novel ways. Through reading “Hyperfocus,” you’ll be able to identify and deal with the four key types of distractions and interruptions; establish a clear physical and mental environment to work in; control motivation and work fewer hours to be more productive; know how to take intentional breaks and learn when to pay attention and when to let your mind wander. Would you like to learn more about the FASE® Method? Thank you very much for reading us this week! And if you liked it, forward it to that person who will surely appreciate it. Kind regards.
Sep
The most common failure in personal productivity. The most common failure in personal productivity is the misalignment between CEOs’ priorities and their daily habits when it comes to personal organization and time management. Many directors have clear priorities but struggle to integrate them into their daily schedules. When we ask them if they have a clear vision of their goals, most of them respond with a resounding “YES.” However, when we inquire if they have written these goals down, again, most answer in the affirmative. They admit to setting annual goals regularly. Our response? That’s insufficient for effective planning and prioritization since annual goals are often too general. Therefore, we recommend transforming them into quarterly or monthly goals. When we ask if their agendas align with these priorities, the majority say “NO.” Those few who initially claim alignment often change their response to “NO” after closer examination of their calendars. Why does this happen? The reason is that we allow other people to dictate our schedules, when it should be the other way around. Based on my monthly or quarterly goals, I plan and protect my agenda to better align with my priorities, key meetings, and people necessary for achieving those objectives. This requires deep reflection and focused effort. We refer to this approach as “consistent intentionality.” Align your schedule with your priorities to create effective planning. Based on my monthly or quarterly goals, I plan and protect my agenda to better align it with my priorities and key meetings and people related to those objectives. This requires deep work and reflection and is what we call “consistent intentionality.” The second aspect involves being assertive and saying “NO” to activities, meetings, calls, etc., that do not align with your goals. While some commitments may be unavoidable, most can be politely declined or delegated to another team member. Saying “no” assertively will improve the quality of your “yes.” Finally, it’s important to remember that every time we say “yes” to something, we take away quality time from our goals. Therefore, the quality of our “yes” is closely connected to the quantity of our “no. Discover the consistent intentionality in your calendar and focus on it relentlessly. This is what will set you apart from letting others lead you. Prioritize your goals and shield yourself from the inertia imposed by others.
Aug
Conversations with a CEO: The Loneliness of Power and the Challenges of Being a CEO Once upon a time, there was a young entrepreneur named Alejandro, who, after years of hard work and deep commitment, achieved his goal of becoming the CEO of a startup. He was excited about this position and the opportunity to lead his team to success. However, within a couple of months, he began to feel the “loneliness of power.” Even though he had a team at his disposal, he realized he couldn’t ask a superior for help or share his fears as he used to do. One day, while he was meditating about this situation, his friend Ismael, who had also been a CEO, called him. “Hi Alejandro. I’ve heard that you’re grappling with the loneliness of power,” he said in a empathetic voice. “Yes, Ismael. I can’t help but feel lonely and vulnerable in this new position. I don’t have anyone to ask for help, and everyone expects me to be proactive, brilliant, and have the perfect solution for every problem,” Alejandro replied with concern. Ismael sighed. “Believe me, every CEO goes through this in the beginning. It’s a heavy load, but you have to remember that you’re there for a reason. The key is to remain true to yourself and take care of your well-being.” Alejandro reflected on his friend’s words and decided to find a way to confront the loneliness of power instead of letting it defeat him. Over the next few days, he conducted research and spoke to experienced CEOs in search of advice. Finally, he arrived at a conclusion that struck a chord. He didn’t need to worry about the specific problems of day-to-day operations but rather focus on his overall well-being and prevent the pressure and stress from slowly wearing him down. With this new perspective, Alejandro understood that he couldn’t be present in every situation or have all the answers. He recalled words a client had once shared: “divide and conquer.” This led him to realize that he had to identify which tasks truly required his presence to provide his experienced opinion. He then concentrated his efforts on prioritizing and delegated new responsibilities to his trusted team. Alejandro learned to trust his leadership and let go of the fear of showing vulnerability when it was appropriate and beneficial to the company’s growth. Over time, he discovered he was not alone on the battlefield. He began opening up to those around him, both inside and outside the company, and found that many people had experienced the “loneliness of power” at some point in their careers. This realization enabled him to build a strong and valuable network where he could share his concerns and receive advice from other leaders. This support helped him maintain the best version of himself and successfully tackle all the challenges that came his way.
Aug
In just a few weeks, most of us will be on vacation, and some of you may already be enjoying your time off. It’s crucial to take this opportunity for disconnection and to live life to the fullest. Many of our clients often seek book recommendations, but our suggestion is that there’s no better book than the one we write about ourselves, and what better time to do it than during our vacation? The surprised look on their faces when they hear this recommendation is priceless. This idea aligns with the reflection shared in our newsletter and our most recent post about the question: “Float or sail? Focus on your work life.” The post has generated numerous comments from friends and clients. To sail means to pause and contemplate from time to time, set goals, and make plans. Moreover, sails empower us to act effectively on those plans. On the other hand, to float implies missing some key elements needed to sail: inadequate thinking, being frozen and unable to take action, or taking unproductive actions. Some people ask us what it means to think from a perspective. We encourage them to take pen and paper and write about themselves—the kind of book that everyone should have about their life journey and the lessons they’ve learned. Remember, if it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist. This time of year is perfect for pondering how you’ve been progressing toward your 2023 goals. While many people conduct a mid-year review with their managers, we urge you to delve deeper and truly analyze and learn from these past few months. It’s like writing a chapter about your personal development over these six months. Consider what successes you’ve achieved in the first half of the year and what didn’t go as well and why. Reflect on the learnings you’ve gained and how you can apply them in the next six months. It’s essential to take a step back and meditate on the moments that have led you to where you are today. In a non-stop world where people keep moving from one thing to another without pausing to think, it’s akin to a hamster in a wheel, going on and on and on—and it can be dangerous. Remember that the journey towards your goals is not a straight line and may require adjustments along the way. Reflection, assessment, and simplification enable you to make those changes and stay focused on what truly matters. If you feel like you’ve made no progress, don’t feel disheartened. The fact that you’re contemplating it and evaluating your situation is already a significant step forward. Utilize this time to set new goals and approach the next semester with a fresh mindset and a clear plan. However, keep in mind that this process isn’t just about looking back; it’s also about looking forward to the future. Use your observations to create a clear action plan and set milestones for achieving those goals. Set realistic deadlines and concentrate on actions that will lead you to success. Overall, consider your level of personal effectiveness and whether you’re planning as effectively as possible. Without taking action, all the reflection and planning will yield zero results. So, start writing the first chapter of your book, which will have a profound impact on your PSP: Personal and Professional Satisfaction. See you in September! Enjoy your summer.
