“In order to be successful at something, you need to focus on it. Focus means saying no to other things. When I’m focusing on my work, I’m saying no to a lot of other things that I enjoy doing. The Sabbatical is a time where I give myself permission to pursue those secondary passions—things like composing music or creating art.” —Sean McCabe
Our 4 Hypotheses
[11:44] – Hypothesis #1: There is significant value in having a clear goal, a single focus, and a deadline.
[13:42] – Hypothesis #2: Work always expands to fill the space its given, and thus a project will take as much time as you give it.
[16:15] – Hypothesis #3: Time away from work is critical for being more creative, focused, and productive when at work.
[21:14] – Hypothesis #4: Scheduling breaks and vacations ahead of time means we are far more likely to take that time
[22:28] What can you do?
[24:55] Q & A
[25:05] – I have several ideas for different series of articles I’d like to write. I’m excited about all of them, but I don’t have the time to work on them all right now. What are some tips for a situation when you have several things you want to do but you don’t have the resources to do all of them at once? —Justin
[29:50] – The moment you mentioned your connection to practice in martial arts, I was fascinated. A ton of questions bubbled to the surface. Which martial art did you practice? What sorts of lessons and disciplines have you carried through from martial arts to your daily life? How long were you practicing? Do you still practice now? Did you compete? I have a very strong belief in instilling children with discipline and mindset through the practice of a martial art, what’s your opinion on this? —Eli
[35:40] – I’ve been working on goal setting and I was introduced to the S.M.A.R.T. method for setting goals as explained by Karen Corban. Last week I started reading Work Simply by Carson Tate, and she describes why S.M.A.R.T. goals did not work for her. Instead she introduces her R.E.A.D.Y., Aim, Fire Methodology for goal setting (and execution). What are your thoughts on these two methods for goal setting? —Ken
[46:30] – Regarding the Creative Focus Summit, were the people/friends you interviewed compensated in any way? I would like to interview others on my topic of interest and am curious if it is appropriate/expected for them to be compensated? Or do they not mind giving back (as you had mentioned that the summit was a way of giving back and free to your clients)? —Hollie
[49:35] – The question is related to this month’s reading: The Dip. Do you have any tips and perspectives on how to tell whether you are in a Dip or cul-de-sac? —Justin
