3 Simple Mindset Shifts to Transform Your Work Tasks

By Leo Babauta

The two biggest obstacles(ˈäbstəkəl) to doing meaningful(ˈmēniNGfəl) work are familiar(fəˈmilyər) to many of us:

Burden(ˈbərdn) & complaint(kəmˈplānt): The work feels like a burden (difficult, overwhelming, annoying(əˈnoi-iNG)) … you might do the task but you rush(rəSH) through it or mentally(ˈment(ə)lē) complain about it, not wanting to do it.

Unimportant(ˌənəmˈpôrtnt) & putting it off: It doesn’t feel important to do this difficult task right now … so you feel like putting it off. You rationalize(ˈraSHnəˌlīz,ˈraSHənlˌīz) why it’s OK to put it off.

Either of these sound like you? You probably recognize(ˈrekigˌnīz,ˈrekə(g)ˌnīz) yourself in at least(lēst) one of these (if not both), as they’re incredible(inˈkredəbəl) common.

The first pattern makes our work (and things we have to do in our relationships and personal lives) feel like a huge burden, which makes us have a negative(ˈneɡədiv) attitude towards the work.

…

The second pattern makes us rationalize not doing something we committed to doing, which makes people trust us less and makes us trust ourselves less.

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What would happen if you could transform those patterns and everything you have to do?

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If these are patterns for you, I have a few simple mindset shifts to try out, that I think will transform everything:

See it as a “two-way gift”. When you have a task to do, it can feel like a burden … but you could also see it as a gift. For yourself, and for others. For example: if I have to write an article, I could feel the burden of writing it … or see this opportunity to write and help others as a gift I’ve been given.

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Remind yourself of its importance. Does it feel like the tasks you have in front of you aren’t that important, so that you can rationalize putting them off? Then either you’re picking the wrong tasks (pick ones that feel connected to something you care about), or you’ve forgotten the importance of that task.
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Meditate(ˈmedəˌtāt) (briefly(ˈbrēflē)) on the shortness of your life. Finally, you might try reminding yourself that death is coming. That might sound morbid(ˈmôrbəd) and unnecessarily(ˌənˌnesəˈserəlē) dark, but it’s a certain fact. We only have a limited amount of time left, and we don’t know how much that is. We like to pretend(priˈtend) that it’s forever, but it’s certainly not. If you only have a year left, how do you want to spend it?

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With this precious(ˈpreSHəs) day that you’ve been given as a gift … show up fully committed. Show up fully devoted(diˈvōtid) to the people you care about. Show up with fierce(fi(ə)rs) love that is a gift to all those around you.

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https://zenhabits.net/shifts/

The Fifth Discipline(ˈdisəplən)

By Peter(ˈpēdər) Senge(sanzh)

PART I

How Our Actions Create Our Reality … and How We Can Change It

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“GIVE ME A LEVER(ˈlevər,ˈlēvər) LONG ENOUGH(iˈnəf)… AND SINGLE-HANDED I CAN MOVE THE WORLD”

From a very early age, we are taught(tôt) to break apart problems, to fragment(ˈfraɡmənt) the world. This apparently(əˈparəntlē,əˈpe(ə)r-) makes complex(ˌkämˈpleks, kəmˈpleks, ˈkämˌpleks) tasks and subjects more manageable(ˈmanijəbəl), but we pay a hidden, enormous(iˈnôrməs) price. We can no longer see the consequences of our actions; we lose our intrinsic(inˈtrinzik, inˈtrinsik) sense of connection to a larger whole. When we then try to “see the big picture,” we try to reassemble(ˌrēəˈsembəl) the fragments in our minds, to list and organize all the pieces. But, as physicist(ˈfizəsəst) David(ˈdāvid) Bohm says, the task is futile(-ˌtil,ˈfyo͞otl)—similar to trying to reassemble the fragments of a broken mirror(ˈmirər) to see a true reflection. Thus, after a while we give up trying to see the whole altogether.

The tools and ideas presented(priˈzent,ˈprezənt) in this book are for destroying(diˈstroi) the illusion(iˈlo͞oZHən) that the world is created of separate(ˈsep(ə)rət), unrelated(ˌənriˈlātid) forces. When we give up this illusion—we can then build “learning organizations,” organizations where people continually expand their capacity(kəˈpasədē) to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns(ˈpadərn) of thinking are nurtured(ˈnərCHər), where collective aspiration(ˌaspəˈrāSHən) is set free, and where people are continually(kənˈtinyo͞oəlē) learning how to learn together.

As the world becomes more interconnected and business becomes more complex and dynamic(dīˈnamik), work must become more “learningful.” It is no longer sufficient(səˈfiSHənt) to have one person learning for the organization, a Ford(fôrd) or a Sloan(slōn) or a Watson(ˈwätsən) or a Gates(gāt). It’s just not possible any longer to figure it out from the top, and have everyone else following the orders of the “grand strategist(ˈstratəjist).” The organizations that will truly excel(ikˈsel) in the future will be the organizations that discover how to tap people’s commitment and capacity to learn at all levels in an organization.

…
https://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Discipline-Practice-Learning-Organization/dp/0385517254

Consumers(kənˈso͞omər) typically(ˈtipik(ə)lē) spend 24 hours each year calling or writing to complain(kəmˈplān), while at work, about poor customer(ˈkəstəmər) service, research suggests.

By Kevin(kaivən) Peachey(pēChē)

Problems with repairs in the home, delivery(dəˈliv(ə)rē) errors and frustrations(frəˈstrāSHən) about buying a property are the most common complaints, according to the Institute(ˈinstəˌt(y)o͞ot) of Customer Service.

The issues lead to billions of pounds in lost productivity in the UK economy(iˈkänəmē).

The institute said companies should use technology wisely(ˈwīzlē) to solve problems.

Previous research has suggested that younger consumers are most willing to complain about poor service, through various(ˈve(ə)rēəs) channels.

Now the institute’s latest(lāt) research suggests that people typically spend two hours in working time complaining to customer services - either on the phone, emailing, or through social media.

The most common gripes(grīp) also include transport, banking and tax(taks) problems, as well as faulty(ˈfôltē) goods, insurance(inˈSHo͝orəns), mobile phones and utility(yo͞oˈtilətē) bills.

Jo(jō) Causon, the institute’s chief(CHēf) executive(eg-,igˈzekyətiv), said many consumers had every right to be impatient(imˈpāSHənt), but they should remain polite(pəˈlīt) and clear when calling to complain after something goes wrong.

Companies should deal with problems promptly(ˈprämptlē) and get the balance right between technology solving the issues and human interaction with customers.

The research suggested that time wasted(ˈwāstid) by customers making complaints, and the cost to businesses and their suppliers in dealing with them, cost the UK economy £190bn a year in lost productivity.

“We hear a lot about productivity in a manufacturing(ˌmanyəˈfakCHər) sense, but in the service sector(ˈsektər) it is also a hard-nosed economic(ˌekəˈnämik,ˌēkə-) reality,” she said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46182230

Nothing to waste(wāst): The advantage(ədˈvan(t)ij) of being underfunded(ˌəndərˈfənd)

By Derek Sivers

Start-up companies who have too much money often blow(blō) it. There’s an advantage to being underfunded to keep you from making mistakes.

I don’t know if you’re old enough to remember the first dot-com boom(bo͞om) of 1999. But I’ll describe what it was like for CD Baby to have a booth in the exhibit(igˈzibit) hall of these conferences(ˈkänf(ə)rəns):

1998. Me at a plain(plān) table, talking with people and handing out flyers. Not many other booths(bo͞oTH).

1999. Me at a plain table, talking with people and handing out flyers. Other booths have big LCD displays and fancy corporate(ˈkôrp(ə)rət) backdrops.

2000. Me at a plain table, talking with people and handing out flyers. Other booths have booth-babe(bāb) models, fancy multimedia(ˌməltēˈmēdēə, ˌməltīˈmēdēə) displays, and giving away $50 items.

2001. Me at a plain table, talking with people and handing out flyers. Others have bought out an entire pavilion(pəˈvilyən), laser(ˈlāzər) light shows, giving away cars, offering a million dollar prize.

2002. Me at a plain table, talking with people and handing out flyers. Not many other booths.

I remember being pressured(ˈpreSHər) during the dot-com boom to take venture(ˈvenCHər) capital(ˈkapitl). But my response was always, “I’m profitable(ˈpräfitəbəl) and have plenty(ˈplen(t)ē) of cash. The company doesn’t need more money.”

They’d come back saying we could “expand our reach” or other vague(vāg) terms that to me sounded like blowing money on ineffective(ˈiniˈfektiv) advertising(ˈadvərˌtīziNG).

They’d say we could have a big marketing budget(ˈbəjit), but I’d say, “Marketing doesn’t cost money. ‘Marketing’ is another way of saying ‘being considerate(kənˈsidərət)’. It’s all in how you talk with people.”

By then they’d decided I was just crazy and would surely(ˈSHo͝orlē) fail(fāl), which was fine with me, because it let me get back to focusing on my clients and customers, undistracted(ˌəndiˈstraktəd) by investors.

https://sivers.org/novc

The Feeling That You’re Always Behind on Work

By Leo Babauta

Many of us have a constant never-ending feeling that we’re always behind on what we need to get done.

We wake up and already have a sense(sens) that we’re behind, and the slight anxiety(aNGˈzī-itē) that comes with that sense causes us to jump into our day, checking messages and email, starting the treadmill(ˈtredˌmil) of tasks and distractions and busyness that doesn’t end until we fall asleep.

How do we deal with this slight ever-present feeling of anxiety and this sense that we’re always behind on everything?

The answer comes, I believe, from slowing down, simplifying(ˈsimpləˌfī), and cultivating(ˈkəltəˌvāt) a sense of contentment(kənˈtentmənt).

Let’s look at each of these in turn.

Slowing Down

When we rush through the day, constantly doing small tasks and checking and responding to messages and running to distractions … we will always feel a slight sense of anxiety, because we are churning(CHərn) through things but feeling like we’re never getting anywhere. It’s a nonstop treadmill.

Slowing down is about pausing(pôz) in the middle of the rush. Taking a breath(breTH). Creating a little space. Reflecting on what we’re doing. Finding a little mindfulness, being present with our bodies, breath and surroundings.

Then asking, “Is there really a need to rush to the next thing? Can I stay and be present with this one thing? Or do nothing for a little bit?”

Simplifying

Once we’ve slowed down, and started to practice mindfully with whatever is coming up … we can start to simplify.

What does it mean to simplify in this case? It means to let go of attachments to doing everything.

For example, if I’ve slowed down, I might take a look at my todo list for today … and realize that it’s a complete fantasy(ˈfantəsē). I’m not going to get all of that done. Let’s move one thing to tomorrow, one task to a “Later This Week” list, and one to “Later This Month” (or even, “Do Next Year”).

Cultivating a Sense of Contentment

What does it mean for this “one thing” to be enough? It means acknowledging that it’s impossible to do everything on your list, impossible to get everything done. So you have to focus on one thing, and let that be enough.

“Enough” in this case means you’re content with doing this. It’s a beautiful thing to do, worthy(ˈwərT͟Hē) of some of your precious(ˈpreSHəs) life, worth letting the sands of time slip through your fingers because it’s important and wonderful.

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https://zenhabits.net/behind/

Breaking(brāk) bald(bôld), or how I coped(kōp) with losing(lo͞oz) my hair(he(ə)r)

By Graeme(grām) McRanor(mākrinər)

Recently, I went bald. Not ncessarily unusual given my age and sex(seks) but, generally, when a man loses his hair, he sees it coming. Or going, as it were. It’s unsettling(ˌənˈsetl), but at least there’s time to prepare for the inevitable(inˈevidəb(ə)l) – to grieve(grēv), make arrangements(əˈrānjmənt), say goodbye.

Mine disappeared overnight.

Okay, it might have been months, but I didn’t actually see it happening. Sure, there’s been some natural thinning since the lustrous(ˈləstrəs) 1990s, but one morning I woke up to what could pass for a crop(kräp) circle on the right side of my head; it was as if tiny(ˈtīnē) loggers had clear-cut a section of old growth while I slept.

Reaction(rēˈakSHən) to seeing sections of my own pallid(ˈpaləd) scalp(skalp) for the first time was similar to how the theatre(ˈTHēətər) audience responded in 1980 when, as a feathered(ˈfeT͟Hərd)-haired 10-year-old, I first glimpsed(glimps) the back of Darth Vader’s(vādər) disfigured(disˈfigyər) dome(dōm) in The Empire(ˈemˌpī(ə)r) Strikes(strīk) Back.

The horror(ˈhär-,ˈhôrər).

“It’s because I went vegan(ˈvejən,ˈvēgən),” I told my partner, Suzy, an experienced(ikˈspi(ə)rēənst) plant-eater with extravagantly(ikˈstravəɡəntlē) luminous(ˈlo͞omənəs) hair.

“Why do you think that?” she asked.

“Because I Googled it,” I replied. “It’s a thing.”

Determined(diˈtərmind) to bridge(brij) any nutritional( n(y)o͞oˈtriSHənl, n(y)o͞oˈtriSHnəl) gaps in my diet(ˈdī-it), I hit up the local health food store and bought protein(ˈprōˌtēn) powder(ˈpoudər), nutritional yeast(yēst), vitamin(ˈvītəmən) B12, vitamin D, silica(ˈsilikə), collagen(ˈkäləjən), L-lysine(ˈlīˌsēn) and branched-chain(CHān) amino(əˈmēnō) acids(ˈasid).

also reintroduced chicken twice a week – yet, a month later I was still shedding like a golden retriever(riˈtrēvər).

Then my beard(bi(ə)rd) began moulting(mōlt). I shaved(SHāv) the rest because it’s tough(təf) to look professional with half a beard.

“Maybe it’s because I quit drinking,” I said to Suzy.

“Yeah, that is definitely(ˈdef(ə)nətlē) not a thing,” she replied.

…
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-breaking-bald-or-how-i-coped-with-losing-my-hair/

Would Perfect Memory Be a Burden(ˈbərdn) or a Superpower?

By George(jôrj) Dvorsky

The ability(əˈbilədē) to remember every moment of your life sounds like an amazing proposition(ˌpräpəˈziSHən), but for the very few people who actually have this ability, it comes at a cost(kôst).

Known as Highly Superior(səˈpi(ə)rēər) Autobiographical(ˌôtəbīəˈgrafikəl) Memory (HSAM), or hyperthymesia(ˈhīpər thəmēshə), the condition—such that it is—was first chronicled(ˈkränək(ə)l) by University of California(ˌkaləˈfôrnyə)-Irvine(ˈərvīn) neurobiologist(ˌn(y)o͝orōbīˈäləjē) James(jāmz) McGaugh(māgau) in 2006. In his seminal(ˈsemənl) Neurocase study, McGaugh described “AJ,” a 42-year-old woman “whose remembering dominates(ˈdäməˌnāt) her life.”

Not to be confused with photographic(ˌfōtəˈgrafik) or eidetic(īˈdetik) memory, or professionals who use sophisticated(səˈfistiˌkātid) mnemonic(nəˈmänik) recall strategies, HSAM describes individuals(ˌindəˈvijəwəl) who spend an “abnormally(abˈnôrməlē) large amount of time” thinking about their past, and who have an “extraordinary(ikˈstrôrdnˌerē,ˌekstrəˈôrdn-) capacity(kəˈpasədē) to recall specific(spəˈsifik) events from their personal past,” as McGaugh first defined(dəˈfīn) the condition. But as McGaugh noted in his study, AJ’s superhuman recall abilities have their drawbacks(ˈdrôˌbak).

“Give me the day and I see it,” she told the researchers. “I go back to the day and I just see the day and what I was doing.”

AJ compared(kəmˈpe(ə)r) it to a split(split)-screen television, where she’d be talking to someone and suddenly a vivid(ˈvivid) scene(sēn) would pop into her head.

…
https://gizmodo.com/would-perfect-memory-be-a-burden-or-a-superpower-1829146902

Emphasize(ˈemfəˌsīz) meaning over price(prīs).

By Derek Sivers

A musician named Griffin(ˈgrifin) House used to sell CDs at his gigs(gig) for $15. He’d mention(ˈmenCHən) it once or twice from the stage(stāj), and sell about $300 per night on average(ˈav(ə)rij).

One day his manager(ˈmanijər), Terry McBride(mākəbred), asked him to try a completely(kəmˈplētlē) different approach. He said:

Tell the audience(ˈôdēəns), “It’s really important to us that you have our CD. We worked so hard on it and are so proud of it, that we want you to have it, no matter what. Pay what you want, but even if you have no money, please take one tonight(təˈnīt).”
Say this again before the end of the show. “Please, nobody leave here tonight without getting a copy of our CD. We’ve shared this great show together so it would mean a lot to us if you’d take one.”

It changes the request from a commercial(kəˈmərSHəl) pitch(piCH) to an emotional(iˈmōSHənəl) connection. Allowing them to get a CD for no money just reinforces(ˌrē-inˈfôrs) that.

As soon as Griffin made this change, he started selling about $1200 per night on average, even including those people who took it for free! The average selling price was about $10.

But the important part came next:

Because every person left each show with a CD, they were more likely to remember who they saw, tell friends about it, listen to it later, and become an even bigger fan afterwards.

Then, when the band returned to a town where they had insisted that everyone take a CD, attendance(əˈtendəns) at those shows doubled! The people that took a CD became long-term fans and brought their friends to future shows.

So, whatever you’re selling, emphasize the meaning of it, not the price.

https://sivers.org/livecd

nature is open, are we?

Nature Deficit(ˈdefəsət) Disorder(disˈôrdər)

By Henry H. Walker

we are an increasingly(,inˈkrēsiNGlē) urban(ˈərbən) society(səˈsīətē),
following(ˈfälō-iNG) the herd(hərd), the jobs, high culture, the possibilities,
inertia(iˈnərSHə),

we are an increasingly anxious(ˈaNG(k)SHəs) society,
helicoptering(ˈheliˌkäptər) our kids with rules, restrictions(riˈstrikSHən),
while also allowing them the siren(ˈsīrən) call of the screen,

today I took two middle school classes
just outside our building,
we sat near a small creek with a forest(ˈfär-,ˈfôrəst) slipping toward us,
bird calls louder than nearby voices and working tools,

it was hard for the kids to close their eyes,
and to open themselves so that
sounds, smells, tastes(tāst), feelings,
could work upon them,
to let leaves(lēv) and bugs and birds
have their way with them,

some students wrote of waking up,
of seeing and feeling a different world come at them,

one student wrote of being freed from the stress
of performance, of judgment, of having to talk to others,

nature is open, and we can receive(riˈsēv).

https://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2018/09/nature-is-open-are-we.html

Interview(ˈin(t)ərˌvyo͞o)
INTERVIEW

INT: AN OFFICE

Shawn is being interviewed for a position and has just been asked what he would consider his greatest weakness.

SHAWN

Hmm…what would I consider my greatest weakness? Great question, by the way. Y’know, Dan-can I call you Dan?-I think it’s really important to know your limitations(ˌliməˈtāSHən) and try to work past them, so identifying my flaws(flô) is an important part of the job process. A lot of people are satisfied(ˈsatisˌfīd) with just standing still and treading(tred) water their whole lives, but not me. I want to actually make a difference in this company and, frankly(ˈfraNGklē), my entire field, which is why I’m here.

As far as my weaknesses go-well, an aged scotch(skäCH) and a tall(tôl) brunette(bro͞oˈnet) would rank pretty high on the list, am I right? Haha, I’m just kidding. Oh, but a good Macallan(makalən) eighteen(āˈtēn,ˈāˌtēn)-year, am I right? I’m talking scotch, you perv(pərv), not the brunette! Hahaha!

No, for real, though, in all seriousness(ˈsi(ə)rēəsnis). I think this is a great question and deserves(dəˈzərv) a thoughtful answer. I’d have to say that my greatest weakness is my relentless(riˈlentləs) drive to be working all the time. It’s like, I can’t turn my brain(brān) off, y’know? I just get into a project and I have to make sure it’s perfect. I’m a bit of a self-critic(ˈkritik) that way. Never feeling like I’m good enough. Always have to do better than I’m doing. My dad actually used to say, “Shawn-if you can’t do that right, you’ll have to stand outside until I get done fixing(ˈfiksiNG) your mistakes.” I tell you, once you’ve spent a couple hours outside with no coat(kōt) on in January(ˈjanyo͞oˌerē), you learn to pay better attention to a job. You learn to do things right. And you never go back to thinking “Well, I guess I’m good enough.”

https://www.instantmonologues.com/preview/Interview