TLP388: FOCUS with Jim and Jan

Dec 20, 2023

Jim and Jan talk about how difficult it is to maintain focus in a world that moves quickly. They state that a lack of time and resources is causing people to feel overburdened, busy, and frustrated. The paradox of choice, which holds that having too many options causes indecision and dissatisfaction with decisions made, as well as the addiction to busyness, and the difficulty of effectively managing time. Burnout and frustration can also result from being overly busy and realizing that you are not making any progress. They also stress how crucial it is to prioritize, simplify, and base decisions on what offers the best value for your time, money, and energy. Limiting the number of meetings per day and establishing boundaries with calendars are two more doable solutions to deal with these problems. Jim and Jan also talk about the importance of understanding the value of crisis leadership, that being in a constant state of crisis is not productive. They address the idea of availability. They share the importance of staying focused and finding fulfillment in one's career, and emphasizing the need for clear values and goals to maintain focus. 

https://bit.ly/TLP—388

Key Takeaways: 

[1:21] Jim and Jan talk about the reality of today’s working environment, where people are spending their life too much on their tasks until it leads them to frustrations. They also added that a lot of people are workaholics and keep themselves busy to the point of losing focus on their goals. People, especially young professionals, might be losing track as they are trying to be a jack of all trades. They also added that it is calmer to respond rather than reacting to anything, and learning not to say ‘yes’ to everything.

[4:59] They share about the nature of multitasking, in which you can’t do more than one task at the same time, but it is more like bouncing from one to another. Jim and Jan also share the pillars of self-reliant leadership: Lead self, Lead others, and Lead the organization. Further, they also discuss the importance of making a decision. They explain that the more choices you have, the more you can’t come up with a very good decision. By having too many options, you will never find your true happiness regardless of what you chose because you will always wonder what would be the scenario if you chose the other option. 

[11:32] Jim and Jan share that when aiming the goal of maintaining focus, you have to include discipline. It is imperative to look at your calendar and organize what you need to do- from the least to the most priority. Fully loading your schedule will lead you to frustrations and the missed opportunity of recharging yourself. The advantage of limiting your schedule will also give you time to prepare and follow up the things you have to do. 

[15:07] They mention the way people should respond to things and other people. They also share the seven villains of chaos: Con - he is the leader of the chaos that helped you to get where you are but end up not helping you anymore. Jack of all trades - the one who wants to do everything and do multitasking. Gorilla - the strong one but makes a mess in everything. Miss opportunity- is the distraction and gets you far away from what is important. Siphon - he is the pain in the neck. The jumbler- is someone that throws a bunch of crap against a wall and hopes it sticks. And the overload - is someone that masks everything they do with data, but it paralyzes you into a state of analysis paralysis. 

[24:30] Jim and Jan talk about being content and fulfilled at the same time. You have to remain focused and set aside the things that do not have value or your least priorities. They also mention that it is hard to maintain focus if you are not aware of what you really want, and you don’t know what you value. It is imperative to know your goals before taking the path. 

[29:46] Closing Quote: At the end of the day, you can't control the results; you can only control your effort level and your focus

Quotable Quotes:

“Saying yes to everything, never saying no, will let your time control you” 

“You have to control your reaction and respond to things rather”

“You are not paid to be busy”

“The more options you have, the harder it is to decide and to decide well.”

“When we talk about focus, it is about is prioritizing” 

“The more options you have, the less happy you will be no matter what you decide on, because you're always going to wonder if you made the right decision”

“Good enough is the best. The best isn't the best.”

“It's hard to be focused if you don't know what you value, and you don't know what you want.”

This is the book mentioned in this discussion:

Resources Mentioned:

• The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com

• Sponsored by | www.darley.com

• Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com

• Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com