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Leverage Your Body

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Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges

The body is a powerful performance enhancing tool.

The mind constantly looks to the body for signals on how to think, act and feel.

“Your body shapes your mind. Your mind shapes your behavior. And your behavior shapes your future. Let your body tell you that you’re powerful and deserving, and you become more present, enthusiastic, and authentically yourself.” – Amy Cuddy, Presence

To discover how you can use your body to boost mental performance and increase the odds of success watch the following video:

Upgrade Your Brain

Spark Your Brain

Insights from the book ‘Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain‘ by John J. Ratey, MD.

Time to read – 7:14 minutes

Need motivation to exercise?

Stop seeing exercise as something you do to build a better body.  Start seeing exercise as something you do to build a better brain.

“Exercise cues the building blocks of learning in the brain; it affects mood, anxiety, and attention; it guards against stress and reverses some of the effects of aging in the brain.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

After reading ‘Spark’ by John J. Ratey I started seeing exercise as an essential component to optimizing my mental performance.  This mindset shift had made me extremely motivated to exercise each and every day.    

Why?  

Our brains are everything.  They dictate our moment-to-moment experience.  

“It (your brain) is running the show. Right now the front of your brain is firing signals about what you’re reading, and how much of it you soak up has a lot to do with whether there is a proper balance of neurochemicals and growth factors to bind neurons together. Exercise has a documented, dramatic effect on these essential ingredients.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

A damaged brain can dramatically alter on ones life.  There are many cases of head injuries that alter ones personality for the worse.  There are approximately 44 million people who suffer from Alzheimer’s, a disease that erodes the brain and turns people into shells of their former selves.

If we don’t take care of our brains the quality of our life will suffer.  Keeping your brain in optimal condition should be our primary goal.

Miracle-Gro for the Brain

When we exercise our bodies generates a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).  Once released into the bloodstream it is brought into the brain and provides the building blocks for new neural connections.  

“Early on, researchers found that if they sprinkled BDNF onto neurons in a petri dish, the cells automatically sprouted new branches, producing the same structural growth required for learning—and causing me to think of BDNF as Miracle-Gro for the brain.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

Think of BDNF as a spool of wire that an electrician can use to repair existing electrical connections or install new electrical connections throughout a building.  BDNF is the raw material we need to build a better, more robust brain. 

We can get BDNF in order ways (like intense study or deal with mild stress at work), but we don’t get the full benefits of BDNF unless we exercise.

“BDNF gathers in reserve pools near the synapses and is unleashed when we get our blood pumping.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

Exercise also releases hormones IGF-1, VEGF and FGF-2 that work in unison with BDNF to optimize neural growth in the brain.

“Exercise sparks the master molecule of the learning process”  – John J. Ratey, Spark

Exercise as a Stress Healer

Exercise is a form of stress.  Stress is known to break down our brain cells.  However, because our brain receives a flood of BDNF post exercise, our cells have the opportunity to grow back stronger and more resilient.

“Toxic levels of stress erode the connections between the billions of nerve cells in the brain or that chronic depression shrinks certain areas of the brain…exercise unleashes a cascade of neurochemicals and growth factors that can reverse this process, physically bolstering the brain’s infrastructure.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

“Neurons get broken down and built up just like muscles—stressing them makes them more resilient. This is how exercise forces the body and mind to adapt.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

Those who experience chronic work stress are seen to have a shriveled hippocampus when viewed with a brain imaging machine.  The hippocampus is a region of the brain strongly correlated to memory and creativity.  

“Studies show that if researchers exercise rats that have been chronically stressed, that activity makes the hippocampus grow back to its preshriveled state. The mechanisms by which exercise changes how we think and feel are so much more effective than donuts, medicines, and wine.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

When we exercise we reverse the neurodegenerative effects of chronic stress and restore our brain base performance state.

Exercise For Innovation

The hippocampus brain region acts like a cartographer for the brain – linking new information to existing memories.  By exercising we can grow new brain cells in the hippocampus region and increase our ability to connect novel ideas with existing ideas – the essence of creativity and innovation.  

“If you have an important afternoon brainstorming session scheduled, going for a short, intense run during lunchtime is a smart idea.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

Good Mood Chemicals

Stress alters people’s mood for the worse.  Stressed people are often temperamental, critical and angry.  Aerobic exercise can reset our mood by restoring the neurotransmitters responsible for a happy and calm state of mind.

“Exercise increases levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine—important neurotransmitters that traffic in thoughts and emotions.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

Startling Results

A 2007 study showed that when a group of adults tried learning a series of new vocabulary words before and after exercises they were able to recall words 20 percent faster after they exercised.  Researchers noted that their rate of learning correlated directly with their levels of BDNF.

A 2009 study showed that kids who walked on a treadmill for 20 minutes at 60% of their maximum heart rate performed measurably better on an academic achievement exam compared to those who remained stationary.

In Naperville Illinois, schools have instituted mandatory morning gym class and observed remarkable academic results.   In 1999, 97% of the eighth-grade students took a Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) test and scored #1 in the world among 230,000 other kids in the science portion of the test (performing better than kids from Singapore and Japan).

These Naperville students take part in what is called ‘Zero Hour PE’.  During ‘Zero Hour PE’ students are required to elevate their heart rates with basic aerobic exercises prior to attending their first class.  

Prior to instituting mandatory ‘Zero Hour PE’, the Naperville school district compared two groups of student in the same literacy class on reading and comprehension.  The students who elevated their heart rates above 80% of their max heart rate for a period of time prior to the literacy class had a 6.3% edge on reading and comprehension tests.

Initially, students at Naperville found the exercise to be annoying.  Girls would complain about being smelly and gross.  That soon changed.  After interviewing and observing the students over a period of time, they found reported the following results:

“Their senses are heightened; their focus and mood are improved; they’re less fidgety and tense; and they feel more motivated and invigorated.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

A new stereotype is emerging in schools around the world: “the smart jock”.  Students who are routinely active have are more likely to get a better grade if they put in the same study time as their non-active counterparts.  

How Can I Get My Dose?

How can I get a healthy dose of this brain enhancing chemical – BDNF?  What type of exercises should I do and how long should I do them for?

Here are a few clues:

  • A 2007 experiment showed that one thirty-five-minute treadmill session at either 60 percent or 70 percent of maximum heart rate allowed forty adults (age fifty to sixty-four) to improve their processing speed and cognitive flexibility (they came up with more uses for a newspaper – fly swatter, umbrella, etc.).
  • A small Japanese study found that jogging thirty minutes just two or three times a week for twelve weeks improved executive function.
  • Studies show that mice who do acrobatics have 35% more brain cell growth in the motor control center of the brain (the cerebellum) and the mice who just ran.  

Based on the data, we should do aerobic exercise the elevates our heart rate for a period of time (like running, swimming and biking), but also try to play a sport that requires hand-eye coordination in order to build other regions of the brain.

“Choose a sport that simultaneously taxes the cardiovascular system and the brain—tennis is a good example—or do a ten-minute aerobic warm-up before something nonaerobic and skill-based, such as rock climbing or balance drills. While aerobic exercise elevates neurotransmitters, creates new blood vessels that pipe in growth factors, and spawns new cells, complex activities put all that material to use by strengthening and expanding networks. The more complex the movements, the more complex the synaptic connections. And even though these circuits are created through movement, they can be recruited by other areas and used for thinking. This is why learning how to play the piano makes it easier for kids to learn math. The prefrontal cortex will co-opt the mental power of the physical skills and apply it to other situations.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

What Works For Me

I run or use the spin bike just before lunch for 15-20 minutes at 65-75% of my maximum heart rate.  I find that this exercise regime keeps me focused and able to tackle difficult problems throughout the afternoon.  

I avoid exercising above 75% of my max heart rate.   When my heart rate goes higher than 75% of my max heart rate I enter the ‘anaerobic’ exercise zone.  While in an ‘anaerobic’ zone I am unable to take in enough oxygen, I start breaking down muscle at an accelerate rate through the release of lactic acid and I burn through my glucose energy reserves (which causes added stress on my body).  I find that I focus much better post exercise if the exercise kept me in a heart rate zone just below 75% of my max heart rate.

You can calculate your max heart rate by: 208 – (0.7)*current age (formula gathered from this study).  Then use a heart rate monitor to track your heart rate while exercising.

If you don’t have a heart rate monitor don’t worry.  You’ll know you are going into an anaerobic heart rate zone if you cannot maintain your pace by only inhaling and exhaling through your nose.  The moment you need to open your mouth and gasp for more air you are going to hard.

Twice a week I’ll try to play a sport that combines aerobic activity with hand-eye coordination.  My go-to sports are hockey and basketball.

Now that I know the power of exercise, I always schedule difficult work tasks after my exercise sessions.

The TAKEAWAY

“The body was designed to be pushed, and in pushing our bodies we push our brains too.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

Aerobic exercise releases large amounts of BDNF – a powerful brain drug.  

  • It accelerates learning and enhances creativity.  
  • It repairs brain regions damaged by chronic stress.  
  • It provides an optimal dose of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine—important neurotransmitters that keep you focused and help you fight off depression.

“You have the power to change your brain. All you have to do is lace up your running shoes.” – John J. Ratey, Spark

What Now?

Go for a 20-minute run, bike or swim prior to starting a difficult work task or attending a critical brainstorming session.

On weekends engage in a sport that elevates your heart rate and involves complex movements.  Give Yoga, Pilates, Soccer or Tennis a try.  Your brain will thank you for it!

 

Focus Funneling

Procrastinate on Purpose_

Insights from the book ‘Procrastinate on Purpose‘ by Rory Vaden.

Time to read: 6:36 minutes

Procrastination has evolved over the years.

Thanks to our ‘information age’ we have adopted an advanced form of procrastination called ‘priority dilution’.

“Priority Dilution has nothing to do with being lazy, apathetic or disengaged. Yet it is the same net result: We delay the day’s most important activities by consciously or unconsciously allowing our attention to shift to less important tasks…To someone struggling with Priority Dilution, it can sometimes feel like the harder they work, the more they fall behind. For every e-mail they send out, they get two in return. And each task they complete seems to hold behind it two more additionally that need to be done.” – Rory Vaden, Procrastinate on Purpose

We are bombarded by hundreds of requests (emails, phone calls, texts) and thousands of distractions throughout the day (advertisements, newsfeeds, status updates).  All this information clouds our priorities and leads us into ‘reaction mode’.

In ‘reaction mode’ we don’t take the time to consider the significance of something.  

Significance is different than importance.  

I mistake importance for significance all the time.  When I first had the idea to start my own business I took the time to build a business plan.  A business plan seemed important at the time and it probably was important…up to a certain point.  I spent weeks trying to perfect my business plan.  Even after weeks of work my work on the business plan it still ‘felt’ important.  However, looking back, the more time I spent on the business plan the less time I spent testing my ideas, building productive systems and hiring people to grow my business grow – all significant items that would have a lasting impact.

Minute-by-minute we all believe we are performing important tasks.  As the days pass we look back at our results we realize how ‘unimportant’ many of those tasks were.  

The main reason we believe things are more important than they really are is due to our sense of urgency.  The pace needed to keep up with the information coming our way and the impatience of others around us causes us to think everything is urgent AND important.

“As you factor in a calculation for Significance, it begins to offset some of the weight and pull of Urgency— which is the exact cause of Priority Dilution!” – Rory Vaden

The 3rd Dimension

The feeling of importance and the sense of urgency form our two-dimensional time management model.  However, when we expand our thinking to consider the ‘significance of a result’ we uncover a third dimension of time management: significance.

“Those making the Significance calculation are operating on a plane of different perspective. They are considering not only what matters now but also what matters later. Therefore that person is better able to resist the temptation of the tyranny of the urgent— which is exactly what ultra-performers do.” – Rory Vaden

By thinking “how long will this matter?” we move truly important items to the top of the priority list.  By considering the impact of our next action on our life and the lives of others we can see that most things are just noise.

However, it’s unrealistic to pause and consider the ‘significance’ of every option we face.  We need a system to automatically filter external requests and actionable insights.

The Focus Funnel

Author Rory Vaden suggests that we filter each idea/request through the following stages before we commit our time to completing it:

    1. Eliminate: Is this something I can live without?
      • it’s OK to say no…
    2. Automate: Is this something that can or should be systematized?
      • invest in systems that pay off in the long run (this will compound your free time)
    3. Delegate: Is this something that can be completed by someone?
      • let go of your need for perfection...
    4. Procrastinate on Purpose: Is this something that can wait until later?
      • now may not be the best time to take action (wait for more information or wait to batch process this item with a group of similar items)…
    5. Concentrate : Is doing this thing the most significant use of my time?

By the time we think through steps 1 through 4 you end up ‘concentrating’ on something that is likely to have a significant impact.  

If we can’t eliminate it then we try automating it.  If we can’t automate it then we try to delegate it.  If we can’t delegate it then we try procrastinating on it (deliberating waiting until you have all the information necessary to confidently completely the task OR until the task is deemed unnecessary).  If the thought of procrastinating on something is unbearable or simply unacceptable, then we have permission to focus all your energy on the item until it is complete.

“Until you accomplish your next most Significant priority, everything else is a distraction.” – Rory Vaden

When we don’t filter items through our ‘focus funnel’ we inevitably begin:

“Trading the things we know we should be doing for the things that other people want us to do. Allowing ourselves to be commanded by the Tyranny of the Urgent into things that are not Significant, but they are in front of us.”  – Rory Vaden

Author Rory Vaden identifies each stage of the focus funnel as a ‘permission’.  

  • We fail to ignore things because we haven’t given ourselves permission to say no.  
  • We don’t hand things off to others because of our need for perfection.  
  • We don’t allow ourselves to spend time building systems that will serve us in the future because we need to respond to every request in the present.  
  • We don’t allow ourselves to delay certain low priority action items because we need to get our inbox/to-do list to zero!

But…

  • We always have a choice (we just need to recognize the trade-off).
  • We can learn to trust others with our work give them a chance to thrive.
  • We can take some time today to build systems that will improve tomorrow.
  • Most things can wait and waiting is often a wise decision when things are likely to change.
  • We are allowed to block out our time and focus on a select significant things for the majority of our time.

The focus funnel is a very productive way to think.

Funnel Revision

I resonate with almost all the ideas in ‘Procrastinate on Purpose’ but based on my experience I there is one step missing from the funnel process: the 2-minute capture or complete.

The author suggests that every item we can’t ignore should go straight into the systemizing and delegation phase.  However, depending on our current state of mind and the intensity of a situation we may not have the courage to ignore/eliminate certain items that should be ignored/eliminated.  We might think (based on your current circumstances) that we can’t live without it.  If it gets past our ‘elimination’ filter we might start building a system around it and waste a considerable amount of time doing so.  If we go into the delegating phase we might waste a considerable amount of time and money doing so (creating a whole host of other problems in the process).  

I suggest that we use the ‘2-minute rule’ (as explained in the book ‘Getting Things Done’ by David Allen) to initiate the focus funnel.   The ‘2-minute rule’ states that we either complete an item within 2-minutes of receiving it or capture the details of the idea/request and schedule it to be completed at a later date.  

The ‘2-minute rule’ prevents small but necessary items from piling up and it allows us to capture items that may seem critical at the time but end up being less critical when we check in them at later date (with a fresh perspective).

We can also use the ‘2-minutes rule’ to initiate the idea/request to see if it is worthwhile or to gather more data.

For example:

  • take 2 minutes to list the steps needed to complete this task and the expected result/benefit.
  • take 2 minutes to send an email to someone with experience in this particular area (asking for their advice).
  • take 2 minutes to write a quick draft document on the topic.
  • take 2 minutes to get a quote from a team member on how long they think it would take to complete
  • take 2 minutes to get a quote from an outsourcing agency and find out how much they think it will cost.

Two minutes is long enough to take the action needed so we can stop thinking about it (for now).  Two minutes is short enough to not disturb our current work task (you are able to easily remember where you left off and resume working – minimizing the switching cost associated from having to re-direct and re-focus our attention).

The TAKEAWAY

We need a systematic way to filter the things that come our way, otherwise we start living life according to other people’s agendas and never see the opportunity to leveraging the systems and people that can give us more room to concentration on what is truly important to us.

Give yourself the permission to ignore, invest, accept imperfect results, leave less significant things incomplete (for the time being) and focus on just one thing that could have a lasting impact.

“Work double-time part-time (on significant items) and you shall soon embrace the full-time free time.”  – Rory Vaden

What Now?

Use the revised focus funnel (click here a condensed Task Filtering Flow Chart):

  • If you feel a task is important, Take 2 Minutes to capture, initiate or complete the task.
    • if you complete the task there is no need to continue down the focus funnel.

During scheduled blocks of time or when you receive a reminder, look back at that time and ask:

  1. Could I live without this task?
    • If not, Eliminate it or move it to a someday/maybe list.
  2. Is it best to wait?
    • If you are waiting on information that might render this task unnecessary you have permission to Procrastinate on Purpose
  3. Can I systematize it?
    • If there is existing service, software application or decision-making model to automate this process, use them.  If not, determine if it is worthwhile to set up a system that can Automate this task and free up your time.  As a general rule: if it takes you 5 minutes to manually perform a daily task it is worthwhile to spend 30x that amount (150 minutes) building a system to automate that task.  
  4. Can I delegate it?
    • If an employee or coworker can do it 80% as good as you, Delegate it.
    • If a freelancer can do it for less than 80% of your hourly rate, Outsource it.

If you can’t eliminate it, delay it, automate it, delegate/outsource it, then you must block out all distractions and Concentrate your effort on completing it yourself.

 

Twice the Work, Half the Time

Twice the Work

Insights from the book ‘Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time‘ by Jeff Sutherland.

Time to Read: 8:26 minutes

Do you find most projects start off great but end up being a total nightmare to manage midway through?

Thanks to Jeff Sutherland’s book ‘Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time’ I no longer have project nightmares.

The Problem with Most Projects

The traditional method of executing a project goes something like this:

  • one person is responsible for estimating and sequencing the activities needed to complete the project (makes assumptions for areas he/she is not an expert in)
  • managers assign people to complete the activities
  • the team sticks to the original plan until the project is complete (management assumes the original estimate will remain relevant throughout the entire project life-cycle)
  • any change is seen as a threat to the project
  • additional resources are spent trying to get the project back on track, according to the original (outdated) plan

This rigid approach to project management can often create products the customer doesn’t actually need in the end.  It delivers a product that is more then they actually require and cost more money then they were willing to spend!

This traditional project management method is called the ‘Waterfall’ method.  In the book ‘Scrum’, author Jeff Sutherland reflects on his experience with the ‘Waterfall’ method:

“The process was slow, unpredictable, and often never resulted in a product that people wanted or would pay to buy.  Delays of months or even years were endemic to the process.  The early step-by-step plans, laid out in comforting detail in Gantt charts, reassured management that they were in control of the development process – but almost without fail, we would fall quickly behind schedule and disastrously overbudget.” – Jeff Sutherland

The shortcomings of the ‘Waterfall’ method can be explained by the shortcomings of the human mind.  Psychologists have found that we all use irrational mental shortcuts from time to time and are not aware that we are doing so.  Psychologists call these shortcuts ‘cognitive fallacies’.  Here are a two fallacies that the traditional ‘Waterfall’ method falls prey to:

1. Planning fallacy

The planning fallacy was first introduced by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in 1979. It states that we chronically underestimate the time it takes to complete something (even if we are aware of the phenomenon) because of our overconfidence in completing common tasks and our tendency to focus on a single isolated event without considering the influential factors.

A 1994 study called ‘Exploring the planning fallacy: Why people underestimate their task completion times’ asked 37 psychology students how long it would take them complete their thesis – identifying the best and worst-case scenarios.  At the end of the study, researchers found that the actual completion dates occurred an average of 7 days later than the student’s worst-case estimates.  Only 30% of students were able to stick to their original estimates.

We suffer from the planning fallacy whenever we estimate mid to large size projects.

“Estimates of work can range from 400 percent beyond the time actually taken to 25 percent of the time taken. The low and high estimates differ by a factor of sixteen. As the project progresses and more and more gets settled, the estimates fall more and more into line with reality until there are no more estimates, only reality.” – Jeff Sutherland

Therefore, a project plan is only useful if it can be refined in increments and updated according to the latest information we receive.

“The key is to refine the plan throughout the project rather than do it all up front. Plan in just enough detail to deliver the next increment of value, and estimate the remainder of the project in larger chunks. In Scrum, at the end of each iteration you have something of value that you can see, touch, and show to customers. You can ask them: “Is this what you want? Does this solve at least a piece of your problem? Are we going in the right direction?” And if the answer is no, change your plan.” – Jeff Sutherland

It is important to plan our projects.  But we must ensure we do not ‘over plan’ our projects.

 “A good plan executed violently now is better than a perfect plan executed next week” – General George S Patton Jr.

2. Sunken cost fallacy

If we use a large amount of time and resources to generate a project estimate we become overly attached to it.  This attachment causes us to defend an original estimate, go over budget trying to maintain it and disregard new information that conflicts with it.   When this occurs we are suffering from what psychologists call ‘the sunken cost fallacy’.

“The sunk-cost fallacy keeps people for too long in poor jobs, unhappy marriages, and unpromising research projects. I have often observed young scientists struggling to salvage a doomed project when they would be better advised to drop it and start a new one.” – Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Economist and author of ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’

If our initial estimate is too detailed we forget the true intent of the project and make the ‘plan’ the priority.

These two fallacies cause endless frustration when managing projects.

A New Way

In the 90’s, Japanese professors Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka did extensive research on some of the most effective companies in the world and found that they conducted projects in a radically different way then the Waterfall method.

Jeff Sutherland, author of ‘Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time’, used Takeuchi and Nonaka’s research to develop a project management system called ‘Scrum’ in the early 1990’s.  Since then companies like Google, Amazon, Salesforce.com, Toyota and the FBI have used Scrum and continue to use it.

“Scrum has its origins in the world of software development. Now it’s sweeping through myriad other places where work gets done. Diverse businesses are using it for everything from building rocket ships to managing payroll to expanding human resources, and it’s also popping up in everything from finance to investment, from entertainment to journalism. Scrum accelerates human effort— it doesn’t matter what that effort is.” – Jeff Sutherland

Scrum can be used in almost every environment and on every type of project.  I’ve used Scrum on my engineering projects and I now use it manage my website.

The 7 Steps of a Scrum Project

Identify the product owner (visionary), Scrum master (team facilitator) and a small team of 3 to 9 people that have all the skills necessary to complete a project phase.

(Scrum Sprint Checklist PDF – receive a condensed one-page checklist of the Scrum method)

  1. Create and Prioritize a Backlog (product owner responsibility)
    • List everything that needs to be completed by the team, for the entire project, in narrative format: who, what, why (who’ll be getting value from it, what exactly do they need and why do they need it – “As an X, I want Y, so that I can do Z”).
      • make each item small enough to estimate.
      • make each item independent of other items (items can be considered “complete” on their own).
      • ensure each item is ‘testable’ when completed (determine a testing method that you can use deem the item “complete”).
    • Rank the items in terms of their customer value.
    • Items that can provide immediate value and with relatively very little risk should be at the top of the list (prioritize items based on how quickly they can be demonstrated and used to generate revenue).
  2. Refine and Estimate Backlog Items (team’s responsibility)
    • As a team, assign a Fibonacci number to each item: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 (a natural progression in nature that humans naturally find easier to make comparisons with).
    • Start with one of the hardest/most complex items and assign it a value of 13 (use a higher Fibonacci number, like 21, 34 or 55 for very large projects).  Make a relative comparison to this first item when assigning values to all other items.
    • ”Do not estimate the Backlog in hours, because people are absolutely terrible at that” – Jeff Sutherland.
  3. Conduct a Sprint Planning Session (lead by the Scrum master)
    • Establish a fixed sprint duration for the project that is no longer than 4 weeks (most people run a 1 or 2 week Sprints).
    • Have the team determine how many points they think they can complete during the first Sprint (after the first Sprint they will have a benchmark value to use for future Sprints – aiming for a few more points each successive Sprint).
    • Once the team has committed to what they think they can finish in one Sprint, that’s it.  It cannot be changed or added to.
  4. Make Work Progress Visible (Scrum master’s responsibility)
    • Create individual post-it notes for each sprint item and put them in one of three columns: DO, DOING, DONE.
    • Move an item to ‘done’ directly after completing it.
    • Update the Burndown Chart at the start of each day (a graph with ‘Sprint points’ on the y-axis and ‘Sprint days’ on the x-axis – starting with the total initial number of story points selected for the Sprint)
      • The end result should be a steep downward slope that ends with zero points remaining on the last day of the Sprint.
  5. Conduct Daily Stand-up Scrum Meetings (lead by the Scrum master)
    • Each day, at the same time, for no more than fifteen minutes, the team and the Scrum Master meet and answer three questions:
      • What did we do yesterday to help the team finish the Sprint?
      • What can we do today to help the team finish the Sprint?
      • What obstacles could slow down our progress?
  6. Host a Sprint Demonstration (team’s responsibility)
    • Invite all project stakeholders (customer, product owner, management, etc.).
    • Show the results of what was completed during the last sprint.
    • Only show items that meet the ‘Definition of Done’ (it does not need to be a complete product, but it should have at least one functional feature).
  7. Conduct a Sprint Retrospective Session (lead by the Scrum master)
    • Gather feedback and comments from the demonstration session.
    • Get the team together and have candid, solution-oriented discussion to answer the following questions:
      • What went well?
      • What could have been better?
      • How can we improve the next Sprint?

Repeat steps 1-7 (briefly re-assessing steps 1 & 2 each sprint) until the customer is satisfied with the end result.

When you follow this method of work you don’t need to work as much.

Screenshot_012516_101211_AM

Maxwell Curve chart from the book ‘Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time’ by Jeff Sutherland (Chapter 5)

Why Scrum Works

Scrum works great because it embraces the following truths:

Compounding Improvement

Thanks to daily standup meetings and retrospective sessions scheduled no longer than 1 month a Scrum project continuously improves.  Each improvement is build upon the previous improvement.  When you improve a project process in this fashion you experience compounding improvement (aka: exponential improvement).

Most people are unable to grasp the power of compounding (me included!).   We are all linear thinkers by nature.  If I told you to take 30 linear steps 1 meter at a time, how far would you get?  Easy, 30 meters.

But what if I told you to take 30 exponential one-meter steps: 1m step + 2m step + 4m step, etc.  How far do you think you would be able to go?

Taking 30 exponential steps you take your 1,000,000,000 meters away from where you started.  With 30 exponential steps you would circle the earth 78,000 times.

By having short sprints and frequent demonstrations we are able to harness the power of exponential improvement on our projects.

80/20 Production

In 1896, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto found that most things follow an 80/20 distribution – 80% of the land was owned by 20% of the population, 80% of the wealth was in the hands of 20% of people, 80% of his peas grew from 20% of the pea pods.  The Pareto Principle has become known as the ‘law of the vital few’: the majority of the output comes from a vital few inputs.  Translated to our projects: the majority of value we deliver comes from a vital few tasks.

By finding and focusing on the 20% of available tasks on a given project for a given sprint we reduce the chances of working on something the customer may not need.  The sprint duration should only allow enough time for 20% of the initial project activities to be completed before the next demonstration.

Screenshot_012516_102838_AM

Compounding Value Chart from the book ‘Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time’ by Jeff Sutherland (Chapter 8)

When you deliver 80% value after each 20% time duration you end up delivering 350% of the expected project value (assuming you perform five 20% sprints during the project life-cycle – 80% value x 5 sprints = 350% overall value).

Reduced Decision Fatigue

If you don’t work in sprints (doing frequent demonstrations and retrospective sessions), you’re likely to waste a great deal of time doing things that are not essential to the project.  This will require you to take extra time (overtime) to get the essential project components completed.

Working overtime leads to poor decision making.  Poor decision making leads to mistakes, which leads to more work.  It becomes a downward spiral towards burn out.

“People who work too many hours start making mistakes, which, as we’ve seen, can actually take more effort to fix then to create. Overworked employees get more distracted and begin distracting others. Soon they’re making bad decisions.” – CEO of Venture Capital firm OpenView states as detailed in the book ‘Scrum: Twice the work in the half the time’

Scrum validates results throughout the project lifecycle and ensures that very little time is wasted doing activities that produce minimal value.  The system of Scrum forces you to be effective with your time and avoid overtime.  When you reduce overtime you reduce decision fatigue and the rework that results from decision fatigue.

Intrinsic Motivation

In the book ‘DRIVE: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us‘, author Daniel Pink explains that people are driven by three powerful intrinsic motivations: purpose, mastery and autonomy.  It turns out that intrinsic motivators last longer and are much more powerful than extrinsic motivators (i.e. more money).

Scrum taps into our three intrinsic motivators in the following way:

  • Purpose: all team members establish and share a common goal to deliver the most value in the shortest amount of time.
  • Mastery: continual improvement combined with visual progress generates a sense of mastery.
  • Autonomy: team members focus on results instead of activities.

The TAKEAWAY

Use Scrum to make your projects vastly more enjoyable, rewarding and efficient than traditional project management methods.

What Now?

Turn your next project into a Scrum project by following the 7 steps of Scrum (click here for a handy one-page Scrum Sprint Checklist PDF).

Practicing Work Violence

Approach your work with violence.

“A good plan executed violently now is better than a perfect plan executed next week” – General George S Patton Jr.

Take massive action.

“The path to success is to take massive, determined action.” – Tony Robbins

The thought of working ‘violently’ gets me in the right state of mind to complete my work.

I used to aim for perfection. I used to get easily overwhelmed and easily frustrated.  

Now I get fired up to take on tasks.

I take action, any action, to advance my goals.  I look for ways to flank your tasks (automate, batch, break it down into small chunks and achieve small victories).

My relentless action leads to relentless progress.

Be in One of Two States

I either operate with violence or serenity.  During the work day I find myself in wartime and in peacetime.

Massive action can lead to a state of frantic ‘busyness’.  Therefore it is important to practice violence in short bursts.  After each burst of violence capture your completed work and the time to capture as a brief intermission and a chance to reflect on the significance of your work while experiencing a deep calm.  If your violence leads to low-value work, stop being violent in that area.

Don’t let the violence consume you and lead to chronic stress.  Use it as a tool but let that tool turn against you and don’t wear the tool out.

Make Initial Actions, Massive Actions

“When would now be a good time to do that?” – Tony Robbins

All power comes from the moment you decide to act.  

Never leave the sight of a goal without doing something towards it attainment.  When inspired by a new goal, ask yourself: “what can I do with two minutes of intense work to further my commitment to this goal?”  

Two minutes of violent action is enough to solidify your commitment to a goal.  Once a ball is rolling downhill it becomes hard to stop.

Massive action creates momentum – momentum leads to progress – progress generates results.  Massive action is taking that initial action as soon as possible.

“The important thing is to have a ball, to be joyful, to be loving and to be explosive. Out of that comes everything and you grow.” – Ray Bradbury

 

What Now?

Overwhelm each item with a flurry of violent action.  Take 2 minutes to thrash and hack your way through the to-do list.  Observe the progress you make and build off it. 

When you get violent with your work it doesn’t have a chance to overwhelm you.

Forgive Thy Procrastination

Studies show that thinking about behavior as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ is surefire way to NOT reach your goals.

This phenomenon is what psychologists call moral licensing.

When you do something that you consider to be a ‘good’ behavior you are more likely to start trusting your impulses.  When you trust your impulses you are more likely be distracted and are less likely to stick to that ‘good’ behavior. 

Priding myself for ‘good’ eating leads me to binge on a box of pastries later in the week.  Thinking I dis the ‘right’ thing by sitting down to work for few hours on a weeknight, causes me to procrastinate for the remainder of the week.

When we think we are doing something ‘good’ we unknowingly give ourselves permission to do something ‘bad’.

The Darkside of ‘Good’ Behaviors

I know many people who start running in order to lose weight and end up eating more and gaining more weight.  Why?   When people think they’ve done the ‘right’ thing (running) they give themselves to indulge a little – “I deserve a treat for my good behavior!”

When McDonalds added the ‘Healthy Choices’ section to their menu the sale of Big Macs and other ‘non-healthy’ items skyrocketed.  The mere act of considering to eat ‘good’, healthy food caused people to indulge in ‘bad’ behavior!

In one study a group of people were asked to recalled a time they gave money to a charity.  They were then asked to make a donation to a different charity.   The group that recalled a previous donation (a ‘good’ behavior) ended up donating 60% less than people who did not reflect on past donations.

How ‘Bad’ Behaviors Backfire

Labelling behaviors as ‘bad’ will also make you more likely to engage in ‘bad’ behavior.

Why?

When you engage in ‘bad’ behavior you feel guilty.  Whenever you feel guilty your brain desperately wants to avoid the feelings of guilt so it tries to forget the situation.  As the brain attempts to delete the memory associated with guilt you suddenly become more impulsive and more likely to indulge in the same ‘bad’ behavior.

In one study students tracked how much alcohol they consumed and noted how they felt about their consumptoin.  The students that filt ‘bad’ about their alcohol consumption the night before were more likely to drink that night and the night that followed.  Psychologist call this the “what-the-hell effect”.  Its the equivalent to saying “I already blow my diet, I might as well eat the whole thing!”.

Guilt drives more guilt.

Another study tracked the studying habits of students prior to exams.  If a  student felt ‘badly’ about procrastinating on a previous exam they were more likely to procrastinate while studying for an upcoming exam.

“Study after study shows that self-criticism is consistently associated with less motivation and worse self-control”. – Kelly McGongial, PhD and author of The Willpower Instinct  

Instead of scolding yourself for ‘bad’ behavior, try forgiving yourself.  Doing so may seem counter-intuitive but it turns out be essential for stopping future ‘bad’ behavior.

As told in book ‘The Willpower Instinct’, a group of women on a diet were asked to eat some donuts in the name of science.  After the dieters ate the donuts (as requested by the researchers), they were put in a waiting room with a giant bowl of candy awaited them.  If a participant was told: “everyone indulges sometimes; don’t be so hard on yourself”, they ate much less candy than the group of dieters that did receive the message of self-forgiveness.

When you forgive yourself for a ‘bad’ behavior you stop fleeing from the ‘bad’ behavior.  Instead, you learn from your experience and are less likely to indulge in that bad behavior again.

The Takeaway

Stop thinking of behaviors as ‘good’ or ‘bad’.  Instead, simply reflect on the cause and effect of your work: finishing a work project allows you to focus on other things, while checking Facebook provides a temporary escape but leads to additional stress later in the day.  There is nothing ‘good’ or ‘bad’ about those options, there is simply a choice and trade-offs.

When you feel guilty about a ‘bad’ behavior find a way to forgive yourself for doing it to increase the chances of not doing it in the future.

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”  ― William Shakespeare, Hamlet

What Now?

The next time you procrastinate – forgive yourself and think: “It’s OK to procrastinate sometimes, I’m only human’.   Forgiving procrastination leads to less procrastination.

(to learn other language that leads to procrastination read this article)

The 80/20 Lens

80 20 koch

Insights from the book ‘The 80/20 Principle‘ by Richard Koch.

Time to Read: 5:49 minutes

“You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.” – John C. Maxwell

The 80/20 Principle states that 80% of our daily effort yields less than 20% the perceived daily value.  

  • 80% of the meetings you attend could probably go unattended
  • 80% of the emails you reply to could probably be handled by someone else
  • 80% of the items on your to-do list could probably go ‘undone’ with little effect on your life three months from now

Upon reflecting on my time over the last few days I realized that only a few hours yielded meaningful results.  This realization have radically altered my view of time.

“Time management implicitly assumes that we know what is and is not a good use of our time. If the 80/20 Principle holds, this is not a safe assumption.” – Richard Koch

In the 80/20 Principle, author Richard Koch makes the following statements regarding time:

  • Most of what we do is of low value.
  • Some small fragments of our time are much more valuable than all the rest.
  • If we can do anything about this, we should do something radical: there is no point tinkering around the edges or making our use of time a little more efficient.
  • If we make good use of only 20 percent of our time, there is no shortage of it!

When you spend more time in ‘high value’ areas of your life you generate an abundance of time.  

How?  

If 20% of your efforts yield 80% of the valuable results in your life, than doubling your time in those efforts should yield results that appear to have a 160% value (a 60% bonus to your expected experience).  

Doubling the time you spend on rewarding activities generates a surplus of value in your life.

But how do we know what those ‘high-value’ efforts are and how can we direct our time towards more ‘high-value’ activities?

Pause & Reflect

To find the most rewarding activities in your life you need to stop rushing and start observing.

“80/20 thinking requires, and with practice enables, us to spot the few really important things that are happening and ignore the mass of unimportant things.” – Richard Koch

Since 80% of our efforts yield just 20% of the valuable results in our life, it is imperative that we learn to pause throughout the day and reflect on our efforts.  

By periodically pausing we are less likely to engage in a low-value activity.  

If we remain ‘busy’ throughout the day we forget that the 80/20 Principle altogether.  When we learn to pause and reflect on our actions can we can interrupt the ‘busyness’ of our lives.

How do you recognize a 20% (significant) item?

Simple yet effective.  Something you love doing and is valuable to others.  Something that provides you with a lasting positive charge (an increase to your personal energy).  Something that gives you a sense of meaning and purpose.  Something that leads to a lasting impact on your life and the lives of others. An activity you find completely engaged in and measurably better than others at.

Examples:

  • Teaching a co-worker a valuable skill that you possess that will aid their career
  • Taking time to cook with your family and build healthy eating habits
  • Comforting a loved one during a difficult time

How do you recognize a 80% (low value) item?

Something that could easily be done by someone else.  Something you hate doing and only has a marginal impact on people’s lives.  Something you are doing because it has always been done that way.  

Examples:

  • Responding to an email thread just to get the last word in
  • Attending meetings simply because you’ve been told to
  • Writing a document without a clear outline or intended purpose

Populate 80/20 Lists

Create two lists:

  1. Low-Value Activities List
  2. High-Value Activities List

Observe the effort you take all day long.  Become a keen observer of your daily experience.  Frequently ask yourself: “is this the best use of my time?”.  

  • If the answer is ‘No’, add it to the ‘Low-Value Activities List’ (80% item).
  • If the answer is ‘Yes’, add it to the ‘High-Value Activities List’ (20% item).

I have found that all 20% items provide me with either a lasting increase in personal energy or a sense of meaning.  If I feel energized and fulfilled after an activity I can confidently add that activity to ‘High Value’ list.  If I experience no change to my energy levels and my work feels meaningless (doesn’t seem to benefit anyone in significant way), then I add that activity to the ‘Low Value’ list.

Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between a 20% item and an 80% item without conducting some tests.  I like to run small trials to see if my effort is yielding a valuable result or not.  I look for early signs of significance.

At the end of the week you can reflect on the list of items and plan ways to avoid or delegate the low value 80% activities and build routines/habits around the high value 20% activities..

  • What habits can you work on this week to ensure the 20% activities are easier to do?
  • What do I need to avoid to ensure I don’t fall into the trap of doing an 80% activity?

Habitualize the 20%

“Whenever you spot a 20 percent activity, run to it, surround yourself with it, immerse yourself in it, patent it, make yourself its expert, worshipper, high priest, partner, creator, propagandist, and indispensable ally. Make the most of it. If the most appears to be more than you can imagine, multiply your imagination.” – Richard Koch

It is important to establish routines and build habits around ‘high-value’ activities.  We are creatures of habit and a habit can be executed frequently with very little effort.  

I have a habitualized a routine for eating well, exercising daily, going to bed early, interacting with the people I love and reading every day.

Systematize the 80%

Build systems that prevent you from getting trapped by ‘80% items’.

Establish systems in your life to prevent yourself from performing low-value activities.

  • Delegate certain work tasks.
  • Hire someone to take over part of your role.
  • Use autoresponders for certain emails or times of the day.
  • Turn off all notifications and email send/receive during certain times of the day.
  • Install a program on your computer that prevents you from accessing distracting websites.

Re-Allocate Your Energy

Take the energy used to execute 80% activities and use that energy to build 20% habits.

“Use our resources to seize, magnify and exploit any 20% you come across.” – Richard Koch

Stop all 80% activities as soon as you can.  When you stop 80% activities you can re-allocate that energy to 20% activities – activities that yield 80% of the results.  

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” – Mark Twain

Saying ‘No’ and stopping all non-essential, ‘low-value’ activities is a core principle in life and in business.

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.” – Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs turned Apple into a profitable company by eliminating all but four Apple products (iMac, iBook, Power Macintosh and Powerbook). He reestablished the Apple identity by ruthlessly eliminating 70% of all Apple products and lead the company to be one of the most profitable companies in history.

“Ruthlessly prune 80% activities.  80% time drives out 20% time.  80% assets deprive 20% activities of funds.  80% business relationships displace 20% ones.  Mental energy expended on 80% activities takes away from 20% projects.” – Richard Koch, The 80/20 Principle

Stop trying to frantically get through the ‘80% items’ on your to-do list in the hopes that doing enough of them will mean something.  Instead, use your time and energy to build routines around 20% of activites that reward you with the most results.

“There is nothing quite so useless, as doing with great efficiency, something that should not be done at all.” ― Peter F. Drucker

Give your best energies to the most important parts of your life.  Use your time to strengthen and multiplying the 20% ‘high-value’ items.

The TAKEAWAY

Periodically pause and reflect on the 80% of activities that add little to no value to your life.  Systematically remove these activities from your life and use the newly acquired time and energy to build habits around the 20% of activities that provide you personal energy and a sense of meaning.

What Now?

Throughout the day ask yourself “is this the best use of my time?”.  If the answer is ‘No…’ add it to your 80% list.  If the answer is ‘YES!’ add it to your 20% list.

The end of each week review your 20% list and pick one item that you want to turn into a daily habit (make it automatic and effortless by attaching it to an existing habit, like brushing your teeth in the morning).  Then review your 80% list and pick one item you want to systematically remove from your life.  Come up with a way of delegating or preventing that item from showing up in your life. 

Eventually you will find yourself doing more 20% (high-value) activities and less 80% (low-value) activities.

“Those who ignore the 80/20 Principle are doomed to average returns.  Those who use it must bear the burden of exceptional achievement.” – Richard Koch

 

12 Guerrilla Tactics for Procrastination

Battling procrastination

Time to Read: 2:43 minutes

The resistance to starting can be powerful

We try conventional methods (fear tactics + willpower), but they have no effect.

At times like these we must resort to unconventional methods.

Here are 12 guerrilla tactics to neutralize procrastination:

  1. 1,2,3 Counts

    Count “1,2,3…1,2,3…1,2,3…” in your head, continuously.  Each time you find yourself restarting the count at “1”, take one small action and acknowledge the tiny progress you’re making.  See how many action sequences you can string together.

  2. Zombie Mode

    Activate a short countdown timer and give yourself permission to enter ‘Zombie mode’ until the timer expires.  When you enter ‘Zombie mode’ you work without really thinking.  Your work might be sloppy but you don’t really care because you’re a zombie after all!  Try making the occasional Zombie noise to reinforce the fact you don’t care about quality (for the time being).  After the timer has elapsed you won’t have a pretty product but you will have stopped procrastinating!

  3. Challenge Timer

    If you have a little more energy, activate a short countdown timer and challenge yourself see how much you can complete before the timer is up.  Start with a 5-minute timer.  Then use the first 5-minute session as a benchmark to improve subsequent 5-minute sessions.  

  4. Musical-Tasks

    Play a song you enjoy and see how much progress you can make before the song finishes (musical chair style).

  5. Paper Dump

    Get out a blank piece of paper and write what out whatever thoughts you have for 5 minutes.  Write so fast that you can hardly make out your own writing.  Write about anything and explore interesting ideas that come up.  If nothing comes to mind just write about how great you are at procrastinating!

  6. Keyboard Dump

    Open up a blank document on your computer and write down whatever thoughts you have for 5 minutes.  Type so fast that the document fills up with typos.  Don’t be ashamed; don’t use the delete key.  When you write something stupid simply hit the ‘return’ key and type out the next thing that comes to mind.  

  7. Location Triggers

    Grab your stuff and move to a new location.  Use your arrival at the new location as a trigger to begin working…no matter what.  Learn to associate a specific location with a specific action.  For example: Starbucks = writing, Library = editing, Living room chair = reading, Office desk = designing)

  8. Drink Triggers

    Grab a drink and make a tiny action after each sip you take.  For example: sip of green tea = write one line, sip of coffee = list one idea, a sip of water = read one page, sip of herbal tea = edit one paragraph.

  9. Rant

    Start a voice memo on your phone and start recording thoughts until you arrive at a useful idea.  Rant until you feel productive!  Play back the voice recording the generate more ideas.

  10. Doodle-fest

    Get out a blank piece of paper and doodle like a 5-year-old.  Doodle words and objects related to the problem you’re struggling with.  Doodle until the entire page is full.  Eventually you will stumble upon a good idea to help you get started.  Did you know that JFK was an avid doodler?

  11. 30 Second Push-ups

    Get on the ground and do push-ups for 30 seconds.  This will get your blood pumping and release a little testosterone – a hormone that will make you feel confident enough to start!  If you still don’t feel motivated to start, do another round of 30-second ups.

  12. Repeat This Question…

    “Am I willing, at this time, to make a positive difference?”  Something strange happens when you repeat this phrase…you suddenly find the willpower to get started!  “Am I willing…” frames the task as a choice,  “…at this time…” reminds you that only need to focus for a short while and “…to make a positive difference” gets us thinking about the positive impacts of our results.

Congratulations you’ve started!  You’ve defeated procrastination and you now have unstoppable momentum!