Welcome back or for the first time; I appreciate your time.
To get the most out of my writing, you should read carefully and ask yourself if you agree or disagree, and whether or not you’re going to take action based on what you will be reading.
I hope you’ll give yourself the chance to improve!
Imagine needing to reach a destination, but all you know is that it’s about an hour away by car from your current location. You don’t have an address or any other details.
The chances of you arriving are pretty much zero.
Now, imagine you have an address and know exactly where you need to go, but you don’t know how to get there. There’s no navigation system, traffic signs, or any guidance available.
The chances of you arriving are also pretty much zero.
Why is it then that so many of us are clueless about one or even both of these aspects of our lives?
Do you know where you want to be in 1, 2, 5, or 10 years from now? And if so, do you know exactly what you need to do right now to get there?
Ask yourself where you want to be in 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, or more. Truly reflect on that (You’re only fooling yourself if you don’t). Don’t limit yourself. Think big and consider what your ideal life would look like.
Be specific about every detail.
Here are some thoughts for you:
Take your time and think about every detail you can imagine, and if you want, write it down.
Now you know where you want to go.
The next question you need to figure out is exactly what you need to do to become the person you imagined.
Think about what kind of habits or characteristics the person you described above needs to have.
For instance, if you want to have a strong, shredded body, that requires healthy eating habits, a workout routine, and discipline.
So start eating more healthily and working out regularly to become that person. Plan your workouts, start preparing your meals, etc.
Find ways to do what a person with your ideal life would do.
If you want to own a nice house or have a certain amount of money, then start looking for ways to increase your income to become that person.
Find ways to do what a person with your ideal life would do.
Now that you know where you want to be and how to get there, the only thing left to do is take action toward that. Focus on every single step rather than on the goal.
Going back to the healthy body example:
Focus on your daily workout and your eating habits, and you will get to where you want to be.
Identify a few key characteristics and seek daily improvements in these areas. This consistent effort will propel you toward achieving your goals.
Life will happen, and you might not reach exactly where you want to go. That isn’t in our control.
But if you currently have $10,000 in your bank account and your goal is to become a millionaire within 5 years, if you take action every single day and do what you think you need to do, then you’ve done everything possible.
You might end up with $100,000, $500,000, or maybe even $5 million in your bank account.
That doesn’t really matter as long as you have taken action and worked towards your goal!
My greatest wish is for you to start creating the life you want, but only you can take action toward that!
But for now, I hope you’ll have an amazing week.
Jonas
Welcome back or for the first time; I appreciate your time.
To get the most out of my writing, you should read carefully and ask yourself if you agree or disagree, and whether or not you’re going to take action based on what you will be reading.
I hope you’ll give yourself the chance to improve!
In today’s fast-paced society, we often juggle multiple tasks, making it difficult to focus. However, it’s essential to consider whether our actions are truly productive. A study led by Gloria Mark and her team found that interruptions can significantly alter work patterns. Additionally, several studies suggest that the time required to regain full focus after being distracted varies among individuals and tasks, with some research indicating it may take more than a couple of minutes. If we reflect on how often we’re distracted, it becomes clear that maintaining a constant state of focus is challenging and rarely sustained for extended periods.
Today, I’ll discuss three aspects of our lives that can help us minimize distractions and enhance productivity:
Phones
According to Reviews, Americans check their phones about 144 times a day, roughly every 10 minutes in a 24-hour day. Considering 8 hours of sleep, it’s closer to every 6.5 minutes. This habit hinders our ability to achieve deep, focused work, especially when it takes at least 22 minutes to regain focus. The most straightforward way to boost productivity is to put your phone out of reach. You can’t just put it in your pocket. Store it in another room or hide it from sight. This way, when the urge to check it strikes, you’ll need to get up and physically get it, prompting you to reconsider whether it’s necessary.
PCs/Laptops
In today’s digital age, almost everyone relies on electronic devices for work. However, these devices can introduce various distractions that need to be managed. For instance, if you use a messaging app like WhatsApp Web to receive notifications for personal messages, ask yourself whether that’s truly necessary while you want to work. Most personal messages don’t require immediate responses. For work-related messages with time-sensitive demands, retain those notifications, but disable others. If possible establish specific times to respond to messages or emails and avoid checking them outside those times.
Smartwatches
In my personal experience, smartwatches can be more distracting than phones because they’re always within sight. When I first got mine a few years ago, I displayed notifications on the watch’s screen, leading me to pick up my phone immediately when notifications arrived. However, I’ve changed this practice over time. I no longer receive notifications on my smartwatch because I prefer not to use it for that purpose. I use it to track sports data and check the time. If you own a smartwatch, ask yourself why you bought it in the first place. Was it for tracking sleep, monitoring sports activities, checking the time, or something else? It’s unlikely that you purchased it solely to receive notifications without using your phone. Consider deactivating this feature if it’s unnecessary and doesn’t fulfill the purpose of the watch.
Turn off Notifications and set times for when to check E-Mails and Messages
There is a place for everything
Certain places naturally indicate their intended purpose. For instance, when you visit a cafe, you anticipate getting beverages and snacks, not swimming or receiving a massage. Similarly, a gym is meant for physical activity, not sleeping or working. You understand what to do in such places, and your intention aligns with their purpose. Therefore, it’s crucial to create a work environment that clearly communicates its purpose.
Creating an Ideal Workspace
Let’s use my own practices as an example. I spend most of my time at my desk studying, writing, or reading. To minimize distractions, I keep my desk uncluttered, featuring only the essentials: the book I’m currently reading, my laptop, a monitor, and a bottle of water. There’s nothing else on my desk because I don’t require additional items while working. In the past, I kept various items on my desk, but I found that the more items I had, the more likely I was to become distracted. Even the smallest things could divert my attention. For example, I used to keep a cloth for cleaning my glasses on my desk. Occasionally, I’d notice it and wonder if my glasses needed cleaning. Since they usually did, I’d clean them, ensuring they were spotless, and then become distracted from my work. Now, I keep the cleaning cloth in a drawer where I can’t see it. If I need to clean my glasses, I intentionally grab it when I have time, rather than letting it interrupt my work.
Make your Workspace a place only for work
The third reason we get distracted is due to other people. They can be your family, coworkers, someone talking in the background, or someone simply walking by. Distractions may be active, such as someone asking us a question, or passive when we’re diverted by two people conversing.
Active Distractions
To address active distractions, it’s crucial to communicate that you don’t want to be disturbed. Place a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door or let people know when you’re dedicated to your most important tasks. Wearing headphones is another effective way to signal that you’re not available for conversation.
Passive Distractions
Passive distractions, such as background noise or conversations nearby, can also be managed. If you’re easily distracted by background noise or people talking, consider investing in noise-canceling headphones or listening to calming instrumental music with no lyrics. If you’re distracted by the surrounding environment, think about closing a door, drawing the curtains, or finding a less crowded place. Another strategy is to schedule your most important work before or after everyone else is present. Experiment with different approaches to find what works best for you.
Communicate with People when you want to get focused work done
In emergencies, ensure there’s a way for critical contacts to reach you, even if you’re minimizing distractions. For instance, you can receive important calls on your smartwatch. Communicate with your coworkers and family to clarify when they can interrupt you. For work-related needs, consider using a separate phone to keep work and personal matters separate.
These are suggestions for your consideration. Not all of them will apply to everyone, but the key is to become more aware of your distractions and take steps to mitigate them.
Begin with one approach, such as turning off notifications, putting your phone away, decluttering your workspace or something else, and see if it makes a difference in your ability to focus.
My greatest wish is for you to start creating the life you want, but only you can take action toward that!
But for now, I hope you’ll have an amazing week.
Jonas
Welcome back or for the first time; I appreciate your time.
To get the most out of my writing, you should read carefully and ask yourself if you agree or disagree, and whether or not you’re going to take action based on what you will be reading.
I hope you’ll give yourself the chance to improve!
Have you ever doubted yourself, thinking, “I can’t do this,” before tackling something, only for it to turn out poorly? On the flip side, have you ever confidently said, “I’m good at this,” and found it to be amazing? This is common because what we tell ourselves influences our actions. The thoughts we plant in our subconscious and the words following “I am” become our reality, shaping our self-belief and actions. It’s a cycle we must consciously break to create change.
To illustrate, let’s revisit 1954, when everyone believed humans couldn’t run a mile in under 4 minutes. The world record stood at 4 minutes and 1.4 seconds, unbroken for nearly 9 years. Runners convinced themselves it was impossible, saying, “I can’t run under 4 minutes,” and no one did until Roger Bannister shattered that belief with a 3:59.4 record in 1954. What’s remarkable is that his record lasted just 46 days until John Landy ran a 3:58.0. After that, many athletes achieved sub-4-minute miles. The change didn’t come from technology, training, or running technique; it came from the shift in athletes’ beliefs. They transformed their thinking from “I can’t do it” to “I know it’s possible, and I can do it too!”
When we encounter challenges, our initial thoughts tend to be negative, like “I’m not good at this,” or “It went badly last time,” or “Others have failed, so I will too.” Rarely do we immediately think, “I’m good at this; let’s go for it!”
Why is that?
Our society encourages modesty and suggests that thinking less of ourselves is a way to gain acceptance. Expressing our strengths can sometimes make us appear arrogant. Parents, too, often point out their children’s limitations. While setting boundaries is necessary, some dreams, like becoming an astronaut, are discouraged, leading children to give up because they’re told it’s impossible.
What’s the problem with this?
Firstly, we stop believing in ourselves. When we dwell on our weaknesses, it’s natural to lose confidence. Secondly, we limit ourselves. If we continually tell ourselves we’re not good at something, the chance of improvement decreases, and we might not even make the effort to get better.
For instance, I used to think I was terrible at public speaking. Even though I’m not as skilled as some, I changed my mindset. Rather than thinking, “I’m really bad at this, and it’ll be a disaster,” I now view it as a chance to learn and improve. I consider it a valuable learning opportunity. While the outcome may be similar, I’ve freed myself from the pressure of perfection. Even if I make a single improvement or note something to change for the next time, it’s a win and a step in the right direction. Few people excel at something without practicing it for hours and hours and the dedication to do so.
Other people’s words, opinions, or our perception of them can significantly affect our self-belief. Consider that child aspiring to become an astronaut. If no one immediately told them it was impossible, they might have held onto their dream. The dream could have continued, and if the child consistently put in the effort required, they might have achieved it one day. Even if, after ten years, they changed their mind, it would be a personal decision, not one imposed by someone else.
It’s also easier when we have people supporting us rather than working against us. Imagine someone wanting to lose a significant amount of weight and make lifestyle changes. Who do you think is more likely to achieve their goal? Person 1, told by their entire social group that it’s impossible and too hard, or Person 2, surrounded by supportive people who believe in their ability to achieve the goal? The answer is clear. When others believe in us, it’s easier for us to believe in ourselves. Achieving something without anyone else’s belief in us requires far more energy.
What’s worse is that often it’s not what people say or think about us, but what we believe they think about us. There’s a quote:
“I am not who you think I am; I am not who I think I am; I am who I think you think I am.”
~ Charles Horton Cooley
Read that again if you need to.
If we believe that someone thinks we can’t achieve our goal, we start to believe it too, even without knowing if our assumption about the other person’s belief is accurate.
Never believe something about yourself that is merely based on your perception of what other think.
Think about the person you want to become and how you want to act in specific situations. Once you have a clear image of this, you can start instilling those characteristics in your mind to become that person.
For example, I introduced positive self-affirmations during my meditation. One of the lines I repeat to myself is, “I am calm and in control.” I used to easily get overwhelmed, especially when faced with unexpected situations. However, since I started telling my mind that I am calm and in control, things have changed significantly. I no longer get stressed easily, and if I do, I remind myself of that affirmation and focus on what I can do. I’ve seen the most significant change at work. When there’s a lot of work or unexpected issues, I used to get stressed because of the workload. But now, I tackle each task and handle any new issues calmly before returning to my original tasks. This change doesn’t make me faster or more efficient, but I get things done without much stress.
Your thoughts and self-talk matter because they shape your subconscious mind, which, in turn, influences your actions. What you place after the words “I am” eventually becomes your reality in some form. Therefore, it’s crucial to infuse as many positive statements as possible after “I am.” If you catch yourself thinking negatively or doubting yourself, such as “I am not able to do…,” try to transform that into a positive affirmation.
What you place after the words ‘I am’ eventually becomes your reality
Start by feeding your mind with positive thoughts about yourself. In the beginning, focus on a few key characteristics. Write them down and read or repeat them daily.
My greatest wish is for you to start creating the life you want, but only you can take action toward that!
But for now, I hope you’ll have an amazing week.
Jonas
Welcome back or for the first time; I appreciate your time.
To get the most out of my writing, you should read carefully and ask yourself if you agree or disagree, and whether or not you’re going to take action based on what you will be reading.
I hope you’ll give yourself the chance to improve!
According to various websites, we spend an average of 2-3 hours a day on social media. That is approximately 1 to 1.5 months per year non-stop! While social media is undoubtedly a great way to connect with other people, there is a massive addictive factor hidden in it. Just ask yourself how much time you spend socializing with friends or family compared to how much time is used to consume entertaining content.
I can certainly say that those numbers are probably true (at least they have been for me), and if I’m honest, most of the time wasn’t spent on useful or productive activities. It was just a way to keep myself busy and provide my mind with the chemicals it craves.
“Dopamine is the reason for the good feeling we get when we find something we’re looking for or when we complete a task. It is responsible for the feeling of satisfaction after finishing an important task, completing a project, reaching a goal, or even reaching a milestone on our way to a bigger goal” (Simon Sinek in his book: “Leaders Eat Last”).
Now, that doesn’t sound too bad, right? Dopamine is actually a good thing because it keeps us on track to achieve our goals and rewards us with a sense of accomplishment when we reach them.
In 2021, I ran my first official marathon. Regardless of how well you prepare and how fit you are, a marathon presents various challenges. I truly felt how dopamine influences our bodies and enables us to push ourselves beyond what we think we can do. The first 21 kilometers were quite good, but I already sensed that the second part would be tough, especially at the pace I had set for myself. At around the 30-kilometer mark, I thought I was done. The pace dropped significantly, and I had to walk now and then. However, I kept moving, receiving dopamine just from thinking about what it would feel like in the end. With every step, every meter, every kilometer, I came closer to my goal, and I gradually started to feel better again, even though I had been running for 3 hours already. It’s the dopamine from hard work and progress toward a goal that keeps us going. When I finally crossed the finish line, I was completely exhausted, but I had never been prouder of myself. That’s how powerful dopamine is!
Unfortunately, there is a way that social media hijacks this system and uses this powerful chemical in a completely different way. The shares, likes, comments, and every other notification trigger our brain’s reward system and give us a dopamine high similar to the feeling people get from gambling or using drugs. While that feeling isn’t as long-lasting or as strong as completing a marathon, it keeps our brains satisfied, and it’s much easier to get dopamine from our phones than from running a marathon.
Most people would agree that gambling or drugs are harmful not only to your overall health but also to your mental health. While social media doesn’t harm your body as much as taking drugs does, there is a similar addictive reaction in the brain that shouldn’t be ignored, in my opinion.
Two weeks ago, I deleted Instagram and reduced my YouTube consumption to productive content because I noticed I was spending too much time on social media (for me, it was mostly Instagram and YouTube). What I have experienced since then has been truly amazing.
But let’s start with the negative side first. I have been (or maybe still am) addicted to social media, a realization that only truly struck me once I deleted it. The first few days were quite hard because, as with any other addiction, our brains are wired to seek the high that, in my case, social media provided. So, I found myself opening apps like WhatsApp or checking the news more frequently because I was looking for something new, a new message to keep me entertained.
The good news, however, is that our brains are truly amazing. Once I got past the initial days, I noticed that my brain was more active than I had ever experienced before. I experienced things more intensely because I could focus on them. I had more ideas than before. It was actually quite difficult to turn it off and not think about anything.
But perhaps the most important part is that my mind started to use dopamine in the way it was meant to be used. I felt motivated to work on my dreams and make progress toward them. Suddenly, there was a new motivation and a new drive to take action instead of just consuming content to occupy my mind.
I started to meditate, journal, write this blog, work out with intention, read more, and consume more knowledge than before. Because there was less dopamine in my brain, I felt the small dopamine rewards from completing something or making progress toward a goal more intensely than before.
It feels so much better than passively receiving dopamine through social media!
Before, I was mostly passively watching other people and following their actions, but I didn’t take much action myself to progress toward my goals. However, when there is no one to watch and follow, you, by default, become the main character in your life and start working on yourself.
And the best part is that you don’t have to become a master at something or achieve your life-long goal in a week. The feeling you get from making progress toward your goal is more than enough to keep you going.
If you're thinking about deleting social media or reducing your usage, I encourage you to do it for a day, a week, or more and truly experience and reflect on the changes in your way of thinking and your life.
My greatest wish is for you to start creating the life you want, but only you can take action toward that!
But for now, I hope you’ll have an amazing week.
Jonas
Welcome back or for the first time; I appreciate your time. To get the most out of my writing, you should read carefully and ask yourself if you agree or disagree, and whether or not you’re goin...
November 16, 2023
Welcome back or for the first time; I appreciate your time. To get the most out of my writing, you should read carefully and ask yourself if you agree or disagree, and whether or not you’re goin...
November 10, 2023
Welcome back or for the first time; I appreciate your time. To get the most out of my writing, you should read carefully and ask yourself if you agree or disagree, and whether or not you’re goin...
November 5, 2023