MINDSET ZONE

In this episode, I had the pleasure to interview Monique Y. Wells. Monique is a productivity expert, and loves to coach women entrepreneurs who want their businesses to support their ideal lifestyles. Monique writes regularly for the Huffington Post. There she published recently a three-article series where she interviewed several entrepreneurs in the “expert arena” – coaches, consultants, authors, speakers, online marketers – about their experiences of six or seven figure business growth. This interview focused on mindset shifts around productivity, balance and entrepreneurship (namely what usually happen for the solo-preneurs to be able to survive the start-up phase, and grow their business to the six or seven figure mark.) In our conversation we spoke about: What Is Productivity? Productivity Is More Than Getting Things Done New Definition of Balance Productivity Mindset Shifts in Entrepreneurship: From Start-Up to High 5 Figures […]

In episode 26 of the MINDSET ZONE podcast where the topic was “Do People Really Change?”, I spoke about a Greek philosopher called Heraclitus who said:

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."

Heraclitus believed everything is in constant flow, everything always changes.

I thought about this when I watched a short video from Martha Beck, a popular life coach and author. She shared her strategy to deal with major life transitions. Martha begins with the perspective that “all life is transitory” and if we accept that, we can better deal with unexpected changes.

When life throws us a curve ball, it’s vital to press the pause button, and be able to see the situation from a wider perspective – to see the big picture.

This is easier said than done, and often we need support to be able to do this.

Eagle View

This can be called taking the eagle view.

This birds eye view enables us to see the bigger picture and decide what’s really important.

Yet, we have to return to the earth and like a small mouse, walk one step at a time.

Mouse View

As Martha Beck says, sometimes we have to reduce things to very small bites. One day at the time, in some cases, is too overwhelming. One minute at a time or even smaller bites - such as one breath at a time.

Here is how Martha Beck explains it:

[leadplayer_vid id="5587BDCE1EE81"]

I love the Eagle and Mouse analogy, because really articulates the paradox we have to embrace to thrive and evolve in our lives.

Yes. We have to be able to see the big picture. To be that eagle that soars above and sees with clarity where she want to go.

Yet, we can not fly to our goal.

We have to come down to earth and walk toward it.

We often have to climb many hills, overcome many obstacle, one at a time, while we keep the bigger vision in our head and heart.

In practical terms, we have to transition as needed between an eagle and a mouse.

Love to hear your thoughts about this.

In episode 26 of the MINDSET ZONE podcast where the topic was “Do People Really Change?”, I spoke about a Greek philosopher called Heraclitus who said: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” Heraclitus believed everything is in constant flow, everything always changes. I thought about this when I watched a short video from Martha Beck, a popular life coach and author. She shared her strategy to deal with major life transitions. Martha begins with […]

To conclude my series of podcast episodes about the importance of “Focusing”, I was honored to interview Greg McKeown, author of the New York Times Best Seller Book - Essentialism: the Disciplined Pursuit of Less.

Greg has taught at companies that include Apple, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Salesforce, and Pixar.

He is also an amazing keynote speaker that I had the opportunity to meet at the ICON15– The InfusionSoft Annual Conference held in Phoenix, Arizona.

Here are some of the topics we spoke about:

What is “Essentialism”?Information and opinion overloadEmails in mobile devices as a distractionDiscern between the vital few and the trivial manyBecoming an essentialist is not an event, it’s a processImportance of pressing the pause buttonSmall changes produce big resultsThe power of a short breathing exerciseThe paradox of successEssentialism is not one more thingEssentialism is a journeyThree Simple Daily Practices to Become an Essentialist:

Press the pause button - Breath slowly for 3 breaths

Top Six Priorities - Focus on the first one: The Priority

Write Down Five Successful Trade-offs and Celebrate that!

Next steps:

Listen to the book: EssentialismRead the book: Essentialism

To conclude my series of podcast episodes about the importance of “Focusing”, I was honored to interview Greg McKeown, author of the New York Times Best Seller Book – Essentialism: the Disciplined Pursuit of Less. Greg has taught at companies that include Apple, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Salesforce, and Pixar. He is also an amazing keynote speaker that I had the opportunity to meet at the ICON15– The InfusionSoft Annual Conference held in Phoenix, Arizona. Here are some of the topics we spoke about: What is “Essentialism”? Information and opinion overload Emails in mobile devices as a distraction Discern between the vital few and the trivial many Becoming an essentialist is not an event, it’s a process […]

I can’t stop focusing on focus :)

First it was the interview with Omar Zenhom - episode 35 of this podcast titled “Focus To Succeed"

Then, it was last show – episode 36 - about "Focus Without Focus."

Today, I decided to speak about “Unfocus to Focus."

During my conversation with Omar, he spoke about an interesting phenomenon that happens when we are on vacation, and not thinking about our to-do lists.

This situation creates space that allows us to see our priorities with more clarity.

It also creates opportunities to see new ideas and revisit old ideas with new eyes.

Thankfully, we don’t have to wait for our next vacation to experience this.

Most likely...

We can think about situations where we frenetically tried to find a solution -

How can I solve this?This is impossible to solve?

Then, after a night's sleep, or under the shower, suddenly, things become clear, we have an insight for a possible solution.

What was impossible, suddenly becomes possible.

Often only when we unfocus from the problem or challenge, we relax enough to see new possibilities and solutions.

This is the phenomenon I’m focusing in this episode, Positive Psychology has an explanation for it.

Positive Psychology

The positivity researcher Barbara Fredrickson, argues that positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, serenity, curiosity, hope, pride, amusement, inspirations, awe, and love, open our hearts and our minds, which makes us more receptive and more creative.

Positive emotions open our awareness to a wider range of thoughts, potentials, and actions.

Sun light signals to a flower that it’s time to open – positive emotions affect us in the same way - they open us to new possibilities.

Let’s think of an opposite situation.

Most likely, you can remember a situation where you felt overwhelmed. For instance, you are on a deadline, things are halfway done. Then you need a certain document to finish what you are working on and you cannot find it.

You panic, you search your desk, your office - nothing.

In the middle of this, a friend calls, you speak with her and relax. You even laugh at one of her jokes.

When you hang up, your eyes wander a little and then suddenly stop at a specific place, because they notice something – there it is, the missing document.

When we are under tension our vision is restricted figuratively and literally.

We see no solutions to our problems, we don't find the object that was supposed to be there.

When we relax, we are more open, our vision expands, we begin to see challenges from a different perspective. We are aware of more possibilities, we can see more.

So, there are times that we need to focus to succeed.

There are also times that we need to be unfocused :)

When we are unfocused and relaxed we can envision new possibilities, and decide our priority – where we want to focus next.

Unfocus to focus

At first, it can look like a paradox, but if we transcend the apparent contradiction, we expand what's possible.

Last episode I interviewed Omar Zenhom about how to “Focus To Succeed."  Afterwards, several ideas emerged for me that led to the topic "Focus Without Focus."

“Focus to Succeed” only works when we are focused on the essential projects that help us move forward.

Our focus has to be on target.

Moreover, if we take focus as the acronym F.O.C.U.S – Follow One Course Until Success – we should intentionally strategize about the "One Course” to be sure that it take us where we want to go.

This concept is especially meaningful for me, because I can focus easily, but not always on the right direction.

I consider myself a workaholic, because I’m truly compelled to do my work. I love what I do. It’s so easy to get in the work mode and stay there.

Yet – and this is the dark side of workaholism – it’s very easy for me to get busy and focus my attention on chores that aren't that important – they don’t help me finish a project, or they help me finish a project, but not the project I should be working on.

It’s easy to get stuck in busyness

This was one of my mindset blindspots.  It was a turning point when I realized that busyness can be a form of procrastination.

There is instant gratification by checking off our To-Do List. Yet, if this list keeps us on the proverbial hamster wheel, we will not move to where we want to go.

So nowadays, a try to avoid being focus without focus by taking timeouts to reflect about:

1- My overall goals

2- How specific projects can help achieve those goals

3- Why to achieve those goals is so meaningful for me.

I force myself not to have too many major goals at any one time, because this helps me to keep my priorities clear.

Another turning point, was when I read the book Essentialism, from Greg McKeown, and learned that when the word “priority" came into the English language in the 1400s, it was used in the singular form only. It meant the very first thing. And it was used in the singular for more than five hundred years. Only in the 1900s, did it begin to be common to talk about “priorities."

I find it powerful to force myself to pick a priority for my business week. That helps me to have a clear goal that I set my mind to achieve.

For instance, every week I write down the answer to this question:

If I could get nothing else done this week but ONE THING, what one thing would I choose to do?What one thing would make me happy and proud?

In conclusion, the main culprit that keeps us stuck in the focus without focus is not to know our priority.

This awereness helped me move from a busyness mindset to a more intentional mindset – and took my business to the next level.

How about you?

Do you find yourself also focused without focus?

Do you have your priority crystal clear?

As always, I love to hear your comments and learn about your experiences.

Last episode I interviewed Omar Zenhom about how to “Focus To Succeed.”  Afterwards, several ideas emerged for me that led to the topic “Focus Without Focus.” “Focus to Succeed” only works when we are focused on the essential projects that help us move forward. Our focus has to be on target. Moreover, if we take focus as the […]

In this episode, I interviewed a fellow podcaster - Omar Zenhom.

Omar is the Co-Founder of Business Republic, where he, and his partner Nicole Baldinu, started an alternative business education program called The $100 MBA – a culmination  of his years in business and education. They also offer daily, free 10-minute business lessons with their podcast The $100 MBA Show, that I highly recommend you subscribe to.

In our conversation we spoke about:

Mindset shifts necessary to keep our focus to succeed“Focus" as the most important word in business and success in generalWhy it’s so difficult for most people to be focusedFear of failure and being overwhelmedHow to avoid being overwhelmedImage of the electrical bulb and the laser beamSuspend disbelief in order to focusF.O.C.U.S - Follow One Course Until SuccessHow do we know we are on the right “Course"How to readjust your focusHow to reframe the failure experienceGo for No!Shut off distractionsThe Rule of FivesImportance of saying "No"How to get back on trackAnd much more...

Love to hear your comments.

LINKS:http://100MBA.nethttp://WebinarNinja.coEpisode 3 - Failure and The Way to Success

In this episode, I interviewed a fellow podcaster – Omar Zenhom. Omar is the Co-Founder of Business Republic, where he, and his partner Nicole Baldinu, started an alternative business education program called The $100 MBA – a culmination  of his years in business and education. They also offer daily, free 10-minute business lessons with their podcast The $100 MBA Show, that I highly recommend you subscribe to. In our conversation we spoke about: Mindset shifts […]