If you read Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s book FLOW, you may recall an exercise where he gave pagers to participants and instructed them to record their feelings and activities whenever the pager went off randomly throughout the day. The participants were asked to note down what they were doing, how they were feeling, and their overall sense of enjoyment and engagement in the activity.
I suggest this exercise for my clients with clear task deadlines who are challenged by distraction. I advise them to set random alarms when they need to get some serious work done.
Once they have a plan for the task, they set 4 random alarms to go off during a 3-4 hour period of work time. The objective is to not be caught off task when the alarm goes off. If you do get caught watching the news when the alarm goes off, then it’s a reminder to re-direct you back to the task.
You are competing with yourself to be on task each and every time that alarm sounds.You can also set an alarm for every 20 or 30 minutes during that 3-4 hour work period. How much quality work can you complete in a 20 or 30 minute span of time?
You can create a random alarm experience on both iPhone and Android phones. Here’s how you can do it on each platform:iPhone:
Open the Clock app on your iPhone.
Tap on the “Alarm” tab at the bottom of the screen.
Tap on the “+” button to create a new alarm.
Set the desired time for the alarm by scrolling through the hours and minutes.
Tap on “Repeat” to configure the repeat settings.
Select “Custom” from the repeat options.
Tap on the days of the week to enable or disable them as per your preference.
Set multiple alarms with different times and repeat patterns to create a random alarm effect.
Android:
Open the Clock app on your Android phone. The exact app name and location may vary depending on the device manufacturer and Android version.
Tap on the “Alarms” or “Clock” tab, usually located at the bottom of the screen.
Tap on the “+” or “Add” button to create a new alarm.
Set the desired time for the alarm.
Look for the option to set the repeat pattern (e.g., daily, weekdays, weekends).
If your device has a “Custom” or “Advanced” option for repeat settings, select that.
Adjust the days or intervals to create a random alarm effect by enabling or disabling the desired days.
If you want more spicy ways to get things done, done well and on time, visit my website at MindfulCommunication.com.
The movie, G.I. Jane with Demi Moore, sparked my eagerness to learn about the Navy Seals and their training. How they prepare their minds and bodies for combat is beyond inspiring and has become core to my coaching practice.
Staring Down the Wolf, by Navy SEAL Mark Divine, is a must read for my COREageous entrepreneurs. Particularly in these uncertain and trying times, it takes COREage (your physical and mental strength) to persevere and succeed in spite of obstacles. Here are a few tips from Divine’s book to entice you to get the book and read more:
Combat fear. Use Box Breathing as a way to calm your mind, reduce stress hormones and sharpen your focus. Divine begins his day with 20 minutes of Box Breathing. 5 repetitions is a good start. Slowly inhale for 5 seconds, hold for 4-5 seconds and exhale through your nose for 4-5 seconds. After my workout I stand in front of a mirror with a strong posture and Box Breathe for 5 minutes. It fortifies my intentions for the day.
Visualize the outcome. If you are a current or former client of mine, you know the emphasis I put on visualizing your optimal self — our target. More expedient than hacking away at disparate and overwhelming goals, visualization trains your neurobiology to change towards our target. It may be deterring distraction, following through, staying organized, etc. Divine reports profound outcomes with visualization. “Visualization exerts a strong gravitational pull. Picturing a bright post-Covid future in your mind’s eye will turn it into a destiny instead of a wish.”
Focus on your priorities for the day. Divine uses “front-sight focus,” a fundamental shooting tactic perfected in SEAL training as a metaphor for tackling only the high priority tasks for the day. In CoreCoaching, it means having strict prioritization criteria for deciding what and how you’re going to execute the most crucial tasks for the day.
These tactics, if practiced daily, will kick up your motivation and help you break through the self-imposed limits to achieve your vision.
Want to put these and other COREageous tactics to work? Contact me at Rebecca@MindfulCommunication.com
Let me share some thoughts inspired by a recent Shark Tank episode…
A contestant demonstrated a very unique product that piqued the Shark’s interest. When asked about his background, he listed numerous talents, brainy feats and escapades that led to the development of his new product. Instead of his colorful past being a plus in the Shark’s eyes however, his history raised a red flag. One Shark called him “too disorganized” so she was “out.” (For those of you new to Shark Tank, “out” means not interested in the deal.) The contestant appeared perplexed and somewhat taken aback by her comment. What might have saved him? A statement or two, immediately following his list of exploits, conveying a passionate and enduring commitment to the success of the current product might have kept him in the running.
Perhaps “disorganized” was not the best word choice. To most people “disorganized” means a cluttered desk or misplacing your keys. The Shark may have chosen that word to represent a few less obvious concerns related to disorganization that can doom a startup. Founders, it’s important to know the less obvious ways that you can appear “disorganized” in the eyes of investors:
As much as creativity is an asset to an entrepreneur, having many simultaneous and disparate activities going on are liabilities. It suggests you have difficulty focusing in on one thing that requires deliberate, consistent and sustaining dedication like a startup. Problem: An Investor will see herself doing all the work or exerting too much effort directing and monitoring you than it’s worth.
Indirect and lengthy answers to simple questions suggest a disorganized mind. Or, perhaps you introduce ideas into the conversation that are unrelated to the main point. Problem: An investor may sense the need to constantly corral your attention to the topic or task at hand. Exhaustive repetition, interruption and re-direction is too great of an energy expenditure for a busy Shark.
Do you engage in too much levity when there should be seriousness? Problem: You may be a nice guy or gal and fun to be around, but when it comes to spending other people’s money and getting things done, joking around is a waste of time.
Is your presentation delivered in a logical sequence? Problem: Potential backers do not want to work harder than you to figure out your plan from start to finish.
The bottom line: Examine your sales pitch and presentation. Make the changes necessary to avoid being perceived as “disorganized.”
Do you need an expert set of eyes and ears to identify the red flags that could discourage customers and investors from wanting to work with you? Contact me for CoreFour Coaching Rebecca@MindfulCommunication.com
Rebecca’s CoreFour Coaching
"It takes more than courage to be an Entrepreneur, it takes CORE." Find out more.
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If you read Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s book FLOW, you may recall an exercise where he gave pagers to participants and instructed them to record their feelings and activities whenever the pager went off randomly throughout the day. The participants were asked to note down what they were doing, how they were feeling, and their overall sense of enjoyment and engagement in the activity.
The movie, G.I. Jane with Demi Moore, sparked my eagerness to learn about the Navy Seals and their training. How they prepare their minds and bodies for combat is beyond inspiring and has become core to my coaching practice.
Let me share some thoughts inspired by a recent Shark Tank episode…
"It takes more than courage to be an Entrepreneur, it takes CORE."