MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors

Seven takeaways:

Chronic lateness can often be attributed to several factors. Outside of ADHD, there there are a handful of personality types more likely than others to be late, From the perfectionist, who might lose track of time fussing over their appearance to “the dreamer” who doesn’t pay enough attention to detail, to “the crisis-maker” who needs an adrenaline rush to motivate them to get a move on.

So how do we overcome our chronic lateness? Here are a handful of different strategies from various experts:

1. Figure out exactly how long it will take to get somewhere, then build in extra time: All too often, we assume we know how long it takes to get to a given place- but these assumptions commonly fail to factor in transition activities like parking, walking from the car, or other unforeseen roadblocks.
2. Surround yourself with clocks: Whether on the wall or on your wrist, keeping clocks nearby (not just your phone) can help you stay mindful of the passage of time.
3. Set lots of alarms: Frequent reminders can keep you from losing track of time. Set one alarm for when you need to start getting ready and another for when you need to leave the house– then a third for just a few minutes before your appointment begins.
4. Create artificial deadlines: Procrastinators often fall into the “crisis-maker” personality type- the ones that require the thrill of a tight deadline to take action. So move your deadlines up. If you have to leave at 7, impose a deadline to do so at 6:30pm.
5. Don’t start an enjoyable-or important-activity before a pressing event: “Put the brakes on” your leisurely or pressing activities well before an intended departure time. Otherwise, you risk losing track of time and getting lost in your engrossing activity.
6. Plan what you’ll do if you’re early: Look for opportunities to spend time in an enjoyable way if you arrive early. See if any fascinating stops, or a useful errand, can be made in the area of other tasks.
7. Envision how you’ll feel if you’re late: Often, fear of repercussion or embarrassment can animate us to be on time. The consequences of lateness are real, and we can use our innate desire to avoid negative results to be on time.

By Angela Haupt for The Washington Post
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Takeaways:

The world presents a seemingly endless barrage of demands on your time & bandwidth, making the ability to harness our attention “the most important skill of the century” according to attention expert and author Nir Eyal.

To build this skill, we must understand difference between habit and routine. We must adapt the habit of harnessing & protecting our own attention. Eyal notes that a HABIT is defined as “the impulse to do a behavior with little or no conscious thought.”

ROUTINE, however, is a series of frequently repeated behaviors. Not all routines become habits. In fact, only 45% of daily behaviors are habits– and the path to turning a routine into a habit can be riddled with self-defeat and frustration.

It’s important to note that, by Eyal’s definition, many actions cannot become habits. Writers are often told to “write every day” to improve and guarantee output. But Eyal believes that since writing requires such intensive conscious effort it can never- by definition- become something performed by reflex. It can only be intentionally made part of one’s routine. But many actions that help us better ourselves and improve our lives can be.

So how to we make certain routines into habits? It is not easy, but it can be done. First, set intentions. Be clear with yourself about the habit you want to build and start by sticking to it as a conscious routine.

Expect the road to making the routine a reflexive habit to be difficult. Be ready for the discomfort and frustration and do not let it shake your resolve. The best way to do so is to show yourself compassion when you hit a roadblock.
As you try to build the habit of maintaining attention, consciously separate yourself from your phone. Turn off your notifications or “pings” on your computer. Make isolation routine.

Never try to bypass or rush “the routine phase” in forming a habit. Without putting in the conscious repetition, an action will never embed itself into your process and never become a reflexive habit.

By Natasha Piñon, for CNBC
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Three takeaways:

As an unpredictable business world accelerates, organizational leaders and employees alike are increasingly relying on new technologies and advanced metrics to measure various aspects of performance.

The abundance of new metrics, from work productivity apps to wearable fitness monitors, has sparked a widespread obsession with performance. This has lead to a “performance-based identity” where we rank ourselves and others in entirely new ways.

For many, overprioritizing these metrics and forming a performance-based identity can be a harmful trap– one the leads longterm to burnout and unhappiness. Instead, we should prioritize the cultivation of a purpose-based identity.

1. Identity and performance: reaching a performance goal offers only fleeting relief. As soon as we meet one performance goal, the next goal presents itself. This turns our self-esteem into a cycle of “if-then” statements that traps us in a relentless pursuit of validation.
2. Mitigating the danger: When operating with a performance-based identity, we take steps to protect ourselves that harm our relationships with others, as well as ourselves. We apply performance metrics to loved ones and family members and coworkers. We become unable to emotionally cope with the unpredictable conditions of life that make it impossible to consistently meet self-imposed high standards. While we think we’re protecting ourselves by centering self-worth on performance, it tears at our wellbeing.
3. Value purpose above approval: We must strive to be driven by purpose rather than performance. Purpose connects us to things bigger than ourselves, simultaneously clarifying our present and endowing the future with greater value.

Individuals and organizations that consistently win tend to be driven by something more than accolades or a stock price. When we are driven by an overall purpose, external validation becomes unimportant. We measure ourselves not against others, but against our overall impact in pursuing our long term goals.

When it comes to our own relationship with metrics and performance, we must, as they say, “check ourselves before we wreck ourselves.” Take notice if you feel yourself measuring yourself against those around you.

Remember hat Performance and Purpose are two very different fuels. The latter is sustainable. The former will lead to burn out.

By Kevin Lake and Michael Gervais, for Fast Company
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Seven Takeaways:

To its detriment, modern society is structured to promote early bloomers. But research shows that the talents that blossom in early life can often be more consequential. On Average, Nobel Prize winners make their landmark discoveries at the age of 44. Studies show that A tech founder who is 50 is twice as likely to start a successful company as one who is 30.

So why do some people hit their stride later than others? The article calls to traits of late bloomers that differentiate them from early bloomers.

1. Intrinsic Motivation: Late bloomers may have difficulty caring about the external reward systems that often guide us in life– and are often embraced by early bloomers– such as grades, salary, and positive feedback from superiors. They are self-motivated, driven by their own curiosity, and their own obsessions.
2. Early Screw-ups: Late bloomers often don’t fit into existing systems, which can lead to trouble within conventional systems in their younger years. Late bloomers often have a rebellious side to them, and a willingness to battle with authority.
3. Diversive Curiosity: Late bloomers often report that early in life they enjoy a lot of different activities and fascinations. Using younger years as a sort of “sampling period” can lead to a breadth of knowledge that benefits them later in life.
4. the Ability to Self-Teach: Late bloomers discover their calling later in life, once they’re finished with traditional education systems. They have to teach themselves, requiring and thus must embark on a path of self-education. This requires dedication and sustained curiosity.
5. The Ability to Finally Commit: After a period of “wandering”– waiting to find the talent or niche or idea that best suits them– they pursue their chosen path with unwavering commitment and drive.
6. Crankiness in old age: Having amassed achievements and endured challenges– and having had the time to refine their skills– they are fiercely protective of their time. They are direct in their efforts because they have spent so much time getting mistakes and learning out of the way.
7. Wisdom: this is more than just accumulated knowledge; it is the ability to see things from multiple points of view, the ability to aggregate perspectives and rest in the tensions between them– then apply them to your work.

Overall, Brooks reminds us that whether one is an early or late bloomer, the common link is the drive to improve, flourish, and, well, bloom.

From David Brooks at The Atlantic:
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