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It’s Called a Premortem—and It’s the Most Productive Thing You’ll Do All Year

Takeaways:

Entrepreneur Ron Schaich has embraced a unique approach to goal setting at the start of the year: the “Premortem.” This method involves imagining himself on his deathbed, reflecting on what he would feel most proud of and what he might regret. These reflections then shape his actions and growth for the year ahead.

“I imagine my body old and fragile, my life energy almost extinguished,” he writes “I try to evoke the feelings I want to have in that moment—a sense of peace, completion and, most importantly, self-respect. Then I ask myself: What am I going to do now to ensure that when I reach that ultimate destination, I’ve done what I need to do?”

It’s a habit that began as a response to the death of his parents in the 1990s. His father was regretful about decisions he had made and the opportunities he had missed. Ron’s has used that jarring experience to live with intention.

The premortem has become such a crucial part of Ron’s life that he has made it an organizational framework at his companies. He asks them to picture where they want to be in three-to-five years, and how they will get there. He calls this “future-back” planning. He has seen his colleagues progress faster as a result.

In a work setting, the “Premortem” has useful applications as a proactive strategy aimed at improving project success by identifying potential points of failure before they occur. By imagining how and why a project might go wrong, teams can address risks and implement solutions early, ensuring the project proceeds smoothly.

A premortem offers a chance to do the same with your life, while you have a chance to change its course. Don’t wait until the end to decide if you are proud of your life. Take action while you can still do something about it.

From Ben Cohen at The Wall Street Journal:

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Note: At the time of this posting The Wall Street Journal requires a subscription to read this article.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

Already Abandon Your Resolutions? You Probably Set the Wrong Ones Anyway

Takeaways:

Our New Year’s resolutions often focus on personal goals like improving fitness or achieving career milestones. However, a wealth of scientific research suggests we should take a different approach. The most effective way to boost our own happiness is by helping others feel happy.

A study published in the journal Emotion in 2016, for example, found that participants who were asked to perform three acts of kindness a day for around a month expressed far greater well-being weeks later than those who performed three kind things for themselves.

We often feel too busy to make time for acts of service. However, despite our hectic schedules, research shows that serving others can actually make us feel like we have more time. Helping others boosts our sense of competence, which in turn makes us feel more productive and enriched with the time we do have.

It is clear that personal pursuits are not serving our wellbeing. Less than half of Americans say they are “very satisfied” with their personal lives– a near record low. 1 in 3 Americans say they feel lonely at least every week.

So when it comes to resolutions, the answer likely isn’t setting another personal goal. Instead of focusing inward, resolutions provide a perfect opportunity to look outward—whether by volunteering at a local charity, or something as simple (but intentional) as practicing greater patience with those around you. The rewards to your sense of wellbeing might surprise you– and might make it more likely for your resolutions to stick long term.

From Stephanie Harrison at The Wall Street Journal:

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Note: At the time of this posting The Wall Street Journal requires a subscription to read this article.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

8 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Cell Phone Screen Time

Eight takeaways:

The average American spends over three hours daily on their phone, and Gallup polls reveal that most people feel they overuse their devices. Excessive screen time has been linked to various potential downsides, according to multiple studies: disrupted sleep, eye strain, reduced attention span, increased stress, and even a diminished capacity to build real-life social connections. Experts warn these risks are even more significant for the developing brains of children.

But not all is lost. Here are 8 expert-backed tips for reducing your screen time.

Take Short Breaks Daily: Whether in a drawer, another room, or inside a timed lockbox, leave your phone in a secluded place for a specific amount of time each day.

Delete Time-Wasting Apps: It doesn’t have to be a permanent deletion, but getting your most time-intensive apps off of your phone will kickstart the process of reducing your brain’s reliance on it.

Mute Noisy Notifications: The constant pings of notifications coming in can create an urgency associated with your phone, which can lead to a compulsion. Go into your phone’s settings and turn off notifications for your buzziest apps.

Go Gray: Phones are strategically designed to capture our attention with vibrant colors and engaging designs. Switching your screen to grayscale can help loosen their grip by dulling the visual appeal. You can keep your phone in grayscale all the time or use it only when actively trying to reduce screentime.

Build Up Your Attention Stamina: Your attention span can be trained, like a muscle. To do this, silence your phone and set a timer for a beginner-friendly 15 minutes. Place your device face-down, committing to not touch it until the timer goes off. This will become much easier with practice.

Arm Yourself With Alternatives: When working to replace an unhelpful habit, it’s essential to have healthier alternatives at the ready. Explore new hobbies, dive into books, create art, exercise, spend time in nature, or connect with others face-to-face. Engaging in slower, purposeful activities soothes the mind and helps expand your attention span.

Enlist Friends and Family: Turn your screen-time reduction into a team effort. Set boundaries with family, like no phones during meals, or lead by example by avoiding social media while with friends.

Track Your Progress: Making changes is easy; sticking with them is harder. Make sure to monitor your progress by reviewing your goals; check weekly screen time stats and adjust as needed.

As always, celebrate the wins! Phone use can be difficult to regulate because the phone has so many useful applications– so, especially in this case, remember that small, incremental reductions in screen time can still be major wins.

By Courtney Lindwall for Consumer Reports
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This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

How to Find a New Year’s Resolution You’ll Stick With

Three takeaways:

Although it may seem counterintuitive, treating a New Year’s resolution as an exercise in self-control or willpower is a common misunderstanding. A well-selected resolution is grounded in activities or habits that you already enjoy.

Behavioral scientist BJ Fogg highlights the value of building on activities that already bring you satisfaction. For example, if the goal is to eat healthier, it’s more effective to focus on incorporating nutritious foods you already like rather than forcing yourself to eat ones you don’t enjoy. “Help yourself do what you already want to do,” Fogg says. “And help yourself feel successful.”

Along with selecting habits that already conform to your interests, these tactics can help you make sure these habits stick:

Get specific and plan for obstacles: “I want to get in shape” isn’t precise enough. Instead, set a specific resolution- to run 10 miles or to bench press an amount of weight by a certain date on the calendar. This forces you to get practical about how you are going to achieve the goal, providing a clear map on the road to making that goal a reality. Thinking practically about your goal will help you forecast– and then overcome– the logistical or mental forces standing in your way.

Use small, simple habits: When working to change your behavior, set the bar low to ensure the habit is easy to maintain. On days when you feel motivated, you can do more, but the key is to make the habit achievable every day. For example, commit to doing one push-up each morning at a specific time rather than aiming for 20.

Set routines with friends: Build a new habit with a friend or loved one to hold yourself accountable. Survey after survey has shown that taking on a goal with a partner leads to not only greater accountability, but greater overall enjoyment of that task.

By approaching goal-setting with mindfulness and intention, we can turn our New Year’s resolutions into lasting habits that provide lifelong benefits.

By Teddy Amenabar for The Washington Post
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Note: At the time of this posting The Washington Post requires an account to view the article.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.