Dear Friend
[coughs, kindly hold this mug for me when I greet my friend]
Hello friend, It's been a month. And to be honest with you, I've been looking forward to you since the last email. Amongst all, I'm very fascinated to have got all those reviews and testimonies from the last email. It makes me feel the need to continue this mail even though on some days I had thought of sending the Killjoy mail. I won't. Never. We grow together as friends.
Hey!
How has it really been?
I can't just imagine the amount of time I have grounded pepper at home. Nobody even wants to hear that I lead a department in the office or that I'm a Techbro. The way they've been dishing out chores is so….mehn..
But then, within all these overwhelming things and stories, it is important that you stay to grow. Not stunted. C’mon.
[No not yet, I am not done. You can still hold my mug]
For the past one month, I have been ruthlessly stretching myself with projects, books, practicalities, and works then with chores. However, in all these — one thing stood out for me, and that's how intentional it takes to do everything you want to achieve.
The truth is, we all can be tired. Trust me. Nobody should use aspire to perspire to deceive you. We're all humans. There are days that you don't feel the vibe. Days you don't want to work. Days you're so tired that you just want to lazy out. But despite these all, there is a tinny voice that keeps reminding you of that job you're yet to do. That design you're yet to make. That call you're meant to give.
So, the big question is how do I do all these things and still come out better.
[I'm about to finish, please add more hot water for my cough]
back to our discussion, I'm sorry for the incessant interruptions.
yea….
Over the past year, one of the popular questions that people have asked me is,
"How do you manage your time and be productive with all that you're doing?"
In this letter, I will share five tips each on how to stay focused and never be distracted, also on how to set and achieve your goals.
It's time to bait the brain.
[eerie sound effect]
5 tips on Goals
To be focused on your goals, you have to first have an idea of what the heck they are. The truth is, it is very easy to mix a need with want. I used to battle with these. In fact, I still struggle with it. The same principle applies to goals. What are they? Are they really want I want or they are just on the list so that I can bluff to others?
Having realized your goals, write them out. For years, I keep reppin the club of i-make-mental-goals. I'm not saying this is bad. In fact, I achieved about 80 percent of my mental goals but it takes a unique turn when I begin to write it down. They are not just mental now, they are connected to the physical. Now here is what I do; I don't just write a one-year goal and closed the book and put it in between Psalm 151 (scoffs) I write my year goal, each new month, I create a month goal (without looking at my year goals), each new week, I create a week goal (without looking at the previous lists), and every morning, I write my goals (without looking at the previous lists) The fun thing about this is that it will help me filter the need from want.
Create a list of steps to my goals. I remembered once telling myself that I want to buy a ₦100,000.00 phone within three months while my monthly salary was ₦15,000.000. (I know that you're screaming no be juju be that). But the truth is, did I have a goal, yes? Can I achieve it? Well, with that salary, no. I have to be brutal with myself. Writing goals can be sweet, but what steps will you take to achieve the goal?. If your goal is to travel for December vacation and you don't have a dime to your head currently, then you need to review your goals. After that incident, I started to create a step to take to my goals list. It helps me to stay consistent and there, I find it more intentional.
There will be blockages. The earlier you accept it, the better the breakfast. Dr. Robert Ronstadt called this the Corridor Principle. It means that you have to be flexible. Be ready to take a new turn in the journey towards your goals.
Don't just write about your goals and keep the book somewhere, think about it but don't overthink it lest it bores you out. Paulo Coelho in his book, The Alchemist, said, ``when you want something, the whole universe conspires to help you get it." Activate your superconscious mind. Write your goals in the present tense and use personal pronouns. It helps to reinforce them in your mind.
Yeah. So, that's the five tips I can give on goals, now let me share with you five tips on how to stay focused.
5 tips on how to stay focused.
Your mind is a supercomputer that wants to process everything at once. Forget about those, "I know myself" words, your brain can deceive you. The more you expose yourself to information, the more you'll want to process it.
Put your phone on DND. I use this a lot. If I'm going to spend three hours working on a project, I'm sorry for the three hours my phone is on Do Not Disturb. I won't be bothered about the ringing of my phone, nor any sound it makes. It's all dedicated hours of work.
I saw this online and I will say it, "that picture you posted that you think will get retweeted by Tom Holland is a lie. It's your mind baiting you to take your phone and drown in the notifications." Social media makes more money from your time, that is why they want to make sure that you're not doing anything apart from checking the explore page and retweeting.
Be flexible with yourself. Because you want to stay focused does not mean you should start performing self-flagellation. Remain flexible. Don't forget the corridor principle.
Compensate yourself. The best way to stay focused is to compensate yourself after a particular task. Sometimes, once I'm done designing a lot of things, I go out to eat chicken or movies or just take a walk and drown in fantasies. I'm compensating myself with these things so that I can be happier to take on my next task.
So, dear friend, I want you to know that these things won't start immediately, it will take being deliberate and intentional to make it work.
So what are you doing today?
Books I'm currently reading
Art of War - Sun Tzu
Killing the Killers - Tolulope Moody
Book to complete
48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Books to read
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Revelation by John the Beloved.
A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking
Nearly all men in Lagos are mad - Damilare Kuku
12 Rules of Life - Jordan Patterson
Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
Till next time, I love you dearly.
Don't forget to share with your friends ♡