The Magic of New Perspectives
In the pursuit of a more peaceful and productive life, I’m excited to bring you another 3 ideas or concepts that you may find useful or interesting.
Why not grab your fav hot beverage (mine definitely is coffee – strong and black in the morning) and sit down to enjoy this quick read.
Multi-tasking is a myth
Many and I dare to say, especially working mums feel pressured to multitask to handle numerous responsibilities simultaneously.
This belief stems from the perception that women are naturally skilled at multitasking and can excel at managing various tasks at once. Reality is, our brains are not made for multitasking and so many mums struggle with the feeling of having their attention constantly divided without being able to fully focus.
The “switching cost” (the cognitive effort required to shift focus from one task to another) is a major reason for the mental exhaustion so many mums experience.
TRY INSTEAD: Embrace single-tasking, where you focus on one task at a time, complete it efficiently, and then move on to the next. By prioritising tasks and minimising distractions, you harness the full potential of your brain, grow your attention span and achieve greater productivity and efficiency.
View challenges from different perspectives
Sometimes we get stuck in difficult situations and don’t know what’s our next move. That was definitely me a few months ago.
And Oh Boy, I can tell you, once I gained a new perspective, I was finally able to make a decision and once I made a decision, things shifted like CRAZY!
Here’s a tool I used to help me shift my perspective and get from stuck to unstuck:
Walt Disney’s creative thinking method, also known as “Disney Creativity Strategy”.
This method involves three distinct roles—the Dreamer, the Realist, and the Critic. It’s a technique he and his team used at Disney to view challenges from different perspectives and stimulate innovation.
Here’s an explanation of each role:
The Dreamer (or Visionary):
- The Dreamer is the imaginative part of the process. This involves generating creative ideas without limitations. Dream big, visualise possibilities, and explore innovative concepts. No restrictions, just dream! The How doesn’t matter!
The Realist (or Implementer):
- The Realist takes the imaginative ideas from the Dreamer and focuses on how to make them a reality. Solution-oriented, logical, resource focussed. It involves planning and creating a roadmap to bring the vision to life. The How…
The Critic (or Evaluator):
- Now open the door to the critics. If you’re like me, your inner critic will have loads to tell you! “Yeah but…” Allow a realistic and critical perspective. Identify potential issues, challenges, and shortcomings with the aim to improve the ideas by addressing weaknesses and viability.
No phase alone will bring the desired creative ideas. Only the combination of all 3 gets you ideas that are both innovative and practical.
Stress Addiction & Glorified Hustle
In a world that often glorifies hustle and perpetual productivity.
Like many, I’ve unknowingly fallen into the trap of stress addiction.
We push harder, believing that the key to success is doing more.
Over time, we resist precisely what would make us more effective: taking breaks and restoring energy.
Feeling exhausted, needing a break I would still tell myself “I really should be doing something” – constantly driven by guilt or the fear of appearing lazy.
I was chained to a never-ending to-do list.
I became that kind of entrepreneur I never wanted to be. That’s the kind my dad is.
His words still ring in my ears “Some work to live. I live to work”.
Well no! Not me…
I don’t want to be a workaholic.
You don’t have to be the person who never stops; instead, strive to be the one who lives life with presence and intention.
To break free from the cycle of stress addiction, it’s imperative to embrace recovery time. Like interval training in the gym, short periods of exertion alternated with rest (remember the tip from last week – 90 minutes work followed by 15 minutes break), help build energy capacity and stress tolerance. (Source: book “The Power of Full Engagement”)
What could this look like in real life, you may ask…
For me it means, being intentional about taking breaks to eat small, highly nutritious, meals throughout the day. Drink water. Be mindful of the amount of coffee I drink. Get sufficient sleep. Take breaks, stretch & walk.
Small things everyone can do!