Jann’s Jottings #20

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Feb 28

“The most practical pages for perusal on the web”

Jotting (defn): short details of significant events, behaviours and conversations about wellbeing, growth and education/career.

Wellbeing Jot: Helping others

In a world that often encourages self-reliance and independence, it's essential to remember our roots in families and communities. We are intrinsically designed to need each other—emotionally, practically, and spiritually. Research from the Mental Health Foundation (UK) reveals that helping others not only benefits their wellbeing but also significantly enhances our own mental health, mood, self-esteem, and happiness.

There are times when we must seek help, and times when we are called to offer it. Your unique gifts, talents, strengths, and personality are valuable assets that can positively impact those around you. A true friend loves at all times, especially during moments of adversity. And it turns out, acts of kindness are beneficial for our wellbeing too!

For more information, check out the Kindness Matters Guide.

Growth Jot: Open loops and Overwhelm

Dr Roy Baumeister, a leading social psychologist, applied the Zeigarnik effect to productivity. The Zeigarnik effect is triggered by tasks we need to accomplish but have yet to act on. Like a computer with too many tabs open, anything vying for our attention - big or small, work or personal - that we have a level of internal commitment to completing in the future, is akin to an open tab or unresolved loop. Essentially, an unfinished task distracts us from completing new ones, decreasing productivity. Most of us have dozens of open loops, however we weren’t designed to manage that many simultaneously.

Consider a simple example: Going to the supermarket. I can comfortably remember a list of four or five items I need, however anything beyond that requires me to write it down. Otherwise, it costs me two trips to the supermarket - an unproductive use of my time.

When our short-term memory overflows with open loops, three things happen:

We cannot be fully present: You may find yourself repeatedly going over your to-do list in your head, fearing you will forget something. This means you won’t be present for those around you.
We will drop the ball and forget tasks. Imagine trying to catch water in your hands – inevitably some tasks will slip through.
We experience stress and overwhelm. Stress comes from having too much to do and too little time. However, if we implement systems to handle open loops, we can feel less stressed and more in control. Stress also arises from unkept agreements with yourself and others.

A good starting point is to write tasks down, but beyond that, creating a workflow that supports your goals can help significantly. This relaxes our brain as we feel we have started and are now organised for action. Another crucial aspect is to act with integrity – let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no… consistently. Applying the Zeigarnik effect is the one of the secrets to mastering sustainable performance and productivity.

Ponder this: How can you reduce your open loops by setting up a workflow system to be more fully present and productive?

For more insights, check out: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity by David Allen

Career Jot: Reflect and Refine

William James (1842-1910) philosopher and psychologist wrote:

“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.”

Continuing our exploration of productivity, consider implementing the 4 D’s from David Allen’s book as a way to create a workflow that minimises the open loops, particularly in relation to emails. Too many open loops cause fatigue. Try this:

Do it: Take action using the 120 second rule as an efficiency decision framework. Ask yourself: “Can this task/email/phone call/message be completed in 120 seconds?” If so – do it now. If not, defer or delegate it.
Example: "Can you confirm if you are available for the meeting at 3 PM tomorrow?" A quick response: "Yes, I am available for the meeting at 3 PM tomorrow. See you then!"
Delegate it: Ask yourself: “Who is the best person to complete this task so that I can spend time on high value tasks?” There may be tasks you are doing out of habit or comfort that are stealing your time and that others can learn or do better than you.
Example: Forward the request: "Hi [Team Member], would you please compile the report on our latest project? Let me know if you need any additional information. Thank you!"
Defer/Delay it: Ask yourself: “What is the timeline on this request and is this the best time to do this?” Decide whether it is a “now” or “not right now” or “not ever” task. If you can close the loop and complete it, do it now. If it needs more thought or another’s input, place it on your Take Action list with a date to attend to it. Delay does not mean procrastinate!
Example: Add it to your Take Action list with a specific date: "Review the Annual Improvement Plan by next Wednesday."
Delete/Ditch it: Ask yourself: “Will this information/request/activity help me achieve my goals today/this week/on this project?” Evaluate it based on how much time it will require; its relevance and what would happen if it does not get done. Some tasks may be eliminated as they no longer serve a purpose.
Example: Decline the invitation and delete the email: "Thank you for the invitation, but I won't be able to attend the webinar."