Fortitude Fridays #29

read time: 6 mins

A few ideas as you head into the weekend.

Today at a Glance:

• Quote: Plans vs. Life.
• Question: Getting back on track.
• Book: Elastic Habits by Stephen Guise.
• Tactic: The 3-3-3 Method.

This newsletter did not reach your mailbox yesterday due to a system failure I did not catch. Seems appropriate considering this week's theme. Here's to Steadfast Saturday!!

 

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Quote to Ponder:

"Everybody has a plan until they get hit."

-Mike Tyson

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Planning is important, however, it's equally vital to be prepared for the unexpected. Flexibility, resilience, and adaptability are key attributes for dealing with life's uncertainties.

​Remember, it is how you react to the adversity, not the adversity itself.

 

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Question to Ask Yourself:

Thinking of Mike Tyson's quote...ask yourself:

When you get hit unexpectedly, how do you get yourself back in the game?

Inevitably, life cruises along smoothly, with us making progress, until suddenly, it throws us a curveball. Whether it's an unexpected illness, unemployment, a forgotten school project, the holidays, an injury, or an overwhelming workload, there's always something or someone vying for our time unexpectedly. However, it's within our power to navigate these disruptions and reclaim our course.

It's perfectly normal to get derailed; it happens to all of us sooner or later. The key lies in knowing how to reroute yourself back on track. Having a well-defined roadmap for such moments is crucial for sustaining forward momentum. I urge you to take the time to reflect on this question and devise a plan. When you inevitably encounter one of life's challenges, execute that plan with confidence.

My Answer:

-Reconnect with my "why."

-Five minute cold shower.

 

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Book to Check Out:

Elastic Habits: How to Create Smarter Habits That Adapt to Your Day by Stephen Guise

I read a great deal about habits and habit formation, it's an area I am deeply curious about, and I find it helpful when working with my coaching clients. However, habit formation is not one-size-fits-all.

"Elastic Habits" stands out due to its emphasis on starting with very tiny, manageable steps and its flexible approach. It encourages embracing imperfections and adapting habits to changing circumstances, making it a more forgiving and sustainable method for habit formation compared to rigid, all-or-nothing approaches found in many other books. This makes it more accessible and practical for a wider range of individuals, especially those who struggle with traditional habit-building methods.

This book is a quick read, offering an alternative perspective on habit formation. If you've ever found traditional approaches to be a struggle, 'Elastic Habits' is definitely worth your attention.

Key Takeaway: A more forgiving and adaptive approach to habit formation, emphasizing the importance of persistence and small, consistent actions. Focus on consistency, use triggers, and celebrate small wins to build habits that gradually lead to significant change.

 

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Tactic to Try: The 3-3-3 Method for Structuring Your Day

Many of us grapple with the ongoing challenge of managing our multitude of tasks. As a business owner and coach, I often face a multitude of choices on my daily to-do list. While exciting, this flexibility can also lead to overwhelming and unproductive moments, days, or weeks, triggering decision fatigue and/or analysis paralysis. This is precisely where the importance of establishing a daily structure or routine becomes evident.

After wrestling with this issue for months, I stumbled upon Oliver Burkeman's 3-3-3 Method, which presents a straightforward framework:

• Allocate 3 hours to your top-priority project, setting clear and specific daily goals (e.g., long-term projects, lesson planning, writing).
• Accomplish 3 quick tasks, encompassing urgent to-dos and postponed items you've been avoiding (such as emails, invoices, notes, and calls).
• Prioritize 3 essential daily maintenance activities to maintain a smooth running life (like dishes, grocery shopping, cleaning, meal-prep, laundry, and workouts).

The concept behind this method is that by successfully completing these three key tasks, you can consider your day a success, liberating you from the perpetual burden of feeling like "it's never enough." Consequently, driven individuals can retire to bed without the stress and anxiety of believing they should have achieved more, while those prone to analysis paralysis or overwhelm can avoid the trap of not getting anything done.

Here’s how it works:

To give it a shot, in the evening, grab your planner or some paper and jot down your 3-3-3 plan for the next day:

1. Identify the most crucial task you'll spend 3 hours on.
2. List the 3 minor tasks you'll accomplish.
3. Outline the 3 maintenance activities you'll address.

As you progress through the day, check off each item on the list. Completing it will leave you with a satisfying sense of a day well utilized when you head off to sleep.

Bringing it Home:

The 3-3-3 method emphasizing smaller daily achievements for long-term success. While it's tempting to pursue ambitious plans or dive into tasks without structure, these often lead to inconsistent results.

Dedicating three concentrated hours to your top priority ensures consistent and substantial daily, weekly, and monthly advancement.

Addressing three smaller, postponed tasks prevents your to-do list from becoming overwhelming.

Finally, engaging in three maintenance activities enables you to make headway in other important areas of life, such as health, relationships, household chores, and more.

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Thanks for reading and I hope you have a pleasant weekend! Until next week...

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