Nicholas Bate

Always Room For That

Board.

Tough Jeans

from Wales.

Secrets of Success 101: The Third Fifteen

1. Build courage with relentless practise, be it public speaking, judo or cake baking.
2. Catch up with yourself by getting organised; but don't get ahead of yourself by not building foundations.
3. Face down fear by avoiding negative talk and thus giving it zero oxygen to spread and build.
4. That person you admire? They have been to hell and back to get their 'success'. You will too. But it's worth it.
5. Play a lot. But not at working hard.
6. Document what you believe. Are all of those 'fundamentals' aligned to your success?
7. Wake one morning and understand you know nothing until you start the journey. Then the universe will start to unfold for you in exciting and totally unexpected ways.

8. "I'm not one of those complicated, mixed-up cats. I'm not looking for the secret to life... I just go on from day to day, taking what comes" Frank Sinatra. Yep, the best of the best make it look -s-o- easy. Go back to 1.

9. Notice problems and turn them into opportunities. And sell some of the latter.
10. Persistence. Multiplied by politeness. Will get you what you want.
11. Be prepared to abandon, U-turn and regularly update your plans.
12. Face your dark side. Required viewing: Breaking Bad.
13. Success is a plan not a cool logo.
14. Ensure your plans for the day can be encapsulated on a flight-deck the size of a '3 by 5' card.
15. Eliminate anything which messes with your number one superpower: thinking.

  TBC

• Check out The First Fifteen
• The Second Fifteen
• In the meantime, You, Only Better

Deep Dive Productivity 6: Series of Iterations

The Forward View and The Bigger Picture will give you early warning of what is coming up on the horizon. And what do you do with that visibility? Start a Series of Iterations. That sales pitch in three weeks time. Do a rapid first pass of the presentation: what's your main message? What benefits do you hope to get across? What objections might come up which need handling? Now leave that a day or two and Change The Pace and have another go at the material: you'll get some fresh thoughts and make the presentation tighter. Leave it again then come back for rehearsal and timings. 

You'll end up with an amazing pitch. That's what a Series of Iterations can do you and for your productivity.

1. Deep Dive Productivity 1: The Forward View
2. Deep Dive Productivity 2: The Bigger Picture
3. Deep Dive Productivity 3: Change The Pace
4. Deep Dive Productivity 4: Create A Timetable.
5. Deep Dive Productivity 5: Like Attracts & Reduces.
6. How To Lessen E-Mail Pain.
7. You, Only Better

If Orwell Were Writing Today

Incompetence=Competence.

Jagged Thoughts for Jagged Times: 88

There are no bad Mondays: only poorly brewed coffee.

Secrets of Success 101: The Second Fifteen

1. Remember that fear, uncertainty and doubt are simply a chemical by-product of making distinct progress on your goals and shedding baggage.
2. Have at your finger-tips a perfect play-list that will instantly dissolve your occasional bad moods, lassitude and 'there is no point' declarations.
3. Use AND more than OR, BUT and IF.
4. Stay professional.
5. Establish routine and ritual to: get stuff done.
6. Shatter routine and ritual for: creative breakthroughs. 
7. Recognise you will need help: ask.
8. Develop you mission control area. A study, a planner on the kitchen wall, a bit of the garage: whatever. Fill it with plans, milestones, inspiration, photos, quotes, mission plans...
9. Write 1000 words on success and what it is for you. Now in 100. Now in ten words. Now in one.
10. Don't be sniffy about the need for money. You'll need money. 
11. On average every 45 minutes stop, stretch, sip water and ask: what's really important now?
12. Study those you admire: in sports, the arts, politics...What specifically do they do which gives them that edge you seek?
13. Get supremely physically fit. It will support your stamina, your creativity and your agility.
14. Much success starts with believing in yourself. It's not enough on its own, but it has to be the place to start.
15. Get better at noticing things. How people are responding. What else is in the room. In your peripheral vision. What you pass as you drive cross-country. You'll notice you get more ideas.

• TBC
• Check out The First Fifteen
• In the meantime, You, Only Better

Phenomenal Value. Daily.

Cultural Offering.

Mmmm

Deep Dive Productivity 5: Like Attracts & Reduces

Similar activities go together and save time. Batch your calls: you get into a flow state. Do several coaching sessions in a row; you get really good at picking up the cues. There is of course an argument that variety and change can boost energy. But it's certainly true that fragmentation and too much stop & change breaks momentum. Plan to batch similar activities and take a run at them.

1. Deep Dive Productivity 1: The Forward View
2. Deep Dive Productivity 2: The Bigger Picture
3. Deep Dive Productivity 3: Change The Pace
4. Deep Dive Productivity 4: Create A Timetable.
5. How To Lessen E-Mail Pain.
6. You, Only Better