Nicholas Bate

Still True in a Covid World, 22

1. There are decisions you might have made when you were younger which you can still make now you are older.
2. Worthwhile stuff is hard.
3. We are wired to be distracted: it has huge evolutionary benefit. But that benefit evolved when distraction was infrequent. Now its frequency is numbing our brain, reducing romance to sex and killing the carefully constructed album.
4. A schedule and 'no' will get amazing things achieved. 
5. You are one of many until you show value, not just experience, in your CV. Then you are short-listed. The awesome advantage of the Zoom interview is you can have notes everywhere.
6. Your body needs more drugs from hiking, night skies and free-wheeling conversations with good buddies and fewer from your doctor. 
7. Everybody now runs their own business. Ask: why would anyone want to employ me?
8. Big tasks when broken down become both time friendly and brain friendly.
9. It is very, very easy to pull ahead of the crowd: decide to do so and stop needing the approval of others.
10. Productivity isn't a number of things ticked: it's a result.
11. Iteration will produce excellence.
12. Practice will produce mastery.
13. Mastery will produce more happiness than money.
14. There’s a book out there and it has the guidance you seek.
15. Freedom is priceless.
16. Health is priceless.
17. Priceless isn't expensive. Priceless is a decision.
18. The Beatles were not just Masters of Music but also Masters of Growing-Up
19. In a world of busyness, your greatest asset is your ability to focus and give attention to that which you seek.
20. To chase standard of living to the point of busyness can be to lose quality of life.
21. It doesn't take time to cook. It does take time for the body to recover from highly processed food.
22. Writing (1) by hand (2) for no reason at all (3) regularly is remarkably therapeutic.

Just One Thing, 17 of 101

Only copy to learn.

Then innovate to truly perform.

Just One Thing, 16 of 101

Revise your goals.

(Write them down.

Include numbers and measurables.

Keep them visible.

Start them)

Standards in a Covid World, 22

1. Respond to all business e-mail within 24h. Much of this can be simply be an acknowledgement plus an accurate assessment of when you will respond fully.
2. Then respond fully when you said you would.
3. Turn up on time. 
4. In the business meeting, contribute, tell it straight and record your actions.
5. And do the actions you said you would do.
6. Be loyal to those not present.
7. Alternate coffee/tea/soda with a glass of water.
8. Don't neglect a quality issue be it a mistake on a PPT slide nor a client who seems to be waiting too long for attention.
9. Focus. A 'brand re-fresh' is not needed. What is needed is some focus on the tasks in hand.
10. Consider a digital distraction as poison injected into your brain. It is.
11. Don't cherry-pick: do the tough, high value stuff. And do it early in the day. Then coffee, cup 3.
12. Do go fruit-picking though. Fresh air. Conversation through the mask. And the best of fresh fruit.
13. Greet people. Be interested in them. It’s harder in an increasingly exclusively digital world. And so it is even more valuable.
14. And not just for your network.
15. Recognise your organisation is not perfect. But it's better when you are better.
16. Now you are working at home, work out how you are going to do basic body maintenance.
17. The gym is optional, but movement is essential.
18. Now you are working at home, decide what is the mechanism for going home at a reasonable time and switching off from work. 
19. Floss. Not so much for the health benefits (which-of course-plenty debate). But to prove you can set up a daily habit.
20. Practise observing your moods, rather than being them.
21. Regularly review what is important to you.
22. Start stuff. Finish stuff. Feel good.

Just One Thing, 15 of 101

Overnight success takes a long, long time.

Thursday Melange, 19

 

1. How to Escape the Bunker.
2. Christmas presents 2020, solved.
3. The Writing Primer.
4. How to Start your Very Own Business.
5. plus The Start Up Myths
6. Stay STRONG
7. Crazy Bold Experiments
8. Just say NO to PPT
9. Post Covid Business Essentials.
10. The Marketing Primer.
11. Redundancy
12. Covid-19, 101
13. Hunter-Gatherer 21C
14. Tackling Stress.
15. Manage that career
16. Be Bold 101
17. You still haven’t read Being The Best?! (Back in stock on 24th)
18. Things They Don’t Teach at Business School
19. the secrets of success

 

Just One Thing, 14 of 101

What heals in a Covid world?

The Vaccines, sure.

But also: friendship, sunlight, moonlight, good food, walks, great books, sparky conversation, creating from art to walls.....allow time to heal. Daily. 

Just One Thing, 13 of 101

Being productive was never about being able to do more.

It’s about the courage, the real courage, to do significantly less.

TBC

In the meantime, You, Only Better

Just One Thing, 12 of 101

‘Monday’ cannot dictate your mood.

Be greater than the label.

TBC

In the meantime, You, Only Better

Just One Thing, 11 of 101

Practise the polite no which gets you the life affirming yes.

Sometimes the no is to others (to doing this additional project today, but certainly later this week)...

Sometimes to yourself (to Netflix until I’ve done 500 words on my novel)...

TBC

In the meantime, You, Only Better