Nicholas Bate

The Challenge of Speed.

Is much faster? Certainly.

Is much faster than just a couple of years ago? No doubt.

But there is no such thing as hurry-up thinking. 

Slow down to the speed of thought. Slow down to the natural walking pace. Slow down to that heart rate. And solutions to the toughest challenges will appear, creativity will soar and all will be in perspective. 

Go slow when all around go crazy.

Catch Up Sunday

1. 25 Mini Standards.
2. The Writing Primer.
3. Bram, A Spy Story: a story of coming of age, of Queen and country and the origins of Covid-19. “Once you start reading this book, it’s difficult to put down. Initially, you are immersed in the delights of Oxford academia, only to then be exposed to the starkness and brutality of Moscow during the Cold War. Bram, a brilliant Oxford chemist, turns spy whose mission is to save the world from a highly dangerous and ubiquitous threat. This book is characterised by most of the attributes of a good spy story with action, heroic exploits by a larger-than-life protagonist and a strong plot. Well worth a read.”
   
4. How to Start your Very Own Business.
5. Instant Productivity.
6. Seven choices.
7. 22 Essentials.
8. How to Create your Home Office.
9. plus The Start Up Myths
10. Stay STRONG
11. Crazy Bold Experiments
12. Just say NO to PPT
13. The Marketing Primer.
14. Being the Best version of you, the book, back in stock.
15. Redundancy
16. Hunter-Gatherer 21C
17. Tackling Stress.
18. Manage that career
19. Be Bold 101
20. You still haven’t read Being The Best?! 
21. Things They Don’t Teach at Business School
22. the secrets of success
23. Life Tips 101
24. Zen & Art of Cubicle Freedom
25. Carnage At Kodak
26. The Very Best Drugs You Need
27. Billions of Light Years Away In Another Galaxy
28. 22 Routes To Your Non Fiction Book
29. Lists For The Life You Love
30. How To Lessen E-Mail Pain
31. Professionalism 101
32. 21 Ways to Improve your Zoom Conference Call.
33. Productivity Primer
34. 101, redux
35. The Basic Basics

Do What You Want, This Weekend

The book.

Instant.

Kindle.

Go reflect, plan and act.

Blank Sheet of Paper Friday 7

1. Is potential, bags of.
2. Is the infinitely expanding universe laid out and scaled for your convenience to explore.
3. Is where you solve problems, craft sentences which become books, articulate your greatest synaptic bursts. And say I love you.
4. Is your most flexible, portable, wi-fi free (which is of course not free wi-fi) computer.
5. Comes small, big, sticky, coloured and bound.
6. Lasts a life-time or lights a camp-fire.
7. Allows you to start a fresh adventure anytime, anyplace.

The Greatest Productivity Tips, 152

Shorten:

-meetings (agenda, chair, minimum people, maximum 45 minutes)

-e-mails (greeting, purpose, action required and by when, thank you)

And thus Lengthen:

-thinking time (What are the key issues? What are any blockers?)

-coaching time (who needs to become more effective? How can coaching help?)

-planning time (tomorrow, next week, next month, next year)

On Writing, 144

Notice that when you are sure, your writing is more precise. When you are less sure it becomes loaded with adverbs and qualifiers and fillers.

Be tough on editing for precision, momentum and good story. 

We Usually Know

what we need to do. 

Back After

40 years.

Tuesday Sharp Pencil, Seven

1. Creates essential lists (shopping, master and garden tasks) with finesse.
2. The act of sharpening with your Forest Knife is a perfect meditative moment.
3. Sketch a matrix (meal plans, coaching timetable, gym activity) with elegance.
4. Have fun deciding the HB balance which works for your hand, your paper and your mind.
5. Release the artist within.
6. Do equations (paint required for kitchen, tax due next payment, off-site costs) with discretion.
7. Know your desk is equipped with a timeless tool which simply cannot break down and gives plenty of warning when renewal is required.

Kurt and

show up.