Hi Reader,
The two main culprits that limit my productivity:
- Overcomplicating. Mentioned that in last week's email.
- Additive Bias. A bias toward adding things rather than subtracting things.
Additive bias is a bit of a silent killer because it feels easier to add one more thing than exercise the mental rigor to decide what to cut.
That is, until you find yourself in the fetal position on the closet floor, lights off, questioning every decision of your life up 'til that moment.
I mean, *I've* never been there... but I hear it happens.
Cutting things out is a superpower—and this is especially true for growing organizations.
One of my favorite exercises is something I call Clearing the Board. When I apply this exercise to my calendar, it involves removing everything from calendar and only adding things back in if I can define it's purpose and how it's helping me (or my family) work toward our goals.
Lately I've had to apply this principle at work. It always feels a bit challenging at first because you feel like you're gonna miss out on opportunities. But ultimately it's invigorating, and I'm reminded how intentional, focused effort in ONE area can create outsized results. At BDOW!, much of our focus lately has been on online trainings (page not finished yet).
Do you keep one bajillion tabs open like me? Try closing ALL OF THEM at the end of each day. It feels so, so good. And guess what, it helps me focus on what I need to give my attention the next day.
Many of us are walking around putting rocks in our backpacks. What if you decided to put the backpack down and keep walking?
The places you can apply this exercise our endless.
—marketing + tech news—
Wait, did Ben Affleck just drop the best take on why AI can't replace artists?
There's been a lot of yelling from the creative corner about AI... and honestly, a lot of it feels like cope.
But I think Ben has a solid point on why producers, actors, and artists don't need to fear losing their jobs (at least yet).
That said, it'll be interesting to watch how OpenAI's first attempt at launching an animated movie goes.
My own take on AI is difficult to pin down. I recently posted this in Notes reacting against the typical "All AI art is plagiarism" claim.
But then I spent some of yesterday afternoon reacting against this Washington Post editorial, which I think significantly downplays the dangers of AI and unfairly brushes off those who express them.
—what I'm reading—
I hate that I liked this book... but Krista was right, it was good. The part about comparison was thought-provoking: My takeaway was that 1) comparison is an opportunity to reflect on what it is that you want, and 2) it's an opportunity to learn from others' success.
Again, I never compare myself 😜... but it's something people occasionally struggle with.
All that said, it was probably twice as long as it needed to be. If you're looking for similar ideas, check out The Courage to be Disliked. Business owners might find The Let Them Theory a bit more practical.
—what I'm listening to—
Not a new song, but one that seems to make its way back to my playlist every so often. The build-up starting around the 2:14 mark gets me every time.
Plus, I'm on a bit of C.S. Lewis kick at the moment.
I'm planning on getting crazy next week and plan to actually start *promoting* this newsletter. And you'll benefit from what I think will be a pretty sweet AI tutorial.
See you next weekend.
Peace,
Jonesy
P.S. A new post will be dropping in the next few days on The Ordinary Stuff. Thanks to all who have read my latest post on The Horse and His Boy and reached out with encouragement.
