💡Pro Letter: The power of simplicity

There's a side effect to being prepared...

Apr 20, 2021

‘Anxiety disappears when you start doing the work’

Hello and welcome!

Wow, this the 20th edition of the Pro Letter! 6 months ago, I would never have dreamed I’d be writing a weekly newsletter, and building a community for you all (coming soon!).

Thank you for being here, and hope these 5 minute reads add value to your week!

Today you’ll get: 3 bullet tips, a borrowed idea, a read you need… and a question for you!

Enjoy!

Bullet tips

‘Incremental improvements repeated… is virtually unstoppable’ - Dr Jordan B.Peterson

If you’re going to listen to one thing this week, make it Dr Jordan B. Peterson’s appearance on the Modern Wisdom podcast.

Couldn’t stop thinking about what he said about incremental improvements. Basically, small gains repeated is virtually unstoppable.

What resonates most, is the fact it’s almost impossible to argue with it. It’s easy to say it’s not that simple… but it is!

Small actions > Iterate > Improve

‘You’re free when no one can buy your time’ - Shane Parrish

Lets jump on the quit your 9-5 train…

It’s a good train to be on, it’s going in the direction I want to be heading.

For you, it might be different. You might genuinely enjoy your 9-5. You might enjoy the security of a salary, benefits, paid holidays, and a structured process that keeps you in line.

The 9-5 for many is freedom, providing all the tools to have a comfortable life.

The 9-5 for many is a prison structure that requires selling time for money.

Find the train you want to be on. In the end, it’s you that’s the conductor.

‘Confidence is a side effect of being prepared’ - Chris Williamson

A great mantra.

The most nervous you can feel is when you’re unprepared. It’s like a sixth sense, I just know when I haven’t done enough!

There’s an undue amount of satisfaction in being optimally prepared. That feeling when you’ve thrown the kitchen sink at it.

Knowing you’ve done everything you can to be ready for the task at hand, breeds confidence.

It’s inevitable!

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

A borrowed idea

James Clear on ‘hard work’.

James Clear @JamesClear

We need to redefine "hard work" to include "hard thinking." The person who outsmarts you is out working you. The person who finds shortcuts is out working you. The person with a better strategy is out working you. Usually, the hardest work is thinking of a better way to do it.

Read you need

The power of simplicity: how to manage our complexity bias (Ness Labs)

We often tend to prefer complex solutions over simple ones; complicated marketing jargon over clear explanations; multi-steps implementations over more direct execution.

Complexity can lend an aura of authority to products, which marketers are exploiting to project authority and expertise.

Complex processes can also delay decision-making, giving us the illusion of productivity. Why is it that we struggle so much to embrace the power of simplicity? And how can we balance complexity and simplicity? Continue reading…

What the Pro Letter community is working on

Kristy Olinger: Sharing communication strategies for Product managers, and tips for better work interactions.

Zenly Organised: Helping you be more organized and productive, so you can save time to live your best life.

Puvindren - Productivity Coach: Helping new entrepreneurs tackle productivity and procrastination.

Ask yourself this…

What am I doing that feels like work, but is really procrastination?

Same time next week,

👨‍🦰 Keith

ProductivityPro