Hey there!

I hope you've had a productive week! If you are new here, welcome to our Friday Roundup.
What is the Friday Roundup?

A roundup of the best in productivity & systems for Entrepreneurs and small business owners with a ‘TLDR’ summary and our take on how to take action to systematize your business and your life.

Be on the lookout for our Tuesday Swipe file & Case study! Every Tuesday a free behind-the-scenes swipe file from an entrepreneur with the systems, tools, and hires that helped them build sustainable success.

-Jenae :)

The Rundown

• People With ‘Poor Speech Etiquette’ Always Use These 7 ‘Rude’ Phrases, Says Public Speaking Expert

• Anxiety As a Tool, Not a Hindrance — From Anxiety to Creativity, UC San Diego Professor Discusses Book on Power of the Mind

• Use the 'Zen to Done' Method to Create New Productivity Habits

• Kendrick Lamar Just Dropped a Sleek Anti-Smart Phone

• Add these 2 books to your reading list

🔥Quote/Prompt

Use the quote as a writing or thinking prompt to finish your week strong.

A bit from mine:

(posted in our Doer Entrepreneurs Free Community — off social media)

Did someone forward this to you?

📈 Performance

People with ‘poor speech etiquette’ always use these 7 ‘rude’ phrases, says public speaking expert

John Bowe, a public speaking expert, advises on avoiding certain phrases that can hinder effective communication and suggests better alternatives.

Key Insights:

• Choose Directness Over Indirectness: Using "Do you want to..." for commands can seem insincere.

  • Instead: Say "Please file these reports" instead of "Do you want to file these reports?" to be clear and respectful.

• Seek Genuine Inquiry: Don't use "right?" to force agreement.

  • Instead: Ask "What are your thoughts on this strategy?" to genuinely invite input rather than seeking confirmation.

• Foster Open Dialogue: Avoid conversation-ending phrases like "It is what it is."

  • Instead: Respond with "Let's discuss this and find a solution" when faced with a problem to promote problem-solving and support.

• Avoid Fake Authoritative Statements: Ditch openers like “Here’s the thing”.

  • Instead: If you are truly authoritative on the subject, hop right in: “I think…”

⚙️ Optimization

From anxiety to creativity, UC San Diego professor discusses book on power of the mind

UC San Diego Professor Emeritus Jaime Pineda discusses his new book, "Controlling Mental Chaos: Harnessing the Power of the Creative Mind," which explores the relationship between anxiety and creativity, and offers strategies for managing mental chaos through open awareness and present-moment focus.

Key Insights:

• Anxiety can fuel creativity: Pineda's work suggests that anxiety is not just a negative experience but can also be a source of creative energy when channeled properly.

  • Our Take: Recognize moments of anxiety as potential catalysts for innovation. When feeling anxious, instead of succumbing to the stress, redirect this energy into brainstorming sessions or creative problem-solving activities.

• Mindfulness as a tool: The practice of mindfulness and living in the present moment is highlighted as a way to access open awareness and control mental chaos.

  • Our Take: Incorporate mindfulness techniques into your daily routines, such as taking a minute of silence to center attention before a meeting or stressful project. Take breaks focused on present-moment awareness to enhance focus and reduce stress.

• Understanding the mind-brain relationship: There is a distinction between the brain's physical structure and the mind's processes, which can influence each other.

  • Our Take: Business leaders can apply this insight by promoting mental and physical health in the workplace, understanding that a healthy brain supports a healthy mind. And in fact, the health of the mind can “rewire” the brain so it’s crucial for our health and ability to make business decisions that any rewiring is positive as opposed to unintentional negative rewiring.

⏲️ Time Management

Use the 'Zen to Done' Method to Create New Productivity Habits

The Zen to Done (ZTD) productivity method, developed by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits, is designed to enhance task management and personal well-being through gradual habit changes.

Key Insights:

• Start Small: Embracing the ZTD method begins with adopting a small number of habits and allowing them to build incrementally. This strategy prevents the feeling of being overwhelmed and promotes a more focused and sustainable development of productivity habits, ensuring they become a natural part of daily routines.

• Prioritize Tasks: The method encourages addressing tasks promptly as they arise to prevent work from piling up. By making quick decisions on smaller tasks, individuals can maintain an organized workflow and reduce the mental clutter that often impedes productivity.

• Weekly Planning: ZTD advocates for regular planning sessions to maintain clarity and direction. Setting clear goals at the start of each week and revisiting them ensures that daily actions are aligned with broader objectives, facilitating consistent progress towards long-term goals.

• Simplify and Focus: The approach also involves streamlining tasks to focus on the most important ones, which can lead to more effective work sessions. Concentrating on fewer tasks allows for a dedicated focus and resources on each, potentially increasing the quality and efficiency of the work completed.

💻 Tools & Technology

Kendrick Lamar Just Dropped a Sleek Anti-Smart Phone

Kendrick Lamar's pgLang has partnered with Light to release the Light Phone II, a minimalist phone designed to reduce distractions by focusing on essential communication features.

Key Insights:

• Prioritize Essential Functions: The Light Phone II embraces minimalism, offering just the essentials for communication. This reflects a consumer trend towards simpler, more focused products.

• Reduce Digital Distractions: With no social media or internet browsing, the phone aims to cut down on digital clutter, aligning with a movement towards digital wellbeing.

• Nostalgic Appeal: The phone's simple design evokes a sense of nostalgia for the pre-smartphone era, appealing to consumers' desire for simplicity in technology.

• Exclusive Content Potential: The idea of exclusive content for Light Phone II users introduces a unique selling point, suggesting a blend of simplicity and exclusivity could be attractive to consumers.

👀 Read, Watch, Listen

This week’s awesome books, YouTube videos, newsletters, etc. to add to your list!

Zen Habits: Handbook for Life  (Book)

“The Zen Habits Handbook for Life is a compilation of Leo Babauta's best articles on living from a Zen Habits perspective. What will this book teach you to do? Basically the same things that Zen Habits aims for overall: how to simplify your life, how to live a happier life, how to be more productive with less stress, how to achieve your dreams. The book includes chapters on decluttering, single-tasking, eliminating nonessentials, planning your day, clearing your inbox, getting motivated, cultivating compassion, boosting self-confidence, living consciously, and much more! Think of it as a little handbook for a better life.” (Amazon Summary)

Controlling Mental Chaos: Harnessing the Power of the Creative Mind (Book)

Jaime Pineda's book guides readers on controlling anxiety and reclaiming creativity. It suggests that while intellect has limits, a nonjudgmental mind can escape detrimental thought patterns. The book posits that anxiety is a constant "fever," exacerbated by various stressors, leading to destructive mental loops. Pineda offers steps and techniques to break free from these cycles, advocating for a return to our inherently clear and original mind, thus overcoming the "static" of anxiety and unlocking our creative potential.

🔒Inner Circle: Events & Announcements

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I hope you found this valuable!

Wishing you much productivity!

- Jenae :)