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

• The Art of the Power Nap — How to Sleep Your Way to Maximum Productivity

• How to Self-Promote — Without Sounding Self-Centered

• The “Workcation” is a Myth — here’s what to do instead.

• You Can Turn Canva Into a PROMPT Engineer

• Add this book 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

The Art of the Power Nap — How to Sleep Your Way to Maximum Productivity

Power napping is increasingly recognized as a valuable tool for entrepreneurs, offering a way to boost productivity and health. Strategic rest, when effectively integrated into a busy schedule, can enhance both work performance and overall well-being. The focus is on finding the right balance between optimal nap timing, duration, and maintaining work commitments.

Key Insights:

• Set a Timer for 20-30 Minute Naps: A brief nap of 20 to 30 minutes can enhance alertness without causing grogginess. Entrepreneurs can use calendar apps to schedule these naps, ensuring they fit seamlessly into their workday. For example, setting a reminder for a 20-minute nap post-lunch can rejuvenate energy levels for the afternoon tasks.

• Adjust Nap Duration Based on Nightly Sleep: Flexibility in nap length, adjusted according to the amount of sleep the previous night, helps maintain a healthy total sleep time. For instance, if an entrepreneur gets only 6 hours of sleep at night, a longer midday nap can compensate, whereas a shorter nap is sufficient after a longer night's sleep.

• Automate Routine Tasks to Free Up Time for Napping: By automating repetitive tasks, entrepreneurs can create time for rest. Starting with simple automation, like email sorting or billing processes, and gradually moving to more complex tasks can lead to significant time savings. This approach allows for regular power naps without compromising work productivity. For example, using automation tools for customer follow-ups can save enough time for a daily power nap.

⚙️ Optimization

How to Self-Promote — Without Sounding Self-Centered

"Dual-promotion" is a self-promotion technique that involves complimenting others while highlighting one's own achievements, effectively creating a positive impression of both competence and warmth.

Key Insights:

• Combine Self-Promotion with Compliments to Others: This approach enhances perceptions of warmth without compromising perceived competence.

  • Example: Taylor Swift, in promoting her album 'Speak Now', complimented collaborators Hayley Williams and Fall Out Boy for their influence and support, alongside mentioning her own role in the album's creation.

• Practice Dual-Promotion in Various Contexts: Effective across professional and competitive environments.

  • Example: Roger Federer, after a match victory, praised opponent Kei Nishikori for his exceptional play, while also acknowledging his own great performance.

• Keep Other-Promotion Genuine and Specific: Authenticity and specificity in complimenting others make both self-promotion and other-promotion more credible.

  • Example: A politician detailing collaborative efforts in passing a bill might name specific colleagues and describe the impact of the laws, alongside highlighting their own contributions.

• Maintain a Balance of Self and Other-Promotion: Important to not overshadow one's own achievements while promoting others.

  • Example: An author celebrating their book's success on the New York Times Bestseller list might also commend a fellow author, praising their work as the best book of the year, thereby promoting both themselves and their colleague.

⏲️ Time Management

The “Workcation” is a Myth — here’s what to do instead.

Mixing work and leisure often leads to neither effective relaxation nor productivity. Instead, clear separation is advised through four modes: 'Optimal Work' for focused productivity, 'Work Nomading' for work-oriented travel, 'Plugged Vacation' for leisure with some work, and 'Unplugged Vacation' for total disconnection. This approach ensures a balance between work efficiency and genuine relaxation.

• Distinguish Between Work and Vacation: It's crucial to clearly define the boundaries between work and leisure time. A workcation often blurs these lines, leading to neither a fully relaxing vacation nor a fully productive work period. By setting clear distinctions, you can ensure that your vacation time is truly restorative, and your work time is highly productive.

• Embrace 'Optimal Work' Settings: Creating an environment that is conducive to productivity is key when you're not on vacation. This means establishing a workspace where you can focus without the distractions that are often present in a workcation setting. By doing so, you can maximize your efficiency and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

• Consider 'Work Nomading' for Flexibility: This approach involves traveling to new locations but maintaining a focus on work. It's a balance between experiencing new environments and ensuring that your work productivity does not suffer. By planning your trips with work as a primary focus, you can enjoy the change of scenery without compromising on your professional responsibilities.

• Prioritize Unplugged Vacations: Fully disconnecting from work is essential for a true vacation. This means consciously deciding not to engage in work-related activities like checking emails or taking work calls. Such a break is crucial for mental and physical rejuvenation, allowing you to return to work with renewed energy and focus.

💻 Tools & Technology

You Can Turn Canva Into a PROMPT Engineer (Video)

Part of incorporating AI tools into our workflow is understanding which tools are best at what and getting them to interact with each other. This video is an interesting tutorial for how to get Canva to expand, adjust, and manipulate prompts until you get something that helps you complete your task without having to write from scratch.

👀 Read, Watch, Listen

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

Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion (Book) - Free on Kindle Unlimited!

This updated edition of a bestselling book on influence and persuasion, by expert Robert Cialdini, explores why people say "yes" and how to apply these insights ethically. It's easy to understand and includes new research and examples. The book covers Cialdini's Universal Principles of Influence, including a new principle, Unity. It's useful for both becoming a skilled persuader and defending against unethical influence, backed by extensive scientific research.

🔒Inner Circle: Events & Announcements

• Tuesday: Work ON Business. Theme: SOPs

• Monday/Friday: Goal Setting + Plan Your Week Party

• Accelerators: December 1 is your Monthly Goal Setting Workshop RSVP here

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I hope you found this valuable!

Wishing you much productivity!

- Jenae :)