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 evidence-based productivity for freelancers, small business owners & founders to help you work smarter and live more.

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

• Quick Tip: ‘Force’ Your Brain to Relax in 10 Seconds

• How to Use Writing to Boost Your Focus and Productivity

• When an Active Pause Is the Best Strategic Choice — Hint: we’re not talking about hiking, we’re talking business.

• Jeff Bezos on Why Eliminating Daily Dashboards Can Make You More Focused, Productive, and Successful, Backed by Science

• ChatGPT Decoded: A Deep Dive into the AI Phenomenon

• Add these podcasts to your listening 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

How to Use Writing to Boost Your Focus and Productivity

If you’re already a skilled writer, this is extra great news for you, but if you’re not, good news, it doesn’t matter. In fact, this article discusses a study done with engineers! This article is worth a read to get all 5 ways to use writing as a focus tool as well as if you’d like to geek out with us about the study behind it all.

Here are two of our favorites from this author:

1. Self-awareness: Journal daily. Writing is not only for others but also for yourself. Write for your own enjoyment, expression, and growth. This is something that AI writing can’t do. That’s why I still encourage writers to continue their writing habit even if they use a lot of AI writing in their work. When you write about your thoughts and feelings, you put yourself in a meditative state. And this makes you more self-aware which improves focus.

2. Be more intentional: Write about your challenges. Whenever you face a challenge or a dilemma, write down the problem and possible solutions. This will help you analyze the situation, weigh the pros and cons, and make the best decision. Writing can also help you calm down and reduce stress, as you release your emotions and thoughts on paper.

This was a tough choice though!

⚙️ Optimization

When an Active Pause Is the Best Strategic Choice

Hint: we’re not talking about hiking, we’re talking business.

Looking at the title, you might assume this means hiking in your free time but this article is actually about what happens when it feels like your industry is in a tumultuous time (so, kinda everyone right now).

The author suggests we take a step back and explains how, but also encourages us not to forget the “active” part here.

Below is an excerpt from the article that I think gives you “to the point” instructions but the article gives 3 great business examples of companies in these situations and what they did right and wrong so definitely worth a read if you prefer examples.

Three Principles to Keep in Mind

If you are considering deploying an active pause, consider three principles as you do so.

1. Keep the “active” in active pause.

Any company that follows this approach should also find ways to keep actively learning and engaging in the market, even if just in small ways. This means being in a position to act at the right time, with your metaphorical engines on and actively idling so that you can sense signals and move quickly when the time is right.

2. Watch out for the prisoner’s dilemma.

Similar to the classic “prisoner’s dilemma” thought experiment, if everyone tries to take a prudent pause and no one is willing to move, then progress will by definition slow and any advantage that might have been gained by pausing will likely evaporate. If everyone tries to take advantage of a hesitation that only works if the system is fast-moving, it’s possible that everyone loses.

3. Own the ambiguity.

An active pause is only real and reliable if the alternative of being a first mover is also, and demonstrably, a route to success. That condition lays the table for a real choice, and only when actual trade-offs and choices exist can strategy become a powerful weapon.

Once again, if examples are more your thing, plus the 3 different situations when this is particularly applicable, check out the full article.

⏲️ Time Management

Jeff Bezos on Why Eliminating Daily Dashboards Can Make You More Focused, Productive, and Successful, Backed by Science 

You are what you measure, but you may also be what metrics you decide to display.

The subtitle of this article says it all. The science here basically says that signs do capture our attention, and sometimes that’s not helpful. The article differentiates between lead and lag metrics. In other words, the difference in focusing on the results of the efforts you already put in (lag) vs the efforts you’re putting in now (lead) along with the predictions. Read the full article to geek out with us on the science!

Excerpt:

Lead metrics predict where you will go. Lead metrics track processes that directly produce results. In simple terms, stepping on a scale is a lag metric; it tells you where you are. Counting calories, clicking off workout sessions, etc. tells you, if you stay the course, where you will go.

Display lag metrics and people may not only get distracted, they may focus on the wrong things. For example, one employee can't directly affect the stock price -- but one employee can directly influence processes, initiatives, and results that help increase a company's value. (If an employee can't, you don't really need that position.) 

Choose lead metrics that predict success, and then track your performance to those metrics.

💻 Tools & Technology

ChatGPT Decoded: A Deep Dive into the AI Phenomenon

Note: You can also download this as a White Paper.

We can all agree at this point that AI and ChatGPT isn’t going anywhere, but we reached out to a guest expert to break it down and…holy crap! She didn’t just break it down, this is a zero to expert understanding article.

If you have been considering taking a class to really fully understand how it works and where it might fit into your own business workflows, this article might save you from the class completely or give you a massive head start.

Excerpt:

ChatGPT doesn’t know things.

It doesn’t truly ‘understand’ language the way we do. It decodes meaning using the Transformer technology, then it mimics human language based on text it’s been fed. If you’ve been finding my analogies helpful so far, you can think of this ‘decoding’ process as a high-rise building under construction. Each floor represents a layer in the Transformer model, and on each floor, specialized algorithms—or ‘construction teams’—work to understand the text in different ways.

👀 Read, Watch, Listen

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

13 Best Time Management Podcasts To Get More Done In 2024 (Listicle)

What we consume matters SO much for our brains. If you’re looking to passively listen to something (or even actively) that can motivate you or inspire you about how you use your time, consider one of these podcasts!

🎉 Celebration Corner

Every week Doers Inner Circle members do a weekly review & get help when they need it — check out the progress they made this week!

• Almost everything [went right this week], also considering the high workload.

• Started work at about 8 or 8.15 most days and kept structure as planned based on my blocks.

• I was able to check off all of my WOB/CEO goals early in the week.

• Had a Deep Dive with Jenae that brought up a lot of points for action in my business.

• I finally filed our taxes for 2022 (or at least sent all documents to our accountant)!

What did you do this week? We feature non-member successes too. Just post them here!

🔒Inner Circle: Events & Announcements

• Announcement: Vote for a book for book club here

• New! Monday 8 am Europe: Work ON Business Party RSVP here

• Tuesday (9 am PT/5pm London/6pm EU): Work ON Business Party RSVP here

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

• Accelerators: January 26 is your Monthly Goal Setting Workshop RSVP here

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I hope you found this valuable!

Wishing you much productivity!

- Jenae :)