Why do we get bored?

Boredom is a complex emotion and it can be a result of several factors. It's our brain's way of telling us that it’s not finding our current activity rewarding. One common reason is a lack of stimulation or interest in our current activity. When our brains aren't engaged, they start to seek out new, more interesting things to focus on, which can lead to feelings of boredom and often lead to procrastination.

Another reason boredom kicks in is a lack of control or choice in what we’re doing. If we feel stuck in a situation that we can't change, our brains can start to switch off and boredom sets in.

It happened again the other day. Someone asked me…

“But Graham, you’ve spent years talking about productivity – what’s this kindful leadership thing? It feels like such a big step away from what you know…”

And I answered him the same way I always answer that question: Creating a kind culture in your team is one of the most productive things you can do.

Kindness creates longer and more trusting working relationships where both sides are able to eliminate some of the 'due diligence'. It's a shortcut. It creates leeway. It makes things happen.

But lots of people get confused about kindness.

Today, I’m diving headfirst into a productivity game changer – the art of delegating. If you're tired of juggling tasks like a circus performer and feeling like a one-person show, stick around. I am about to unravel the not-so-hidden secrets of delegation that can significantly reduce your stress levels and boost your overall productivity.

Success goes hand-in-hand with well-being. When we prioritise the physical, mental, and emotional health of our team members, the positive impact ripples through our organization. In my Rev Up For The Week, this week, I talked about Ruthless Kindness. Throughout my life, I have come to realize that taking care of myself is not a selfish act but rather a necessary one to be able to face life's difficulties with strength and empathy.

In the modern workplace, it's all too easy to become overwhelmed by the constant influx of tasks, distractions, and responsibilities. However, amidst the chaos, there is a powerful tool that can help us regain control and cultivate focus and clarity in our professional lives: mindfulness. Mindfulness is one of the characteristics of a Productivity Ninja in How to Be A Productivity Ninja.

The glorification of busyness has become all too familiar. Many perceive a hectic lifestyle as a symbol of productivity and success. In this blog post, we will explore the perils of busyness and discuss strategies for finding balance and fulfillment in our lives.

Do you ever find yourself caught in the clutches of procrastination or struggling to stay focused amidst a sea of distractions? We've all been there. Picture this: You sit down at your desk, determined to tackle your to-do list, but suddenly your phone buzzes with a notification. You can't resist the temptation and before you know it, you've spiraled into a social media rabbit hole. It's frustrating, isn't it?

On Sunday, #FathersDay filled many an Instagram and Linkedin feed, as people celebrated their dads and other father figures in their lives. I feel so lucky to have a dad who's taught me all sorts of things - things like acting with integrity, saving for a rainy day and the power of getting stuck in as part of a community. Not to mention, of course, which football teams are good and which ones are evil.

In today's fast-paced and competitive business world, the importance of leadership cannot be overstated. Strong leaders play a vital role in driving organizations towards success, but what if we focused not just on strong leaders, but on kind leaders?

I've been learning to DJ this year. It's the perfect hobby for me, because practising it involves sitting listening to music for hours on end, which I did before anyway. I mostly suck at it so far, but the more I practice, the more I can feel some progress and improvement happening.

As I've been learning, I've spent a lot of time thinking about the four stages of the competence model, so I thought I'd use this week's Rev Up email to talk about that model, and why it's so valuable to us in our work.

The GROW model is one of the best-known coaching models, with four simple stages designed to help someone get from where they are to where they want to be. And whilst a great coach will make these four stages seamless, and ask you questions you either might not have thought of or have been actively avoiding asking yourself, you can also use this process without a coach, too. When I take a step back and think about my work, this simple model helps me answer questions like "what should I be doing next?", "how do we solve this problem?", or "have I thought about this properly?".

These principles of Kindful Leadership will enable you to create a kinder and more high-performing culture for you and your team, and help shift work culture and society at large to something better.

Pareto’s 80-20 rule says that about 20% of your emails will add 80% of the possible impact you can have through your use of email.

This leaves at least 80% of the emails you receive in the category of low priority, noisy, nice to have or plain useless.

I would actually go further than this and say that often when I’m coaching people, the numbers are even more extreme.

Leadership matters because the world is messy and by working together, we achieve much more than we do alone. Great leaders bring truth, order, clarity, motivation and excitement to everyone around them. Great leaders get stuff done.

Truth matters, because without it, all we see is the mess.

The rules matter - both the written and unwritten ones - because they hold leaders accountable, which makes it safer for followers to trust in their leaders.

Trust matters because it is the shortcut to every transaction (think about every boss who's had your back, or every purchase you've made with a brand you love). Without trust, there's too much due diligence, and getting stuff done becomes too difficult.

Humility matters because as a leader, how you behave when you break trust, screw up, or overstep the rules is what allows you to rebuild trust, and what allows those that follow you to see that you're open to growth and change.

One of the characteristics in How to be a Productivity Ninja is "Human, not superhero". The idea is that Productivity Ninjas seem like they have some kind of special power, but they're always still just human beings with good tools, good habits and good thinking. Embracing the idea that we do our best work in spite of ourselves, not because of ourselves, is important and liberating. It allows us to remove perfection from the equation, and hence celebrate the 99% that goes well rather than dwelling on the 1% that goes wrong.

I think that there's a real humanness to our imperfections. The bumpy and imperfect parts of us are what gives life its' flavour and challenge. Nuance and curiosity are, in my opinion, vital components of our progress as a species. But for a while I've felt that these qualities and idea of giving someone the benefit of the doubt have been lacking from our culture, particularly online. Dialogue, kindness and ideas are often abandoned in favour of identity and the quest to prove we're "right".

Graham Allcott 0:06

My guest today is Dr. Christian Busch. Christian is the director of the global economy programme at NYU, and a former director of the LSCs Centre for innovation. He advises companies all over the world on how to foster creativity, innovation, and luck. He's also the author of connects the dots, the art and science of creating good luck. So if you want to know how to get luckier in your career, this episode is for you. And we also talk about biases, curiosity, productivity, and much more. This is Dr. Christian Bush.

I'm with Dr. Christian Bush, how are you doing? Good, thank you. Great to be here. And I think I can hear Washington Square Park in the background in Manhattan. Is that right?

Dr Christian Busch 1:34

Yes, and most likely a squeaky baby, we just had a newborn.

My guest today is Helen Sanderson. Helen is a professional organiser, and the creator of the home declutter kit. She's also the author of The Secret Life of clutter. And so, in this episode, we talk about our relationship with our stuff, the parallels between decluttering and productivity, and why it's important to get clarity in everything we do. There's a real emotional depth to the book, I really love reading it. And I hope you're going to enjoy the episode just as much. This is Helen Sanderson. How are you doing?

Helen Sanderson 1:22

I'm doing great. lovely to be here.

Graham Allcott 1:25

So welcome to Beyond Busy. And we're going to talk about your book, The Secret Life of clutter. And what's nice, if you're watching this on YouTube, you'll see Helen has a beautiful space. Just behind you there, Helen, which is like obviously just not a surprise, just meeting you. But I really enjoyed the book, The Secret Life of clutter. And I wanted to start with something that you say, which is clutter is decisions that haven't been made. So my first question is, why are people not making those decisions?

Helen Sanderson 2:01

I think we all have decision fatigue. I mean, do you remember when you used to go for a coffee, and you just get a coffee, and now it's you want a flat white or a cappuccino or an espresso or, you know, it's like, that's just one micro-moment where you're, you know, bombarded with decisions. And, you know, we have, we have busy full lives, we're also bombarded by social media, by marketing by choices. And, and I think that I think quite a lot of people run away to their home to try and get away from, you know, decision fatigue, but now it's on your computer.

My guest today is Greg Hoffman, Greg spent many years in one of the coolest jobs in the world as Chief Marketing Officer for Nike. He's also the author of a new book about his experiences in Emotion by Design. In this episode, we talked about some of the marketing campaigns that took Nike to another level, the importance of emotion and empathy in business, and why diversity increases productivity. And at the end, he shares a bit about finding his birth parents just last year. This is Greg Hoffman. So Greg Hoffman, welcome to Beyond Busy. How are you?

Greg Hoffman 1:25

I'm doing well. Thanks. Thanks for having me. It's a pleasure.

Graham Allcott 1:29

And we were just talking off air that you're, I'm catching you the day before your business, launch your book launches in the US and then obviously, is going to launch in the UK shortly after that. So I guess you are pretty busy right now.

Greg Hoffman 1:43

That's right. But it's a good kind of busy, right. So keeps you energised, and I couldn't be more happy to share these thoughts and this methodology with the world.