#6: Procrastinate like a pro 😎

Happy Friday! 🎉 This week, I finally decided to write a book… next year. About what? I have no idea yet, but I intend for it to be fiction and fun. Perhaps even a romantic comedy set in Uganda?

What would you be interested in reading? Reply to this email and let me know.

Otherwise, watch this space and pray for the demons of procrastination to vacate their perch on my left shoulder.

Also, Valentine’s is coming…

Let's do this 🚀

🧹 But first, some housekeeping…

Last week’s post if you missed it.

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💡 1 thing I've learned this week

😎 Procrastinate like a pro

While watching Episode 1 of the new season of YOU (don’t judge me), Joe (the sordid main character) said something oddly—and likely unintentionally— profound:

“The best way to mind your business is to know what that business is”

Without delving into the context, and setting Joe’s [many] character flaws aside, Joe raises a good point inadvertently:

Before you name your solutions, you must name your problems.

This is true when fighting that pesky pest called procrastination.

Most people think they procrastinate because they’re unmotivated or lazy, but it’s often for the more specific reasons in Liz’s graphic above.

Fear and not knowing where to start are my usual roadblocks.

How do I push past the roadblocks?

• If the task will take less than 2 minutes, just do it now

• Establish the shortest initial step to take and set a time to complete it. For example, when I have to write a proposal or concept note, I start with an outline

• I tell myself I’m going to try to do the task for 5 minutes and then stop.

Once you start, you’re likely to keep going.

Why do YOU procrastinate? Name your problem now…or maybe tomorrow? 😉

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🙏🏾 1 thing I'm grateful for

My son’s new sleeping habits.

As I mentioned last week, my son and I have been left to our own devices and I’m grateful he puts himself to bed these days.

This means bedtime takes 30 minutes; down from 2 hours of a Disney playlist that starts with enthusiastic singing and ends with labored humming.

🚀 Pro-tip

🖥️ Make better presentations

1. Start with the audience; they’re the most important part of the presentation

2. Focus on the story arc; the actual slides are the least important part. Design them last

3. More pictures, fewer words

4. Tell stories

5. Plan your opening and closing

6. One idea per slide

7. One image per slide

8. Aim to go under time to allow for audience engagement

9. Need icons and graphics? Flaticons, Tabler, Streamline, Blush, Undraw

10. Need slide templates? Slide carnival

11. Add polls and quizzes for engagement: Pollev, Kahoot, Mentimeter

12. If you’re presenting online, prepare for tech failure

13. Practice a lot and if possible, memorize your slides, so you don’t have to read off the slides directly

14. Remember, the slides are a visual aid; you’re the main attraction

A lot of these points, I learned from the brilliant, Tessa Davis.

🧩 Riddle me this

Q: The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?

Please reply to this email with your answer

🔥 What's hot

📽️ My YouTube video this week

✍️ The latest on the blog

💎 Gems from the internet

📎 Make your Google Doc more pleasant to read

🤝🏾 How to be a better networker

💡 8 techniques for evaluating character

📆 A real head-scratcher this: A one-page calendar for all your needs

🦎 The sticky non-sticky substance (Also, if you like cool science stuff, this channel is AMAZING!)

Have a great weekend,

— Shem

PS: If you liked this issue, please reply to this email with your answer to the riddle

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