Ep 88 - Journaling: Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude

Journaling is one of the greatest habits you will ever have. It will supercharge your creativity, help you to slow down and reflect more, and it's a way to sharpen your leadership skills. A journal will improve your decision-making, writing, and problem solving skills.

When journaling, always strive to delve one more level deeper. If you're writing about a fishing trip, what specifically happened during the event? What were your observations after-the-fact?

Lara Zielin, life coach and author, has a unique program for journaling called "Author Your Life." You make yourself the hero of your own story and speak about yourself in the third person. Allow yourself permission to unleash your imagination in your journal. Zieder suggests beginning with a simple assignment: describe yourself as the hero having an ideal day and incorporate all of the five sense: sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste.

Happy Unbirthday! In Lewis Carroll's classic tale, Alice in Wonderland, The Mad Hatter asks why we should only celebrate our birthdays since it's only one day a year. What about the other 364 days - the unbirthdays should be celebrated, too!

Use your journal to celebrate the small things each day. This will help you counteract "negativity bias" - a principle saying our brains focus on the negative five times as much as the positive. So, for every negative emotion, we need to explore five positive ones to even out the feelings!

Gertrude Stein, famous author, had a flash of insight while listening to her poodle lap water. She learned the difference between sentences and paragraphs is paragraphs are emotional and sentences are not. Wait...I need to think about this a while. And how she thought of that by hearing a dog drinking I'll never know.

A study from Harvard said that people who spent 15 minutes reflecting on the lessons they learned each day performed 23% better than those who didn't.

Women who wrote down three positive events (work or non-work-related) each day scored seven years younger on physical-functioning questionnaires than those who didn't. It's vital to include the WHY in addition to the what of the positive event. For example, My boss complemented my work because he knows how hard I worked on it - (Academy of Management Journal, 2013).

You should be fulfilled by your job but your job shouldn't make up your whole identity. You have many other roles that make it up.

Kaizen is the process of continuous improvement.

Here's the Time Tracker Self-Assessment Tool so you can see where you're spending your time.

Podcast Outline:

1:00 Journaling and its Benefits

6:20 Lara Zielen's Author Your Life

8:30 Happy Unbirthday!

9:50 Gertrude Stein's Breakthrough

11:00 Harvard Study

13:00 Kaizen and Continuous Improvement

15:00 Think In Images

Scott Snow is a productivity expert, speaker, podcaster, and life coach. He is the founder of Think Like a Musician, whose purpose is to help you learn the time management skills you need to be joyful, productive, & fulfilled in all areas of life. He teaches a unique and innovative approach to managing your crazy, busy life. It's a musician's approach to time management and work-life balance. Call 774-230-3928 now to customize a training for your organization or to inquire about coaching availability.

Ep 87 - What's the Next Big Thing in Your Life?

What's your next big thing? Let's face it - if you're not planning for what you want to become, then you're planning to remain the same. We all need to assume future roles right now and begin taking daily actions towards them.

"When you assume future roles today, you begin to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be."

Tina Turner wills herself into her role and character of Tina Turner. Born Anna Mae Bullock, she looks into a mirror backstage before performing and begins speaking to herself in the third person - "Here she comes..." she chants.

Here's an exercise to help you conjure each role you play. It's called Around the World. Sit down and close your eyes to calm your mind. GO through each of your 15-20 roles one at a time and observe the thoughts that come up for each. You may think of a to-do list, improve your vision for that role, or just be in the role. Ask: what do I need to do or think to be at my best in this role?

We all have roles we'd like to become. Carols Powell, a shoe salesman, is passionate about perfume. So, he started a Youtube channel and discusses his love for all things perfume. Think of herby the Elf in Rudoplh the Red-Nosed Reindeer. He was an elf that yearned to be a dentist. What are you yearning to become? Begin moving towards it now!

Steven van Zandt, guitarist for the Bruce Springsteen band, admitted he did 100 different projects in the 90s but they weren't related to any one purpose. He vowed never to do the again. He has an umbrella company, Renegade Nation, and within it he runs many business all related to his passions. When asked about all of the roles he plays, he said, "the effect of wearing all these hats is that they strengthen each other - I'm constantly moving from thing to thing and come back fresh." So great!!

One benefit of having mentors is the you get advice you'd never think of! You need a sounding board of mentors in every area of your life. You want to have people with different strengths than you.

In the classic entrepreneurial book, The E-myth Revisited, by Michael Gerber, he gives a beautiful exercise to do in order to discover your "primary aim" (purpose of your life): imagine you're observing the wake of your funeral. As your visitors are sitting around you as you're in your coffin, an audio recording is played of you talking about the story of your life - that's you primary aim!

So, what's your next big role?

Here's the Role List tool I mentioned in today's podcast.

Podcast Outline:

1:00 Your Setlist

4:20 Tina Turner's Role Transition Technique

6:00 Around the World

6:35 My Roles

7:45 The Perfume Man

9:06 Steven van Zandt

11:40 Five Steps for Boston

13:15 Francis Jackson's Obituary

13:52 E-myth Revisted and Your Primary Aim

14:45 Worksheet: Your Role List

Links:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/style/perfume-youtube.html?searchResultPosition=1

https://www.wsj.com/articles/steven-van-zandt-was-an-actor-without-knowing-it-11631896013?page=1

Scott Snow is a productivity expert, speaker, podcaster, and life coach. He is the founder of Think Like a Musician, whose purpose is to help you learn the time management skills you need to be joyful, productive, & fulfilled in all areas of life. He teaches a unique and innovative approach to managing your crazy, busy life. It's a musician's approach to time management and work-life balance. Call 774-230-3928 now to customize a training for your organization or to inquire about coaching availability.

Ep 86 - Prioritizing Your Busy Life with Michael Woodall, Executive, Putnam Investments

Michael Woodall has extensive experience in leadership positions. You'll learn a lot from him about prioritizing your life, being an effective leader, and work life balance.

What actions do you take on a daily and weekly basis to stay on track?

At this point, everything is a process honed after years of being in business. I always try to have an eye towards the future for the items and tasks I have in front of me. Long ago, I adopted a journal where I keep track of what I'm working on. I record tasks and notes for meetings and use it to be organized. I record all of the key things we're working on in my journal and it helps me get a good balance of time to be able to prepare, think, and read in preparation for meetings.

My assistant kind of runs my life and makes sure I know where I need to be. Hopefully, my plan for the week is organized in such a way that I meet everyone's expectations and meet with whom I'm supposed to meet. My organization and the folks who work for me make sure priorities are clearly defined. We make sure the tasks we are working on support our vision and goals. The client always rules! If there's something going on with a client, that will always take priority and it can be a wild card throughout the day. In addition, I allow time for work related to committees or board work here at Putnam. I try to get as much done as possible during the day so when I go home - I actually go home and I'm able to enjoy life.

As you know, there is a huge challenge with the possibility of 24/7 connections to work due to technology. How do you turn it off?

That's a great point and a big challenge. The good news is we're connected 7 by 24 and the bad news is we're connected 7 by 24. It has facilitated a virtual workforce. I don't know or care where the folks who work for me are in any given moment because I know we can connect during the day. The challenge is to make sure you don't become consumed by it. I've adopted a few strategies and still need to practice them to hone them into my skill set. One thing I've done recently is to refrain from sending emails to people who work for me after work hours unless it's urgent.

I'm at a stage where I have full confidence in the people who work for me and don't have to micro-manage. I've never been a micro-manager. I prefer to be hands-on and not hands-in. However, we work for an organization that supports billions of dollars in assets and millions of customers and things can go bump in the night. So, it’s not uncommon to be on the phone or online dealing with a problem after hours.

Do you have any advice for someone who works for a micro-manager?

It's a challenge. You always have to figure out your boss and adapt to the boss’ style. If you are incredibly pro-active, it decreases micromanagement. Understand how your boss communicates and receives information. Be on your game and communicate in a way that's going to please your manager or leader. Ultimately, everyone wants to be able to do their job to the best of their ability. In the big picture, a micro-manager just wants the work to be done right. Perhaps something happened in their career that forced them to adopt that style.

 You’ve been passionately involved with the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps youth non-profit organization for over 30 years. You’ve played the role of member, instructor, and currently serve on the board. How has that experience enriched your life?

It's been at my core. I'm not a true believer in a mentor/mentee relationship, as much as, I look at the whole process as a bit of a buffet where you must adopt things that work for you and avoid the negative. We had very limited resources during the time I was a member. I got to work for Fidelity and Putnam - two very large organizations where resources were never really an issue. When you have the resources and you're not struggling to figure out what to do and you're just dealing with the problems - those problems seem much less than when you're dealing with a non-profit organization and trying to keep the organization alive.

I've excelled in my career because I have the ability to deal with incredible situations both positively and negatively and it shaped who I am. I've also been able to apply many things I've learned in business to the Crusaders. It's similar to a business - you have to bring in the right kind of talent. Currently, we’re focused on sustainability. We don’t want to rely on one or two people - we need the entire organization to be strong.

How do you keep alumni engaged and involved with the corps?

One of the benefits of age is that I've been with the corps since 1978 and the corps was around forty years before that. The Crusaders were national champions in the late sixties and early seventies. They were the place to be for innovative and competitive drum corps. The organization survived in very lean times and the survival mentality of the group created many powerful bonds between the people involved with the organization. And now we're all the way on the other side again - we're sustainable and we're building a champion. I would tell all alumni and supporters to jump back on.

The kids in the organization are just like we were. The whole Espirit de Corps and feeling of belonging to a family that's bigger than the drum corps still exists. The board, alumni, and friends give the organization incredible support and that translates into a member experience that ranks very high in our member surveys. We need everybody to be a part of the drum corps to get it to be a champion. The heart of the lion (Waldo, the corps' mascot) is still the same.

How have you taught your kids to prioritize?

I teach them through example. I try to take advantage of teachable moments. I help them keep focused on their goals and what they need to do to achieve them. I help them get organized so they have a path to get there. No matter what you want to achieve it's going to require hard work. I encourage them to be open to advice and accept help when it’s offered. I try to get them to see different perspectives. In the end, they should follow their hearts. Ultimately, they are responsible for their goals and their styles will rule in the end. Everyone has a specific style that makes him or her successful. They need to leverage their strengths and work on their weaknesses - even if they don't want to recognize them. I teach them to follow their ambitions and not be afraid. One of my sons was a state champion in the forensics of speech. He wasn't shy about going after that even though it wasn't very popular. I tell my kids to follow their hearts and have the work ethic to achieve success - even if they have a bit more than I had.

How do you keep your children on track if they make decisions you don't agree with?

It's a tough one. You try to point to examples of where they could end up if they keep going that way and ask them if that's where they want to be. Also, I give a little perspective of time because everything seems immediate when you're young but when you're older you know a problem can work itself out if you give it a little more time. I try to give them confidence and help them find their voices. No matter whom you are dealing with: kids, friends, or colleagues - in the end people have to find their own way. I think it's very important to set great examples. My folks were great examples for me and I do that for my kids. It's important to work hard, be respectful, love, and help the greater good - creating that environment helps shape people.

I've seen firsthand how you're a great example of taking opportunities given to you and paying them forward.

I've really been blessed for the people I've had in my life. It's been an incredible journey.

Lastly, what advice would you give to a professional just starting his/her career in terms of productivity?

Work as hard as you can on the right things. Connect what you are doing with what the CEO of your company is trying to accomplish. Many times, you can be working on something you feel is very important but it really doesn't connect to what the company is working towards. Make sure you're as aligned as high as you can with the organization.

Secondly, take advantage of every opportunity. If there's an opportunity to be part of a team or special project, if something needs to get done but not many people want to do it, roll up your sleeves and do it! It's only going to help you in the future.

As far as time management goes, I learned of a valuable resource early on in my career called a life grid. List work, family, fun, faith, health, fitness, education and any other main area of your life then write a percentage of your time that you’re spending across those areas. Ask how your assessment resonates with how you want to be at that point in your life and which adjustments are needed. Do that every 3-6 months and it will become a guidepost for how you're spending your time. It will help you improve the whole person and not just the person at work.

Is the life grid from a book or is it something you created?

I think it was part of a training I had early on. It was an exercise we went through and I still use that visual image today. Life flies by and you need to get a handle on it. Then you can say - this is where I’m at, I’m spending way to much time at work and not enough time figuring out how I am going to grow as a professional and how I'm going to get to the next step. And you take an adjustment there - take a class or do something that's going to further evolve you. Or maybe you realize you're getting burned out at work and not spending time having fun, connecting with friends, being with family, and need to make some adjustments. Maybe you're at a point in your life where you want to become serious about a relationship.

If someone wanted to replicate this life grid, how would they do it?

Take any piece of paper and draw a tic-tac-toe type of grid. On the top row list the major categories of your life (work, family, fun, faith, health, education.…) In the next row down you do some self-assessment. One more row down is where you write down how you want to be in these different areas. And in the bottom row you will list the adjustments needed.

Scott Snow is a productivity expert, speaker, podcaster, and life coach. He is the founder of Think Like a Musician, whose purpose is to help you learn the time management skills you need to be joyful, productive, & fulfilled in all areas of life. He teaches a unique and innovative approach to managing your crazy, busy life. It's a musician's approach to time management and work-life balance. Call 774-230-3928 now to customize a training for your organization or to inquire about coaching availability.

Ep 85 - The Golden Circle: Start with Why to Live Your Purpose

0:58 Start with Why

3:35 My book 

4:58 Eagle's View

9:34 Michaela Cole Advice

13:00 Just-for-Fun Goals

14:30 Productivity Tip: Capture Notebook

16:52 Roles & Goals Coaching Offer

Ep 84 - The Exorcist: Creativity Lessons You Can Learn from William Friedkin, Director

Leap of Faith is a fascinating documentary about the making of the classic horror film, The Exorcist. It focuses on director, William Friedkin. This guy's brilliant! He has an impressive knowledge of and appreciation for the history of art, music, and film. He's a spectacular example of someone who brings in his influences from many different media.

Simplicity
You might not think the scariest movie ever made has elegant simplicity - but that's what inspired Friedkin to make the film. His only movie inspiration was the 1955 movie, Ordet (pronounced "Ord"). The movie was shot like a play - everything was intimate. Friedkin approached The Exorcist the same way. He considers his film to be a chamber piece, not spectacle. All of the key scenes are shot in a child's bedroom.

Identify the Spark
Friedkin defended his decision to keep the intro of the movie in - the archeological dig scenes in Iraq. He said it set the mood for the entire film and stated the mood is just as important as any one scene. In the Think Like a Musician project management system, the first stage of managing a large project is to Identify the Spark - the emotional connection you have that will provide the momentum for the entire project's completion. Brainstorm a list of feeling words at the outset of every large project that's on your plate. As Simon Sinek says, "Start With why!"

Spontaneity Over Perfection
Friedkin would prefer to shoot his movie in single takes - or very few. Kubrick liked taking a plethora of takes for any given scene - sometimes over one hundred takes! Friedkin pursued the spontaneous, authentic reactions of his actors. Sometimes you have to simply ACT! Don't dwell on perfection.

Intuition
Learn to trust your intuition - your gut feeling. Fritz Lang, director of the silent 1927 masterpiece, Metropolis, said he made his movies with a "sleep-walking security" - one in which every decision is the correct one and there's no questioning your intuition. This sounds like being in the zone or having peak performance. Friedkin took a similar approach. There's a richness in accepting the ideas that come naturally and not questioning them. There's wisdom in those creative impulses. It reminds me of Malcom Gladwell's excellent book, Blink. He focuses on the exquisite genius of the split second observation - thin slicing, as he calls it. It's what makes it possible for an art expert to take one look at a statue and know it's fake - even though it's seemingly authentic in every physical way. It's a feeling.

Make Room for Reactions
Friedkin said whatever an audience member brings to a movie is what they take away. Allow people to see your work through their lens. We all view the world from distinct viewpoints - expect and accept it.

Scott Snow is a productivity expert, speaker, podcaster, and life coach. He is the founder of Think Like a Musician, whose purpose is to help you learn the time management skills you need to be joyful, productive, & fulfilled in all areas of life. He teaches a unique and innovative approach to managing your crazy, busy life. It's a musician's approach to time management and work-life balance. Call 774-230-3928 now to customize a training for your organization or to inquire about coaching availability.

Ep 83 - To-Do Lists Suck: 5 Tools to Help You Be More Productive

How do I manage my to-do lists?

This is the most common question I get about time management. We over-emphasize the importance of juggling to-do lists. Sure - make lists of actions that need to be done but usually the actions come from very surface-level thinking.

Of course, we need to jot down reminders at times. We don’t want to forget to Call Bill or pick up pearl onions for that scrumptious recipe you want to make this weekend. In the past, when I made a lot of to-do lists, when I did have time to take action on them, I usually found they weren’t worth doing. Situations change.

Here are five strategies that are better than making to-do lists:

1. Around the World Exercise

Sit in silence for 15 seconds to clear your mind. Go one by one through all of the roles you play. We all juggle between 15-20 roles in our lives - all the hats we wear. Focus on each one and observe what comes up for where you want to go in that role. What needs to change? What’s a trend within that role. What’s a routine you could refine to make progress on that role? Your mind will tell you the big answers if you quiet down for a minute!

2. Ask Quality Questions

Instead of action lists, brainstorm excellent questions for all areas of your life.

Examples:

Who could be my mentor? What are resources I have access to that I’m not using? How can I streamline my busy life? What routines should I start? What are some streaks I want to start?

3. Use Audio

Each day, listen to a recording of yourself reading your mini-mission statements for all of the roles you play.

Example:

I’m a spiritual person & meditator. Transcendental meditation brings beautiful depth to my life. When I’m deep within silence, I catch BIG FISH ideas. I experience bliss whenever I want. Meditation helps me find my center and gets me in the zone for the rest of the day. Being a spiritual person and lifelong meditator helps me share my SOUL with a world that desperately needs it. This is my magic reset button role.

I have an attractive, lean, & strong body. I’m in the best shape of my life. I love looking great in pictures. I act with discipline and exert will power every day. I practice mindful breathing and eat reasonable portions of nutritious food. I breathe fully and drink plenty of water. I need all the vitality I can get to live my purpose and strive towards my vision every day. This is my fuel tank role.

I’m a visionary. Creativity is my greatest gift. I think big every day & constantly absorb new insights and apply them. I’m a lookout tower and lightning rod. I’m a voracious reader and unstoppable force for good. My crystal clear goals keep me on track for achieving my juiciest dreams. This role is my Willy Wonka engine role that drives everything good in my life.

I’m a wealth builder. My abundance is the spark for all of my other roles. Money brings speed and choices. Each disciplined action I take compounds over time. I’m a millionaire. My vibrant relationship with money is a model for my sons - they are learning the mindset they need to have abundance in their lives. This is my abundance role.

I’m a giver. I’m a philanthropist in training. I constantly plant seeds for the future. I give time, money, and resources to worthy causes I’m passionate about. Giving is a habit. Therefore, my sons are becoming lifelong givers. Milton Hershey and Bill Gates are my models for living a generous and wonderful life. This is my legacy role.

I’m a Dad: I’m caring, supportive, & strong for Chris & Dylan. I’m immensely thankful for them and live with gratitude. I’m in-the-moment. I’m consistent, fair, and always tell them the truth. This is my unconditional love role.

I’m a backgammon player. I love deepening my skills and appreciation for this classic game. Backgammon is a perfect fit for me. It involves skill, luck, and gambling. It’s an elegant and sophisticated game. I enjoy playing on my phone, with the kids, at the campground, or by the pool with friends. I’m a happy hobbyist. My passions, hobbies, & interests make my life colorful and keep me smiling. I also love: Ani, Ozzy, Metallica, heavy metal, B movies, horror movies, Jaws, coffee, mixology, WWII history, chess, special forces stuff, the Navy Seals, the secret service, luxury, cooking, reading, parenting, martinis, and journaling. This is my fun role.

I’m a chef. When I’m cooking a new recipe or an old tried-and-true one, I get into the zone. I experience a mix of physical and emotional well-being. I get into my flow state. Cooking is my connection with culture and sophistication. I love managing many things simmering at the same time. I enjoy a craft beer and listen to Van Halen or music whatever fits my mood. This is my flow role.

I’m a movie buff. Watching bad movies is one of my favorite things in life. Throughout the day, I consider which movie I’ll watch that night. Movies are my reward for making progress in all of my roles each day. Great movies connect me with friends and family. This is my reward role.

I’m a joker. My fascination with everything Joker over the years inspires me to be more playful and allow my sense of humor to come through. I’m attracted to the idea of someone who is highly intelligent yet devious. I like rooting for the villain. I’m interested in chaos and anarchy. Thinking like the Joker helps me see a new perspective to any challenge. I love the idea of a grand plan.This is my risk role.

I’m a writer. Being a lifelong journaler is the spark plug for my creativity. I consider creativity my greatest strength. Nobody can take it away from me. My creativity gives me courage to be at my most confident for my tribe and humankind. I’m passionate about improving my writing ability. Writing slows me down so I can savor good feelings. Reading strengthens my writing. This is my craftsmanship role.

I’m a professional speaker. Speaking is the perfect vehicle for me to express my authenticity. It’s a role that’s helped me find myself - then package it for others. Speaking is a challenge that feels right. I practice and expand my skills so I can speak with an engaging rhythm and use carefully selected imagery to move my audiences. This is my authenticity role.

I’m an entrepreneur. I’m the founder of Scott Snow Speaks workshops and seminars and All the Hats We Wear Coaching and have other innovative and mission-driven companies in development. I’m a business student - always refining my mechanics and strategies for running a profitable business. I rely on mentors and role models to deepen my Warren Buffet-like business mastery. This is my life’s contribution role.

I’m a sales professional with swag. I’m committed to practicing and perfecting the skills of selling. Grant Cardone has prepared me for every selling challenge. I focus first on being of service and always show prospects and customers that I’m hungry for their business. This is my role for being of service.

I’m a professional life coach and executive coach. I’m the most exclusive and sought-after productivity coach on the east coast. I’m booked solid months in advance because of word-of-mouth referrals. I coach powerful individuals who are ready to become fully expressed in their lives. My Think Like a Musician curriculum is my clients’ lifeline. I empower my clients by teaching them the time management skills they need to be joyful productive, and fulfilled in all areas of life. This is my secret weapon role.

I’m a social media contributor. I focus on being of service to my others. I am self-less. I contribute and add to conversations and give a boost to all I come in contact with. I build upon and add to what others are doing. I love being part of other people’s tribes and love leading a tribe of my own. This is my connection role.

I’m a productivity expert. I’ve dedicated my life to becoming as informed and knowledgeable as humanly possible in all areas of productivity. I have my finger on the pulse my industry and make innovative connections with industries outside my expertise as well. My authenticity shines through because I’m in complete alignment because my goals, values, actions, & mission are in sync. This is my alignment role.

I’m a music therapist. I focus my passion for music to enrich the lives of others. My private practice is proof that I can build a profitable business. I play guitar, sing, and play drums. Music connects every stage of my life. Music therapy is the launchpad to the badass productivity business I’m growing now. Music has taught me everything I know about humility, beauty, structure, and performance. This is my passion role.

4. Silence the Voices in Your Head

Have you noticed how pervasive your inner thoughts can be to being productive and getting things done? Stop it! If you have a list of actions, notice when you start to whine about doing them in your head. Your inner voices are gumming up efficiency.

Here’s an exercise to help. It’s the towel folding exercise. Grab a basket of clean towels and begin folding them. Focus on getting into a steady flow of action. If you catch yourself having an opinion about which towel to pick up next - start over! No opinions allowed - not even for a millisecond! Now apply this same attitude to tidying up your desk. Next, apply it to an hour of getting things done and keep expanding the time and breadth of the work session.

5. Embrace the Magic Spiral

All day you’re spiraling in and out between detail and bigger picture thinking. You don’t have to get a tangible result from every action! If you’re creatively blocked, you probably need to shift gears into finer detail work or pan out to a bigger picture lens. Most of us don’t utilize the awesome power of our minds. You can only access your wonderful mind’s capacity by slipping deeper into thought. We exist in complete turmoil and noise most of the day. Stop!

Here are some simply deep thinking techniques that force you to access deeper resources within your mind:

brainstorm, center, connect, consider, decide, intuition, meditation, strategize, question, plan, prioritize, and envision.

So, let’s move beyond those silly to-do lists and start thinking big. If you’d like help, give me call and I can show you how to apply these techniques to your crazy, busy life so you can become more joyful, productive, and fulfilled in all areas of life. I offer workshops and trainings in the areas of work life balance, productivity, and creativity.

Scott Snow is a productivity expert, speaker, podcaster, and life coach. He is the founder of Think Like a Musician, whose purpose is to help you learn the time management skills you need to be joyful, productive, & fulfilled in all areas of life.

He teaches a unique and innovative approach to managing your crazy, busy life. It's a musician's approach to time management and work-life balance. Call 774-230-3928 now to customize a training for your organization or to inquire about coaching availability.

Ep 82 - Lions and Tigers and AC/DC - Oh My!

3:40 Sharing my setlist of roles

7:00 Think Like a Musician book revision update

7:40 Meditation technique and brainstorming

8:30 Inspired by nurses

9:30 U-mass jazz history

10:40 4 types of goals

12:50 Peak performance: drum and bugle corps analogy

15:20 Politicians, belief systems, core values, and fixed principles

17:00 Film, Mr, Brooks

19:00 Lions, and tigers and AC/DC, oh my!

Ep 81 - When the Suffocating Rubber Clown Suit of Negativity Begins to Dissolve

1:00 Transition from All the Hats We Wear to Think Like a Musician

1:40 Henry David Thoreau quote

2.00 Audio journal

3:10 David Lynch's analogy for transcendental meditation

4:00 Life as a masterpiece

5:20 Dr. Yusef Lateef

7:00 Professor Lew Spratlan

Town Meeting of the Bugs composition

8:00 Chief fun officer

9:20 The Protege film’s star

11:50 What I love about the dentist

13:30 Skateboard park creativity

14:10 Book: 4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals

15:10 Music to change your state

16:50 Sensory cues

18:00 Yoda board and themes

1. Suck the Marrow Out of Life

Henry David Thoreau inspired many to life simply and suck the marrow out of life. Journaling is an important tool to do this. Mindfulness is another - taking stock of tiny sensations throughout the day - a cool breeze on your skin or acknowledging the feeling of grass beneath your bare feet.

2. Dirty Clown Suit

David Lynch is amazing. He's the famed director of such classics as Blue Velvet and The Elephant Man. He's also a huge proponent of transcendental meditation. He said, "I practice transcendental meditation twice a day, and in almost 43 years, I've never missed a session. It's such a tremendous feeling of freedom when that suffocating rubber clown suit of negativity begins to dissolve. I think of meditating as bringing in the gold and saying goodbye to the garbage."

Oh my God do I love his image of the "suffocating rubber clown suit of negativity" beginning to dissolve.

https://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/

3. Compose Your Life Into a Masterpiece

My inspiration for the Think Like a Musician system for managing a busy life to live one's masterpiece life began when I first started playing drums in fourth grade but intensified and clarified in college when I began composing. I had two key composition professors: Lewis Spratlan and Dr. Yusef Latef. They were the first mentors that helped me bridge the gap between how I approached composing a piece of music and managing my life in a way that was built upon beauty and boundless inspiration. Sometimes managing one's busy life can feel like work but when you get the spark for a composition, you unleash your inspiration. So, I learned to approach my life - in all of its main categories or "roles" as a composition I was joyously planning.

4. Brother Lateef

I was a jazz performance major in college and had Prof. Lateef as my improvisation/composition teacher. He had a profound impact on me. It was as if he believed in my more completely than other other professor. When I had the hair-brained idea to write a piece for full orchestra as a junior, he didn't try to talk me out of it - he gave me an old copy of a book about orchestration (ranges and tendencies of all the instruments). He converted to Islam in the fifties and thus, called me Brother Snow! I loved that. I'd occasionally skip history of music lectures to see if he was available to chat. He had a tiny practice room office - which I never understood because he was the most accomplished musician in the faculty yet he was given a closet-sized office space.

One of my favorite memories of learning from Brother Lateef was learning to improvise on the vibes as he accompanied me on piano. He'd make short moaning and grunting sounds, in response to, my selection of notes in my solo. He was showing me the reaction of my playing on another person and that was profound. I loved his oversized, thick score paper and the bag he toted around during his march from the bus to his office. I remember playing him a recording I made the night before of myself trudging across campus in a snow storm. He closed his eyes and listened intently and made eye contact with me after and say, 'You may have some elements of genius here." Lol - he was the best.

5. Professor Lewis Spratlan

During the same time I was working with Prof. Lateef, I started composition lessons at Amherst College with Lew Spratlan. This followed a very negative experience I had with a composition teacher at U-mass, who took a very traditional, harmonic approach and wasn't encouraging in the least. Prof. Spratlan was kind and I spent most of my week preparing for my hour-long lesson. Under his tutelage I composed three pieces I was very proud of and even had them performed in the composer's concert. One piece was called "Funhouse" and it had a pre-recorded tape of Funhouse mirror-type music and had a trio of flute, baritone horn, and piano. Another was called "1619" - a based on a poem I wrote about slavery and performed with a male singer, percussion, piano, and cello. Town Meeting of the Bugs was an interesting composition for tape and it was created with a synthesizer and electric fan. The fan was used to created background sound for segments of the piece and when the fan was turned off, there was great contrast to the backdrop of the sounds. My biggest accomplishment was the Zoo-Keeper's Wife - a setting of a Sylvia Plath poem of the same title. It was a dark and creepy piece with piano, percussion, violin, mezzo-soprano, female reciter, electric guitar, and French horn. Prof. Spratlan liberated me by teaching me about tone rows and atonality.

https://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/

6. Chief Fun Officer

I love the new job titles nowadays: Chief Fun Officer, Chief Storytelling Officer, and Chief Heat Officer (to combat forest fires in California). The TLAM system for time management, I teach the process for writing a mini-mission statement for each role. Each mini-mission statement ends with a nickname for the roles. For example, the nickname for my role of Visionary is "Willy Wonka Engine that Drives Everything Good in My Life." Often times, I utilize similes in mission statements, such as, The Warren Buffet of Business Strategy or the John Coltrane of Creativity. Try it! What are the nicknames for your roles?

7. Maggie Q Tips

I'm fascinated with movies featuring master assassins. This began with the 1972 film, The Mechanic, starring Charles Bronson. The concept of anyone who goes about their job at an elite level gets my full attention - even if it's a villain. I love everything Joker and have since watching Cesar Romero in the corny 60s Batman series on tv.

There was a top 10 tips article from Maggie Q - the actress in the new movie, The Protege (female assassin). Here are a few highlights:

* She loves backgammon! One of her business strategists encouraged her to take up the game. I'm a huge backgammon fan! It certainly has many lessons for an entrepreneur - strategy, risk-taking, assessment, and big-picture thinking. Try it!

* She loves soup! We forget how amazing a good soup is - life-affirming really. Her mother is Vietnamese and pho is a type of soup she was raised on. What's your favorite soup to cook?

* She shared how she loved listening to records on her record player as a youngster and how she'd sit back and let the album unfold. She pointed out that she had to become an active listener to participate. She added feeling concerned for kids nowadays who are completely overstimulated most of the time.

8. I Love Dental Fillings

I'm in the middle of making a deck for my house. Well, I'm a laborer and my brother-in-law is leading the project. We dug holes for cement footings, inserted Sonotubes, filled them cement and let them set. In the quiet following the excavation work, I thought of the calm and healing feeling of getting a cavity filled. You have all the necessary drilling and destruction that's followed by the calming fill. Self-development work could be described similarly: the digging and ugly work and then the healing feeling of progress afterward.

9. Inspiration Fades

I use a 5-subject notebook throughout the day to jot down thoughts or inspiration. I'm learning the importance of honoring ideas in the moment. Don't put ideas on the back burner - give them a chance to shine! Feature ideas in your audio journal that night - don't wait for the idea to be perfect and fully-realized.

10. Skateboard Park Art

My twins are very creative - one of them enjoys creating art. I love it! We had extra flashing (1 foot aluminum sheeting used to be a barrier between wood and your house) and he used it to craft an expansive skateboard park - like a diorama!

11. 4,000 Weeks

There's a new book out titled "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals" by Oliver Burkeman. Whereas most time management books help you become more effective or productive, this one helps you realize that time is all we have! We have a limited time on this Earth so we should strive to spend as much of it possible doing things we cherish. He drew from Buddhism, meditation, and philosophy for the book.

12. Everybody is Somebody

This is the translation of a Haitian Creole phrase in a mural: Tout Moun Se Moun.

Ep 80 Work-Life Balance While Pursuing a Long-Term Vision with Lucas Vining, CEO, Ichosia Biotechnology

Lucas Vining, CEO, of Ichosia Biotechnology, shares his invaluable insights for running an innovative biotech company. We discuss work-life balance, productivity, and having a long-term vision to change the world. Lucas tells us how he created the non-profit company, Sa'akom, which helps farmers in Cambodia have a living wage. You'll learn a lot from this brilliant scientist, CEO, and entrepreneur.

Ep 79 - Demolishing Goals and Solving Problems with Holly Zink, Research Administrator

Solving problems, goalsetting, and being purposeful at work are just of the a few subjects we'll learn about in today's episode. Holly Zink, Research Administrator, and founder of www.idogrants.org, gives us a lot to think about!

Episode outline:
1:58 I Do Grants
3:00 Getting involved with grants
3:50 Non-profit vs. for-profit grants
5:00 Holly's background and education
5:45 Identifying roles for self-development
7:10 Making goals meaningful
8:00 Conducting a life audit
8:45 Personal productivity
9:45 Problem solving
11:10 Creativity
12:45 Goalsetting and goal demolishing
13:10 Progressive elaboration in project management
15:30 Work-life balance and role transitions
17:30 Life coaching backed up with research
19:40 Researching on Google Scholar
20:40 Researchgate
22:50 Leadership and personality
24:00 Gallup ClifftonStrengths Assessment
24:40 Bullet journal and journaling for self-reflection
25:00 Write down goals for a 42% boost in achieving them!
29:00 Mission statement vs. vision statement
30:20 Business plans and business plan research
38:30 The secret to a more purposeful life is...

For more information about Holly Zink and her company visit www.idogrants.org.

Download full transcript