2x2: Trapped by the urgent

Hey all, Welcome to this week's edition of 2x2. As always, I've got a couple of resources, tools, diversions, books, tools, toys, or other types of recommendations for you to check out; and then, secondly, are a couple of ideas, stories, or tips from me. Check this out 1: [MusicHarbor]( (iOS App Store) This is a new-to-me app for finding out about new albums from artists you actually want to follow. Apple Music is terrible at this. And so I usually get my new music news from Twitter or friends tell me. But there is a lot that I miss. I downloaded MusicHarbor about a week ago and in just a few minutes I discovered several new albums that I didn’t know were out, and a handful of upcoming ones. 2: [Weather Strip]( (iPhone App) Speaking of cool new apps, Weather Strip is one of the most clever and beautiful weather apps I've seen in a while. I love the way it presents the forecast. Something to think about Where have you created false urgency? My pal, David Sparks, recently [wrote]( about getting trapped inside a cycle of "false urgency", and he has begun asking himself a regular question: “Where have I created false urgency?” I spent years working as a marketing director for a large organization, and the overwhelming cultural vibe was based on urgency: Everything was urgent all the time. We were constantly changing directions, doing new things, and reacting to whatever urgent issue was arising. Sometimes things were actually urgent, but often it was "fake" urgency. When I quit that job and began [working for myself](, it took me years to detox from that urgency mindset. Even in my work and life, I felt that if something was't urgent, then it wasn't even important. And so, as a result, I would often neglect any task or area of life that didn't have an urgent and pressing matter. This urgency mindset creates a HUGE dilemma! When we have an overwhelming urgency mindset, it blurs the lines between that which is actually important and that which is not. Everything begins to feel important all the time... and that, in turn, creates a lot of anxiety, stress, and worry that otherwise need not exist. In the Focus Course, we have a whole section of our training dedicated specifically to this exact issue because it is so common and so difficult to get out of. One of the ways we help folks overcome an urgency mindset is by helping them to (1) identify the important work and then (2) celebrate that work. This simple cycle of identify <> celebrate can slowly re-train your brain to value (and even seek out) non-urgent tasks and activities. The result is less stress along with more motivation to work on long-term important areas. If you're curious where you land regarding urgency, we created an [Urgency Assessment]( that you can take for free. It's completely anonymous and works great to give you a baseline. * * * That thing to think about was longer than normal, so I'll skip the second one this week. I guess today it's more like a 2x1 instead of 2x2. Cheers! — Shawn P.S. Speaking of urgency and focus, did you fill out [this Focus Survey](? We've had a few hundred responses so far. * * * [Liked today's article? Here's the link you can share.]( [In-Depth App Training for Power Users]( To unsubscribe, click [here](. Blanc Media, 714 Main St., Grandview, MO 64030, United States