Focus Digest: November 2022

Plan for Rest 😌 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  Focus Digest: November 2022 Welcome to November, Friend! The year is rapidly coming to a close! 😅 This monthly digest is for folks who want to create a more ideal schedule, get organized, and stay in control of the things that matter. Shawn and I (Isaac) have been sending these monthly digests to a smaller group of folks for a while, and they've been so well received that we wanted to open it to a broader group — that includes you! If you are new to the digest... here's what to look forward to on the first Monday of every month: (unless I'm a day behind, like this month, then it's Tuesday 😆) - A short article on a single concept around focus - A couple quotes that we've enjoyed thinking on - Links to interesting or related articles from our corner of the internet - Upcoming events and resource spotlights for our [Accelerator Members]( Enjoy the November edition. If this sparks any ideas I’d love to hear from you! (We send the digest once a month. If you'd rather not get the focus digest you can easily opt-out via the link at the bottom.) . . . . . The less energy we waste regretting the past or worrying about the future, the more energy we will have for what’s in front of us. — Ryan Holiday Plan For Rest As some of you know, our team runs on [a 8-week rhythm]( here at the Focus Course. Six weeks for focused project work, one week for retrospective and planning, concluded with a week sabbatical (time off). Which means, every eight weeks we have time to rest and recover. Believe it or not, it has taken me a few years to learn how to rest well. True rest actually requires intentionality and a bit of planning. But, the upside is, you actually walk away feeling rested. Regular rest and down time is an essential component to living a focused life. And it’s a skill most are not taught. Typically, it’s something we learn through trial and error. And I still have much to learn on the topic, but I thought I would share with you some of what I’ve picked up along the way. * * * Whether you have a week or an hour, it’s important to take a moment to plan how you will use your time. Which will depend on a few factors. - How much time do you have? - What location would be best? - What do you need most? (More on this in a minute) - What can you realistically fit in? Especially if you have half a day or less, it’s important to get into stillness as quickly as possible. If you only have an hour don’t spend 30 minutes commuting. Location is an important component to consider. In some cases, the most restful place may be the most accessible. Before you plan what you’ll do you will want to take a moment to check in with yourself. In many instances, this has been a total difference-maker in getting the most out of the time I have. I like the MERPS (Mentally, Emotionally, Relationally, Physically, Spiritually) acronym for a quick check-in with myself. I try to use [feeling words]( only to keep it tight. Once I know about how much time I have, and have done a quick check-in with myself to see what I need, I solidify my plans for rest. Basically, this is simply where I’m going to rest and what I’m going to do. Quick note: this can also become something you automate through a checklist so that the next time you are in this situation you can already have a plan in hand. When I have this much time and need to rest, do this. You could also give yourself a menu to choose from of activities that fall in the category of true rest. This all feels very basic, but truly I’ve found it to make all the difference. A few ideas for you… - A 15-minute nap - Yard work (gardening) - A good walk - Light a fire and sit for a while - Journal using pen and paper - A good novel to read - Sit in sunshine - A long shower - Paddleboard or Kayak on Water - A good cup of coffee with a friend - Play or write music This all comes down to knowing yourself and knowing which activity will help you feel most rested. Experiment with it. What you find restful may sound like torture to the next person. A couple final thoughts. No matter what you do, arrange for stillness as quickly as possible. Try to spend as little time and energy deciding what you are going to do, and spend it on the actual resting itself. Especially when time is limited. This is where the automating really comes in handy. Finally, limit your technology use. With how much we all are constantly connected, one of the best things you could do for rest is simply avoiding screens. Turn your phone off for an hour if you are feeling brave. If you normally use a tablet or smartphone for a certain tool, try to find an alternative. (Real camera vs. phone camera. Actual journal vs. digital journal. Physical book instead of an ebook.) I promise you, if you give yourself some boundaries to play in when it comes time to rest, you will finish feeling much more rested. And that’s the point after all. Upcoming Accelerator Events - Member Office Hours: (Nov 15) - Do-Half Workshop (Part 2) with Sarah K. Peck: (Nov 16) - New Plan Your Year 2023 Edition (Nov 17) - 2023 Digital Planner Drop (Nov 17) - Plan Your Year Live Workshop: (Dec 6 & 7) When you're ready... An all-access pass to every single course and tool in our library, plus a community to help you get clear, take action, and keep going. ✓ Unlimited access to every course in our library ✓ Monthly office hours and Q&A with our team ✓ Gain accountability and breakthrough with the community [Join Accelerator and get instant access to everything]( Noteworthy Reading For more on rest and related topics, dive into the articles below! - [A Quick Plan for Better Rest]( Believe it or not, most of the "restful" activities we do in our day are not actually restful. We call those non-restful types of activities Counterfeit Rest. True rest will recharge you. It will leaving you with more energy. Here is a cheat sheet to get you started with a plan for better, more enjoyable rest. - [Check Engine Light for Your Life]( When life starts to feel overwhelming it sure would be nice if like cars we had a little check engine light. Well, if we know what to look for, we kind of do. - [How to Overcome Perfectionism]( When you set out to make change, or to embark on a bold new venture, there will always be resistance. One common area of resistance is perfectionism and overthinking. That's it for this month's Focus Digest! Do you plan your time off and rest time? I'd love to hear from you. Just hit reply... — Isaac Smith Director of Accelerator Whatever you face, whatever you’re doing will require, first and foremost, that you don’t defeat yourself. That you don’t make it harder by overthinking, by needless doubts, or by second-guessing.  — Ryan Holiday [Unsubscribe from Focus Digest](. Or, to unsubscribe from everything, for ever and ever, [here](. Blanc Media, 714 Main St., Grandview, MO 64030, United States