Ditch Your Goals and Embrace Growth Loops

Ditch Your Goals and Embrace Growth Loops

Welcome to Effective Habits, a weekly newsletter where I share evidence-based strategies and tools to help you live a happy, healthy, and productive life.

Today at a Glance:

• The Paradox of Goals

• How to Maintain a Healthy Brain

• How to 10x Productivity: Start With a 3-to-1 Prioritisation Technique

The Paradox of GoalsAnne-Laure Le Cunff

Lights, Camera, ... Do you often set goals and feel like a failure when you don't achieve them? Or do you work hard to attain a goal, only to feel a sense of emptiness when you finally reach it? You're not alone! The way we think about goals is broken, and it's time for a change. Goals should be seen as cyclical, not linear, and instead of focusing on the destination, we should focus on the journey of growth. It's time to create space for our goals to emerge and evolve, so we can thrive in an increasingly turbulent world.Action!

1. PACT: Choose a Purposeful, Actionable, Contextual, and Trackable action you want to commit to. It could be something you've always wanted to try, something new, or something you think you won't enjoy.

2. Act: Do it and monitor your progress. Stick to your action for long enough so you can collect sufficient data. Use a habit tracker to help you.

3. React: Reflect on your progress. Consider the positive impact your PACT is having on your health, well-being, and relationships. Evaluate how you feel when performing the action and decide if you want to keep going, tweak it, or abandon it.

4. Impact: Keep going through the first three steps of the cycle, and you will start noticing the impact on areas of your life that contribute to living a happy, healthy, fulfilling life.

How to Maintain a Healthy BrainDr. Kailas Roberts

Lights, Camera, ...Want to keep your brain sharp and reduce the risk of dementia as you age? As we live longer, it's important to consider brain health earlier in life. The brain can fail due to lack of nutrients, inflammatory debris build-up, physical injury, and lack of (mental) training. While some decline in brain power is inevitable as we age, certain cognitive skills remain intact and you can actively work to promote neuroplasticity and maintain brain function throughout life. By optimizing brain health, you'll not only reduce the risk of dementia but also enjoy greater productivity, happiness, and life satisfaction. So take care of your brain today and reap the benefits for years to come!Action!

1. Nourish your brain by eating a healthy diet that is rich in antioxidants, fibre, unsaturated fats (incl. Omega-3), B vitamins and complex carbohydrates. Aim for a Mediterranean or MIND diet that can help maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and reduce inflammation in the brain.

2. Train your brain by engaging in cognitively demanding activities that are novel, diverse, complex and involve repeated practice. Learning a new language, memory technique, or musical instrument are great examples. Avoid becoming fixated on brain-training apps and games that lack robust evidence of generalisability, as this can lead to stress and neglect of other important activities.

3. Socialize and build meaningful relationships, as social interaction is vital for maintaining cognitive function and brain health. If you face any issues with your mental health, talk to someone you trust or consult a healthcare professional to get appropriate treatment.

4. Train your body to improve your overall physical health, which in turn benefits your brain health. It is important to maintain a regular exercise routine that includes both aerobic and resistance training, with a focus on maintaining muscle mass and strength. Additionally, avoid sedentary behavior and aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.

5. Protect your brain and reduce the risk of head injury, especially in high-risk contact sports such as American football, rugby, and boxing. If you insist on participating, wear protective headgear, and follow local guidance on managing concussion sustained during play. Prioritize your sleep and establish a predictable bedtime routine, avoid caffeine or too much alcohol, and practice good sleep hygiene.

How to 10x Productivity: Start With a 3-to-1 Prioritisation TechniqueLiliia Lutsenko

Lights, Camera, ...Do you ever feel like you're drowning in tasks and struggling to keep up? It's easy to take on more than we can handle, but that's a surefire way to end up burnt out and frustrated. The solution? Prioritization! But with so many techniques out there, it can be hard to know where to start. That's where the 3-to-1 prioritization technique comes in. It involves identifying tasks that help you reach your long-term goals and scheduling them into your workday, while still leaving room for meetings, ad-hoc work, and breaks.Action!

1. Assess how you spend your time at work and who manages it. Consider what tasks take up the most of your time and whether they align with your long-term goals. Categorize your tasks into the following three buckets:

   1. High-impact Projects: Allocate 40% of your working time to work on the most impactful project that helps you achieve your long-term goal. Seek advice from your manager or senior colleague to define the project.

   2. Ad-hoc Requests: Allocate 50% of your time for addressing medium-impact projects, meetings, and ad-hoc requests. Take on as many tasks as you can solve within this time slot, and no more.

   3. Social/Breaks: Allocate 10% of your time for engaging in routines, chats, and coffee breaks. While small talks and breaks are essential for a friendly and productive work environment, be mindful of the time you spend on them.

TOOL TIP

Bionic Reading: A free tool that allows you to read faster, better, and more focused. I've started using this for all longer text and books on my kindle. Such a simple method, yet so effective!

FUN FACT 

Pixar deleted Toy Story 2 by accident, but they were able to release the movie because someone on maternity leave happened to have a copy on her home computer. They drove it to the studio wrapped in blankets.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We are not liable for any risks or issues that may arise from using this information.