In March, we are starting the first round of the Access Potential Academy. This is a peer-to-peer, workshop style program for men, in which we have small projects throughout the year to level up personally and professionally.
We are creating a stable, system of deep understanding, action and accountability. This is powerful. It is often the only way we create an environment in which we can truly level up.
Through this, we can bypass two major hurdles that people get stuck on when we try to level up individually:
“Bikeshedding” or the “Law of Triviality” is the tendency to give a lot of attention to trivial things, allowing us to focus on something that we can grasp, rather than the more relevant project at hand or moving into the unknown.
For example, rather than figuring out the details of a budget for a multi-year project, in a meeting, a company might focus on the construction of a bike-shed for staff members (hence the name).
Today, this is reviewing your social media, the over-design of your business logo or, if you are diving into your health and exercise, the over-emphasis on your post-workout shake and workout gear when you have an un-recognised chronic stress imbalance throughout the week.
“Busywork” is engaging in activities to pass time and stay busy, but ones with little or no actual value. We engage in busywork unknowingly to maintain an appearance of activity and avoid the criticism (self or others) of not doing anything.
This is the re-checking your emails, task-switching, listening to tons of podcasts and over-researching.
Busywork also has the desirable (for most people) effect of satisfying the need to be doing something, even at the expense of resting, recovering or being present with loved ones (connection).
What would it look like if you held to your macro and micro intentions? If you were held accountable to the change you wanted to make over the year and the focus for the week?
How would the peer pressure to remain focused on your key tasks and additional small projects around breath and mindfulness, connection and generosity impact your learning and performance?
If you are interested in finding out a little more, there is a PDF now available here. Check it out and if you’d like to find out more please register your details there.
