Good Morning. Welcome to all the new readers of Faster Than Normal who have joined us since last week!

Here’s what we’ll cover today:

Cheers,
Alex

| Mental Model

Trust in Calendar

In our quest for productivity and effective time management, it is crucial to recognize the distinction between our to-do lists and our calendars. While a to-do list represents our aspirations and goals, our calendar reflects the practical execution of these tasks within our day-to-day lives. By trusting our calendar and intentionally allocating time for deep work, we can bridge the gap between our plans and our actions.

Here are three key points to help illustrate the concept of Trust in Calendar:

1. To-Do Lists vs. Calendars: A to-do list represents our intentions and priorities but often lacks a concrete plan for their execution. In contrast, a calendar provides a structured framework for allocating our time and resources to achieve our goals.

2. The Importance of Deep Work: Deep work involves focusing on cognitively demanding tasks without distractions, which enables us to produce high-quality results. By blocking time for deep work in our calendars, we can ensure that we make progress on our most important tasks.

3. Time Management: Trusting in our calendar means using it as the primary tool for organizing and managing our time. This involves scheduling tasks and appointments, setting deadlines, and regularly reviewing and updating our calendar to reflect changes in our priorities and commitments.

To implement Trust in Calendar into your life, consider the following steps:

1. Review your to-do list and identify the tasks that require deep work or focused attention.

2. Allocate specific time blocks in your calendar for these tasks, ensuring that you have uninterrupted periods to focus on them.

3. Establish boundaries to protect your deep work time, such as turning off notifications, informing colleagues or family members of your unavailability, and setting up a dedicated workspace.

4. Regularly review and update your calendar to reflect your progress and adapt to new priorities or commitments.

By trusting in our calendar and making a conscious effort to schedule time for deep work, we can transform our intentions into tangible outcomes and enhance our overall productivity and effectiveness.

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| Insight

Challenge: Write down three open-ended questions you can use in conversations to encourage others to share their experiences.

Example: What inspired you to choose your career path? How did you overcome a significant challenge in your life? What is your proudest accomplishment?

| Quote

Zainab Salbi, a humanitarian and author, on the power of empathy:

| Question

A Parable I Enjoyed

The Two Wolves

An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life...

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego. The other is good he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,

"Which wolf will win?"

The old chief simply replied,

"The one you feed.”

You've probably heard the age-old saying, "you are what you eat." But have you ever considered that the same applies to your thoughts and emotions?

Feed the Good Wolf

Just like the old Cherokee chief said, there are two wolves fighting inside of you. One represents negative emotions, while the other represents positive emotions. The wolf that wins the fight is the one that you feed. This means that if you focus on negative emotions like anger, envy, or guilt, you'll only attract more negativity into your life.

Remember: You have the power to create your own reality by feeding the good wolf and minding your thoughts. Choose positivity, gratitude, and joy, and watch as your reality transforms into something beautiful.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, all.

Until next time,

Alex

| P.S. — My Weekly Picks

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