13 | Changing How I Generate Ideas
Hey guys,
Iāve been working this week on refining my idea generation to consistently produce content. Some of the techniques Iāve explored: āEureka Moments"and "The Birdsongā.
Eureka is well known and it happens when you randomly have an idea for a project. When I started blogging a year ago I had random ideas while taking showers, running, eating and so on. However, I realised those ideas disappeared very quickly. Thereās a quote fromĀ David Allen, reinforcing this:
Your brain is for having ideas, not holding them.
Capturing the idea was my only way to have enough future content. So I wrote down most of these random and sometimes nonsense ideas in different places.
However, the powerful technique is called The Birdsong and it came to my attention while doing a course withĀ Ali Abdaal. Itās about shifting the mindset from consumer to creator. Asking the question āhow can I use this piece of information to create content?ā.
Iāve been investing in personal development this year and look forward to sharing more with you on thisĀ newsletter,Ā blogĀ andĀ YouTube channel. I have some exciting projects coming.
Have a great week and enjoy the content below!
Alejandro
š„ This Week's Videos
š This Week's Blog Post
Few days ago, I finished the unbelievableĀ Unleash the Power WithinĀ seminar with Tony Robbins. In Day 3, he took me through the Dickens Process. This NLP technique just blew my mind. Letās talk.
Read more: How This Tony Robbins Technique Blew My Mind
šø Financial Freedom
Have you heard about the Rule of 72? This is an interesting shortcut to estimate how many years it might take for your investment to double. Itās just a quick approximation to understand the amazing compound interest without a calculator. The idea is to have only 2 data points: 72 and the rate of return
For example, it will take me 12 years for my investment to double if they grow at 6% (72/6=12). But it will only take me 9 years if my investments grow at 8% (72/8=9) and so on.
The exact formula uses logarithmic functions and itās the following: T = ln(2) / ln(1 + (rate of return / 100)). And if we put the last example: T = ln(2) / ln(1 + (8 / 100)) = 9.0006 yearsā¦ very close to the Rule of 72 š¤.
š ļø Work Smarter (Not Harder!)
I donāt believe in multitasking. I know, when we work we say we multitask but all we do is to switch between tasks. I canāt really pay attention to 2 things simultaneously.
I found that taking a deep breath, making a move and focusing on the one important thing gives me more energy to continue with the next.
In fact, I mark all my tasks with flags/colours so I can quickly identify whatās an important āto-doā vs a trivial task. Ultimately, I want to do what brings value faster!
š§³ Lifestyle Design
This week I was reviewing some of my highlights onĀ ReadwiseĀ and one particularly drew my attention fromĀ Jim Rohn:
We are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with.
I agree that the people we spend the most time will shape who we are. We absorb knowledge, attitudes and behaviours from those close to us. But how much do we incorporate?
When it comes to personal growth, Iāve found that my only way to leave my comfort zone is to be close to the people I admire. Because ultimately I also want to experience a bit of their success. So, I enjoy being infected by their experience, skills and attitude.
Who do you spend your time with and who do you admire the most? What if these 2 groups were the same?