Use Mental Models to Frame a New Reality

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.” ― James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

With the myriad of choices available, mental models help frame thinking to make better decisions and to prompt action. James Clear narrowed down the top mental models from over 1000 mental models. Other valuable resources to help you explore mental models include:

https://nesslabs.com/mental-models

https://www.julian.com/blog/mental-model-examples

https://www.tudorcodes.com/blog/5-books-about-mental-models-worth-your-time/

What limiting beliefs and narratives are preventing you from starting? Consider how mental models can help you jumpstart action to make progress on your goals.

“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.”― James Clear

21 Lessons from 31 Days of Practice

“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

At the beginning of January, I committed to write every day for Cast-Light. I’ve done a 30-day streak in the past and then dropped back into inconsistent posts two to three times a week when the “feeling” hit. If we base our practices on feelings, progress will be sporadic at best.

After completing a full month of daily writing in January, I intend to go beyond “challenge” mode into committing to a daily practice of writing and “shipping” the work. Over the last 31 days, I’ve learned some lessons that come only from doing, not thinking about doing.

1. Choose a few daily commitments, follow through and make them non-negotiable activities;

2. Find the optimal time to do the work that matters first. For me, morning is my best time to write before the day’s activities take over;

3. Some posts were good, some were forced and some needed more time to percolate, but the goal was to launch each day. Perfect repetition, imperfect posts;

4. In The Practice, Shipping Creative Work, Seth Godin notes that doing the work daily, executing imperfectly is the key to success;

5. To get started each morning, Julia Cameron’s morning pages method of 3 pages of free flow journal writing with no boundaries or rules laid the groundwork for writing, the pre-work that led to the first draft and then evolve to launched posts;

6. Meditation focuses energy and guides direction – after 10 minutes of morning pages, I added a minimum of 10 minutes of meditation and mindfulness time using the Insight Timer app;

7. Allow first drafts to fill the blank page without editing or judgment. Flowing thoughts that turn to words on blank pages are the formula of first drafts. Revisit, weave, find connections and strengthen transitions to publishable content;

8. Acknowledge and overcome the “lizard brain” of fight/flight. “The lizard brain is not merely a concept. It's real, and it's living on the top of your spine, fighting for your survival. But, of course, survival and success are not the same thing. The lizard brain is the reason you're afraid, the reason you don't do all the art you can, the reason you don't ship when you can. The lizard brain is the source of the resistance,” Seth Godin;

9. Fear of starting dissipates by starting. Final “shippable” work always starts with a messy first draft that evolves into final content;

10. Resistance is a guarantee. Starting for at least 5 minutes daily overcomes resistance. 5 minutes become 10, 20 and 30 minutes without notice;

11. Start where you are in the moment. Nothing before, nothing after, lost in the moment, unaware of time;

12. Go between spectator observation and participant immersion, broad and narrow;

13. Remember to play to restore with time away from work and activity – get out in nature, go for a run, let things settle;

14. Keep a notebook with you at all times and write down thoughts as they come, don’t put it off, capture it in the moment;

15. Read daily to expand perspective, deepen connections and broaden insight;

16. Practice gratitude to move forward from a place of abundance, not scarcity;

17. Stuck? Take a break and return after a few minutes away;

18. Take time to reflect to look for lessons;

19. Clarity unfolds with action. As you step out, the path begins to unfold;

20. Use quotes to prompt new ideas and inspire a fresh outlook;

21. Confidence increases and fear decreases with consistent daily practice.

Lessons and insights are found through action, habits, structure and play. More imperfect doing, less perfect thinking about doing.

“It is not knowledge, but the act of learning, not possession but the act of getting there, which grants the greatest enjoyment.” -Carl Friedrich Gauss

The Power of Habits, Rituals and Wandering

“Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity.” – James Clear, Atomic Habits

January starts the annual rite of resolution-making. Get healthy, go to the gym, take up a new hobby, etc. We get fired up and go with a vengeance, fast, furious in full throttle mode. Enthusiasm and energy at an all-time high. By late January, we’re exhausted, start to dial back our trips to the gym, eat the bag of chips and our habits and intentions unravel one inaction at a time.

The month is young so there’s still time to get this year’s resolutions off your list next year. A few adjustments now can be the difference between success and disappointment.

1. Create daily rituals to focus your attention, intentions and energy to follow through with action. A few habits that have made a big difference are starting the morning slowly. As soon as I wake up, I make a cup of coffee and write in my journal using Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages technique. Writing three pages long hand, no editing, whatever comes to mind. This practice allows subconscious thoughts to rise to the surface before they get buried in the busyness of the day. It often is random and usually exposes the root of things that have been weighing on my mind, helps me solve a problem and releases new ideas. No rules, just free-flow writing allowing whatever comes to mind to land on paper. This writing is not meant to be shared with anyone. It’s a technique to unravel your thoughts, roadblocks and ideas. However, it often is the basis for articles on Cast-Light and Start3Things. Try it for one month without missing a day and I promise this habit will stick and be the foundation for other habits forming.

2. Julia Cameron’s other technique is the artists date where you go somewhere by yourself once a week to change up the scenery, discover patterns, create new connections, found in the action of wandering with no particular destination.

3. Meditation using the Insight Timer app grounds each day to focus effort and attention. Music, guided meditation for 10 minutes gets the day going in the right direction.

4. Before making resolutions, be clear on the reason why you want to lose weight. To play with your kids? To run a 5k in March? To have more energy? Specificity and emotional connection will both inspire and motivate you beyond the initial pain of building muscle and necessary repetition to make real change last.

5. Accountability – have a daily plan and check it off when you are done to create the cadence and record progress. Celebrate daily wins of repetition and discipline.

6. Give up the long undoable list of annual resolutions and roll them out through the year as you make progress and complete a few. Each accomplishment builds confidence and leads to the next success.

7. Be specific in your actions and break down big goals into small steps daily to get to the finish line, not in January but by March. Things that are meaningful and lasting, take time, consistent effort and small steps to sustainable results.

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits notes that tiny changes transform into sustainable behavior. Repetition creates progress. Habits begin with a trigger to act so make it easy to follow through by using cues. If you are working out in the morning, put your work out clothes out the night before. Don’t over think it, just start before you talk yourself out of it. Don’t allow feelings to stop you from starting. Do it, especially if you don’t feel like it. Reward yourself when you complete the task. Tracking and celebrating will lead to success so when January, 2022 comes, the resolutions on your list are different than this year because you’ve accomplished them.

Happy New Year and New Day! Stick to it and always choose action over perfection. Start3Things!

“What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us.” - Julia Cameron

Class is Always in Session, Learning is Optional

“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.”― James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

As we start the annual ritual of New Year’s resolutions, determine if your resolution is important enough that you will create daily rituals, routines and habits to follow through on commitments. If not, choose one or two that are “doable” over the long haul and don’t fall for the usual “get rich quick” schemes. Lay out a daily time-bound plan with specific steps that are measurable.

For the world, 2020 was filled with unprecedented challenges, progress amidst ongoing uncertainty and small victories through adversity. A year ago, we were planning for a year better than the one before. Our plans came to a grinding halt in February with the spread of COVID-19. While uncertainty and fear made it difficult, we were offered ample time to reflect, change and learn. We still have time so let’s get started.

As this year slowly unfolded, we discovered what’s really important including the need for human connection, gratitude, empathy and resilience. If 2020 showed us anything, it is our innate capacity to shift, adjust and adapt. It’s not the year we planned, but it’s the one we got so how will you apply lessons learned in 2021?

In March, I started and stuck with daily journaling and meditation which made each day more intentional and anchored. Both activities are a form of self-reflection that foster and enhance our ability to learn. Small steps executed consistently pave the path to goals fulfilled. Atomic Habits author James Clear, states that “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

In my writing practice this year, I’ve learned the value of iterations, first drafts that lead to final versions followed by execution. Starting requires us to be imperfect, incomplete and unfinished. Through the process of action, the work moves us into new directions and the destination appears as we make our way down the path. When we do the work, the outcome takes care of itself.

Experiments, iterations and failures all lead to sustainable and creative solutions. We need to execute, learn, re-execute, apply, learn again. Rarely do we arrive to meaningful destinations without roadblocks, detours and getting lost along the way. The line from point A to point B is usually circular, winding and spiraling.

“Our ability to make the most out of uncertainty is what creates the most potential value. We should be fueled not by a desire for a quick catharsis but by intrigue. Where certainty ends, progress begins.”― Ozan Varol, Think Like a Rocket Scientist.

Uncertainty is where discovery and creativity unfold. Former rocket scientist, Varol offers strategies to think like a scientist:

1. Changing your attitude toward uncertainty opens you up to discovery. Scientists don’t fear uncertainty, they thrive on it to create new possibilities. The COVID-19 vaccine development in record time (months rather than years!) this year shows the power of exploration, iterations and experimentation. We can apply this concept in our daily lives as well.

2. The best way to innovate is to stop conforming. Habits and rituals have their place in creating discipline and progress. We can operationalize activities that serve us well in addition to innovating with a “playground” curiosity mindset. No rules.

3. Productivity is the enemy of original thought.

4. Your mind is your biggest obstacle between you and your goal. We need to balance between convergent and divergent thinking. Lots of ideas, start to converge them into a new configuration and take action. When fresh thinking and ideas are needed, go wide with divergence, wander freely and gather without judgment.

5. To get the best solution, ask the right question.

6. Overcome your blind spots. Confirmation bias has us looking for information that affirms and supports our view. When we ask, “what am I missing?” and actively seek the answer, we find our blind spots. Work to disprove your hypothesis to get to the truth.

7. The best way to be successful is to test rigorously.

8. Study failures to learn from them.

Historian Daniel J. Boorstin writes, “The great obstacle to discovering was not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge.”

As the year winds down, take time to reflect deeply on what you learned, unlearn what’s holding you back and get ready to apply lessons to create the future that you aspire to and are willing to work for. Class is always in session, learning is optional.