#Weeknotes 6 (26 Feb) — On better remote workshops, habits hacking, and gratitude
At work
Getting engagement in workshops and presentations
This week, we ran a remote research playback session using Miro. This wasn’t our initial plan. Our original plan was to do what we’ve always done: using google slides and handpick key bits from the full research report (in this case the 2 reports that added up to about 100 pages of information) into one presentation that fit within a two-hour session.
When we went over our playback session plans with the clients two days before the scheduled session, they fed back on wanting a more engaging way to present the research findings. They recalled our project kickoff meeting which we ran entirely from Miro and liked how visually engaging that was. My gut response was panic as we had limited time to prep and we’ve yet to do such sessions differently. But my love of rethinking ways to work better, and my comfort in using Miro quickly made me fell in love with the challenge to do things differently. At the end of that meeting with the clients, the initial feeling of nervousness was replaced with a wave of motivation and a boost of enthusiasm which I haven’t felt in a while.
Using miro we were able to draw up illustrations and concepts without the confines of a fixed resolution/dimension in normal presentations using slides. With the flexibility of miro, one can easily zoom in and out of sections to find information in just the right level of detail. We were able to fit a journey map on there where we can see both the high-level view as well as detailed sections with clarity. It helped with the flow of the conversation and give the participants a better understanding of how all the different areas fit together.
It was a tight turnaround but we managed to set the miro board up just in time for the research playback session. The session was a success. We managed to playback all the key insights within the 2-hour time limit and got positive feedback on the visual structure of the presentation. It made me think about the benefit of challenging the status quo. We’re so used to how we normally work that we go autopilot not realising often there are better ways to work more effectively. This week has been that reminder for me.
We had a collaborative workshop today with the team and also relied on miro to help generate and prioritise ideas for further exploration. Miro’s voting and timer tools really came in handy for everyone to actively participate in the session. We managed to identify the top 3 areas to investigate out of over 100 ideas in just 2 hours. Not bad right?
On my mind
On being more intentional with my time and creating positive habits
To help me to spend my time better, I got inspired by the Knowledge project’s podcast episode with Nir Eyal (an author I admire who wrote the popular book: Hooked — How to Build Habit-Forming Products. Here’s a pdf copy of Nir Eyal’s book ‘Hooked’ if anyone is interested)
In the episode, Nir shared his strategy to master indistractions and gain control over one’s life and more effectively stick to goals and other fulfilling tasks. He introduces 3 Pacts that people make to promote desirable behaviours (or prevent undesirable ones). These are:
Effort pact: Make things that you want to avoid doing harder. If you’re a snacker you can put the snacks in a place that’s hard to get to (e.g. Locked in a cupboard in a different part of the home) to add a bit of barrier and opportunity consider if the effort is worth it.
Price pact: If you have skin in the game, you’re likely to take it more seriously. Nir gave an example where he made a pact with his friend that if he didn’t finish his book within a year, he’ll give his friend some thousands of dollars (which he didn’t really have). That deal ensured his timely completion.
Identity pact: If it’s part of who you are, you are less likely to be tempted by things that conflict with that identity you’ve created. A vegetarian for example is unlikely to consider meat when creating meal plans. It’s not even in the equation.
I really love the identity pact concept. So I tried to employ it. Too many nights I’ve spent sleeping late being on my phone without a purpose and losing track of time. The following mornings are always challenging because I’d be extra tired and grumpy filled with regret. I told myself that I am a person who won’t have unproductive screen time in the bedroom before bed. To make it not too difficult, I define unproductive screentime as things that don’t nourish me or make me feel good about myself. And it worked! Well, so far it’s been nearly a week that I’ve stopped reading mangas before bed or surfing aimlessly on the web. I told my friend about this and she told me to let her know once I hit the 21 consecutive days mark (apparently that’s when you know a habit has been formed.. or so she says). Of course, I tried to work around this rule as well, I recall one evening I delayed going to the bedroom because I wanted to catch up on a manga and know once I get to the bedroom I can’t do it anymore. At least the identity pact rule still held!
Give the podcast episode a listen, you might also find useful tips!
Gratitude
I’ve been feeling super moody with all this lockdown situation. Listening to this really cheered me up. If you want a pick me up, this podcast episode with A.J. Jacobs is a guaranteed mood booster. My favourite bit:
It (gratitude) can change our world in immensely important ways, because if you’re grateful, you’re not fearful. If you’re not fearful, you’re not violent. If you’re grateful, you act out of a sense of enough and not of a sense of scarcity. And you are willing to share if you’re grateful, you’re enjoying the differences between people and you are respectful to everybody. And that changes this power pyramid under which we live. And it doesn’t make for equality, but it makes for equal respect. — A.J. Jacobs
I’ve been on and off with gratitude rituals over the years. I love the idea but find it difficult to keep up consistently, perhaps I just haven’t found the right way or structure to practice gratitude. My latest attempt has been to write short reflections and gratitude first thing in the morning onto my phone (ios Notes) along with something I look forward to for that day. I’ve started doing this on a daily basis since the 1st of Jan last month and so far managed to keep it up. I must say I get a lot out of these few minutes of reflection each day. It’s easy to move on from one day to the next without giving much thought and let our routines kick in and be on autopilot. The days would feel blurred as one becomes more passive. By adding these deliberate pauses (rituals of gratitude, mindfulness and reflection), we allow ourselves to live our days more intentionally, knowing what things matter to us and how we can better focus on those. At this moment, what matters most to me now are: my physical health and mental wellbeing, as well as the wellbeing of those around me, my family and friends. I noticed since the pandemic hit, I spend a lot more time now catching up with my family and friends back in Vancouver, I cook more meals at home and bake quite regularly, and I try to be more physically active, especially now that I’m working from home. On that note, I’m looking forward to a nice long walk this weekend in nature.
