Hi Friends,

Lately, I've been spending time preparing for 2021. Preparation for a new year usually looks something like dreaming, setting goals, and looking for places to grow. At the same time, a quote I came across was really nice on this point:

"One-half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it." - Sidney Howard, author of Gone with the Wind

In this newsletter, I'm going to quickly cover three thinking methods I've been using to help shape my steps into 2021... let's begin:

1. 16 Blocks

Imagine a grid of 4x4, with 16 individual boxes all the same proportions.

This is the newest thinking model I've been using. I find it difficult to try and 'balance' my life between work, family, friends, exercise, eating healthy, faith, and all the other important things I didn't mention. So, rather than try and 'balance,' I assume I have 16 blocks.

And this doesn't mean that I commit to 16 separate things. Some items like family/friends span over a few blocks, but the important part here is: if I add something to my life, at a minimum, it will take one of the blocks. And the win is when I realize this, I know if I say no to something, I'm preserving a block or making space for the other blocks to easily move around.

Lately I've said no to a few things as we approach the end of the year. Christmas is usually the busiest (and most stressful) time of year for many people. For me this year, I want to feel it slowly, so I removed some smaller items from my life to make space for family and gratitude that in the middle of a really crazy year, I've seen tremendous growth in and around me.

2. Deliver at 80

Perfection can be the enemy of growth. There are two schools of thought: First, work really hard to get really good at something, deliberately, and you will get better. The other is 'ship' the work. Ship more. Ship consistently. And overtime you will get better. In this case, repetition creates progress.

I think there is room for both. But in this case, I want to highlight the latter approach - repetition creates progress. The method I use with clients and my team to keep things moving is deliver at 80. Deliver at 80 basically means: get the product to 80% and then get feedback.

The day I came to this realization was when I had spent over 10 hours perfecting a website footer for a client with custom code, multiple variations, and tons of research... that in the end, they just scrapped. I realized in that moment that I had spent more time on the footer than building the entire website!

It's easy to get caught in an ideal of perfection and it's easy to not take action when you don't want to start until you can make it perfect. Ship. Get feedback sooner and iterate faster. Especially in the creative world. I've seen many people start a business and over-analyze every detail of their website when they just begin. Instead, you can get more done, in less time, and waste less time over-analyzing by pushing yourself to release things before they are perfect.

3. A Second Phone

The amount of options you have 1000x fold. New technology and products hit the market literally every single day. With that said, personalization and customization unique to the individual is easier than ever. I've been spending a lot of time asking: Is there an alternative to this that is useful?

For the last six months I've been using a second phone. No one has the number (though I have gotten some pretty funny texts from the previous user's friends). I got it because it offered me an on-the-go hotspot connection but it became very useful when I just needed to disconnect from my phone but still wanted a device nearby. Is it a luxury to have this option? Possibly, but it's worth asking: Is there a way I can use technology, an app, or product differently then what it was created for? Or, Can this service/tool provide me something useful that isn't a direct purpose of the service/tool?

A few other notable 'alternate use' items I have are:

• Apple TV: I basically use Apple TV as a beautiful screensaver on my TV during my workday as I spend a lot of time in my home
• Business email: I have 1 business email setup for my team of 4 all use. This means they all have grammarly, loom, analytics, and search console as they these apps are all linked to that one-specific email.

My favorite finds this week

• Article: Stop Stealing Dreams by Seth Godin | This article is a must read if you are a parent in the middle of distance learning or considering going to college. It's a long read, basically a book online & free. If you want a quick summary, watch the TEDx talk
• Article: Make Decisions Today That Will Impress Your Friends in 20 Years | Benjamin Hardy has been one of my newest resources for inspiration and insights to phycology, growth, and living a full life. Use this article as you reflect on your plans for next year.
• Quote: "You become what you do at the margins." - Sam Altman, from Y Combinator | A great reminder for those moments that feel inundating or we feel overwhelmed. You always have a chance to reinvent yourself.
• Video: Notion Office Hours: Tiago Forte ✍️ | Tiago Forte a new favorite go-to for new models of thinking. His main product is the second brain. In this 1hr+ interview, he gives very practical times on maximizing what you learn. One of my favorite ideas is Progressive Summarization (where you highlight a book, then revisit later and highlight parts of your highlight, and then again). Brilliant!

All in,

David

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By David Iskander

I'm David, a search specialist, and beginner YouTuber from Orange County, CA. My motto is: Whatever you do, do it beautifully. I enjoy making YouTube videos about website design, tech, productivity, and faith.