Hi, fintech fam! 💜

Welcome to our "On Performance" column, where we provide insights to improve your performance as an entrepreneur and business leader.

This is crucial because we are living through one of the most critical moments in history. Industry leaders like you have the opportunity to guide us in the right direction.

That’s why it’s my mission to share valuable insights and tactics to help you elevate. This happens weekly when I hit your inboxes on:

• Sundays = Performance & Executive Coaching,

• Tuesdays = Industry Trends and Analysis,

• Thursdays = Stay Updated on Top News Stories.

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Now, let’s level up your performance.

ON PERFORMANCE

Where Has All My Focus Gone? 

Navigating the digital landscape for work has its challenges, and one of my ongoing battles is the constant struggle to nurture and maintain my attention. 

Between LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Email, Texts, Slack, and my job of researching and writing for 150+ newsletters a year, my hyperactive mind is basically a digital circus.

And let's not forget the never-ending to-do list, back-to-back meetings, the non-negotiable self-care routine, hitting the gym, industry events, staying connected with family and friends, loving my fiancé, keeping up with my favorite streaming shows, reading books, playing music, and the list goes on.

It’s a lot, and I know I’m not the only one in this boat. 

I've seen it firsthand in fintech founders and CEOs: 6 minutes late to a call, multiple tabs open in Zoom, eyes fluttering, and only half-listening.

Even in person, I can usually tell when a business leader is riding the struggle bus based on their mannerisms.

But what’s the solution? You can't just ditch your work Slack channel, and I'm certainly not about to scrap my top-of-funnel marketing strategy.

Whenever I find myself drowning in the chaos, I turn to a game-changing article I stumbled upon in 2023, titled "The Digital Workplace is Designed to Bring You Down" by Cal Newport, an MIT-trained computer science professor. The insights from that piece have been stuck in my brain ever since.

Today, I'm breaking down 3 key takeaways, and in our Tactics section, I’ll share 5 ways I manage to:

• Bring Focus Back

• Take Ownership of my Schedule

• Prevent Burnout

#1 The Multitasking Myth

Newport slams the idea of multitasking, and to be honest, I didn’t believe him at first. 

But like any good journalist, I did some digging, and the results weren’t pretty.

Multitasking, as it turns out, is a productivity killer. 

According to BBC News, at best, it makes us inefficient and, at worst, downright dangerous. 

Neuropsychologist Cynthia Kubu, PhD, even chimes in, stating that multitasking diminishes our ability to focus, messes with our long-term memory, and damages creativity.

The more we multitask, the less we actually get done. Ouch.

#2 Productivity Poison

And if that's not enough to make you rethink your approach, Newport introduces the concept of context shifts – the real productivity poison. 

Even minor context shifts, like glancing at your email inbox for a mere 15 seconds, can trigger a cognitive cascade that messes with your ability to: 

1. Filter out irrelevant information, 

2. wrecks your memory, 

3. and turns you into a distraction magnet. 

Triple ouch.

#3 Hyperactive Hive-Mind Workflow

It sounds all too familiar if you've worked in a Slack-heavy office. 

Newport describes it as a workflow fueled by ongoing conversations through digital communication tools like email and instant messengers. 

But guess what?

All these unstructured conversations and messages increase context switching, draining our productivity, shortening our attention spans, and dulling our memory.

In the next section, I’ll explain how I structured my weekly calendar to combat this hyperactive hive mind. 

Just to let you know, I'm a constant work in progress. 

But if I can reclaim my focus while juggling three newsletters weekly, bombarding social media channels five times a week, flying to speak on stages worldwide, and orchestrating over 20 events annually, so can you.

Let's tackle this together, fam.

_TACTICS

5 Steps to Combat the Hyperactive Mind

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