Over this past week I was called out of town, and was unable to join our weekly Praxis Zoom call. As a result, I watched the recording of the call and will provide a summary of the content in this post.
You should read this post if you are interested in seeing what the weekly calls for Praxis are like, if you want to get a sneak peek into module two’s content, or if you like reading summaries. Enjoy!
Review:
T.K. starts off the call by asking participants two questions:
What was your biggest “pain point” from this week?
What are you going to do to make next week better?
Some of the common pain points among participant were:
Time management.
Over investing in side projects.
Working with/relying on other people and their scheduling.
Anxiety or stress.
Putting yourself out there/getting out of your head.
Some of the common suggestions for what to do in the future were:
Creating a morning routine.
Setting alarms.
Addressing project load.
Writing everything down.
Talking with other participants.
Creating a routine or schedule.
My biggest pain point from this week was probably reminding myself of what my long-term goals are. I am the type of person who needs to put their heart into whatever they’re doing, and this was difficult for me this past week. Whenever I have this issue my solution is to examine my motivation and my goals. If I examine it and remind myself of why I started doing it, I will be able to get right back into the flow of things.
Notable Content…
Here are some of the most valuable notes from the call:
T.K. tells participants about the training he went through in one of his previous positions. He lays out the process he went through: studying, taking classes, and preparing for an exam. T.K. specifically mentions practicing for a big exam and taking this practice test, which he failed. Yet, to his surprise, the score he received on the practice test was actually well above average. He explains that this is an example of how unreliable your emotions can be when you’re evaluating yourself. If T.K. had judged himself on his “low” score, he wouldn’t have even considered that there might be more to the situation.
“It’s important to remember that your performance isn’t always determined by the way you feel on the inside about the way that you’re performing.” - T.K. Coleman
T.K. gives participants a reminder of what it is like to confront weakness. He talks about the concept that if the program were not hard, we would not be growing.
T.K. gave participants some tips on time management: 1) Write as you go. 2) Adopt non-zero days. 3) Don’t do homework: There should be no tension between the things you value, and Praxis.
“If you make investments in your habits, then your habits will make investments in you.” - T.K. Coleman
“Always approach things as if you have other options, and the power to negotiate those options.” - T.K. Coleman
T.K. suggests that we should inquire into our fears and anxieties. He says that each of those emotions have something to teach us. Notes: This reminds me of the concepts in Gavin de Becker’s book, The Gift of Fear. He talks about trusting your instincts instead of ignoring them. He specifically covers relying on your fear and anxiety as a tool to alert you when something is wrong.
Lolita gives some tips for time management: 1) Plan ahead for what matters to you. 2) Write it down. 3) Create quick wins for yourself. 4) Learn how you work best.
Participants are asked to answer the following question: On a scale from one to ten, where would you rate your digital cognition ability?
Participant’s average rating was: six.
My response: I would rate myself a five. I say this because I think when it comes to digital cognition we all start at one and the goal is to work up to a ten eventually. I have grown the raw, human side of this skill quite a bit through life, but I am still just beginning the process of making it digital. I just started taking digital notes and I am still learning how to connect things through that platform. I feel that I have been doing well so far, and I can only go up from here.
T.K. says that BASB will equip you with access to resources that will make you into a human resource.
“Don’t leave value on the table, capture it.” - T.K. Coleman
Resources:
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Bonus: Willpower Doesn’t Work by Benjamin Hardy (This book was very impactful in my life. For a while I struggled with really motivating myself to make my life what I wanted it to be, and this was an invaluable resource to change that. I thought that it was worth recommending, because it seems like it could help some of the other participants.)