Happy Saturday, friend!

We’re back again with another edition of Productivity + Habits + Fun

😃 Fun Fact of the Week

Most wasabi paste isn’t actually wasabi.

Because wasabi is more expensive, most “wasabi” is actually horseradish.

🐦 Tweet of the Week

I’m genuinely curious to know what your opinion is.

Please reply and tell me! 🙏 

💪 Featured Productivity Tip (part 3/3)

This is the third and final part of this series of productivity tips.

Two weeks ago, we talked about getting the mind to relax with dopamine and distraction.

This helps the mind turn inward and explore associations that the executive part of the mind may not be conscious of, leading to new insights. 💡 

Last week, I shared a list of positive sources of dopamine.

Some of those have the added bonus of also being relaxing.

Now that we know what causes creativity and we have some methods to elicit dopamine and relaxation…

Let’s look at three ways we can capture these insights. ✍️ 

1. Keep a notebook with you at all times, even while showering

   The point is to be ready to capture the idea as soon as it pops up. It can be messy and nonsensical - the important thing is to be ready.

   If you think of your notebook like your phone, wallet, and keys, you’ll always have it with you. 😉 

2. Schedule time for drafting

   This will depend on what you’re working on, but I’ve found a lot of benefit if the very beginning of my day is the creative stuff, like working on this newsletter. My goal is to get the ideas down as they flow - later in the day I’ll return to edit and tweak the content. Most of the real work is done in that drafting/ creative period.

3. Seek a challenge

   You have to stretch yourself to really get the creative juices flowing. Imagine a wet rag. Can you get more water from it by letting it relax all day, or does wringing it out for 5 seconds help more? I’m not saying you have to be extreme, but here are some ways to push yourself:

   1. Writer: set a shorter timer on yourself to force more content in less time

   2. Artist: find a master who’s work you admire and recreate it

   3. Mechanical Engineer: invent something beyond your current level of understanding

The whole point is to push yourself just beyond your comfort zone.

You want to find that Flow state in which the challenge is enough to stretch you but not so tough that you’re overwhelmed and not sure where to go.

The sweet spot is to have the challenge about 4% more difficult than your current experience.

And that’s all, folks!

I hope this series has been helpful to you.

Please hit “reply” and let me know. 🙂 

🕰️ The Daily Routines of Famous Creatives

Benjamin Franklin: slept from 10pm to 5am, 8 hours of creative work, 2 hour lunch

Mary Flannery O’Connor: slept from 9pm to 6am, only 3 hours of creative work

Franz Kafka: slept from 6am to 8am and from 3pm to 7pm, 6 hours of creative work, 5 hours of day work/ admin work

If you want to see this on an infographic along with 23 others, click this link to view.

🕹️ Video Game Engagement by Generation

I’m not surprised to see that Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha make up such a large audience, but I was surprised to see such a strong Gen X and Baby Boomer representation!

Do you play video games?

If so, what’s your favorite series?

🤔 Decision-making Idea

The Spotlight Effect: We tend to overestimate how much attention we’re getting from other people.

Example: You get a new haircut, and you don’t love it. You assume others notice it and are just being kind by not saying anything. Chances are, they didn’t even notice.

Remember that you are the most important person in your life.

Others feel the same way about themselves - they’re mostly focused on themselves and worrying if YOU are paying too much attention to them.

🧠 Quote of the Week

What I think:

I’ve had several different episodes in my life once I graduated from high school.

In earning my undergraduate degree, I had a solid 10 different majors plus a drop-out period where I did something very different.

And don’t get me started on all the different jobs I’ve had over the years in all the different fields. 😂 

All were different.

Different schools of thought, different people, different locations, different experiences.

They are a part of the mosaic that I am today.

Each time I went to something new, I had to recycle part of myself to make room for the new experience.

I reinvented myself in each iteration.

And even though that happened, I’m still the same person I was before, during, and after.

Equally true, I’ve changed because of those experiences.

Life is a constant ebb and flow of changes and opportunities.

What about you?

When have you experienced a period of reinvention?

Thank you so much for spending some of you precious time with me. 🙂

I’m always looking to improve, so hit “reply” and let me know what you think!

Have an awesome week.

Sincerely,

Steven Sanders

PS - I hope to see you on Twitter and Instagram!