PROGRESSION: Finding a New Job During COVID, Tips for Remote Work, and What Pitbull Can Teach You About Building a Powerful Network
April 2020
I hope this email finds you in good health and good spirits, but realize that may not be the case. While we’re all impacted by COVID-19 and the health challenges and economic uncertainties it has created, some of us feel those consequences more profoundly. I hope something you read/watch in this email teaches you something new or gives you hope to keep pressing forward. 🤜🤛
Books, articles, etc.
Thinking About a New Job After Coronavirus? Don't Make This Giant Mistake by Joel Peterson (Article)
Whatever position you’re looking for, the most successful candidates show up for the job interview with a proactive approach: one in which they’re interviewing the employer as well as the other way around. And in so doing, they come across as attractive, thoughtful, and responsible candidates who can be trusted and empowered to take responsibility.
Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart by Jim Doty (Book)
This one came highly recommended by my coach. While at first glance it looks like the autobiography of a heart surgeon, in reality, it’s so much more. Jim Doty grew up poor with an alcoholic father and a chronically depressed mother. His life completely changed at age 12 when he met Ruth, a woman who taught him a series of exercises to ease his own suffering and manifest his greatest desires. Doty goes on to beat the odds, overcoming countless obstacles to become a doctor, but still struggles to remember the most important lessons he learned from Ruth. For me, the biggest takeaway from the book is that we have immense power to control our thoughts, and by doing so, we can create our reality.
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy (Book)
Eat That Frog is a quick read with practical lessons on how to work more efficiently. I hesitate recommending a time management book during a period like this but what the heck. Your ‘frog’ is your biggest, most important task in front of you, and if you have to eat a frog, don’t procrastinate. Do it now. Here are a few of the lessons that stood out:
Apply the 80/20 Rule to Everything - Before you begin work, always ask yourself, ‘Is this task in the top 20 percent of my activities or in the bottom 80 percent?’ Your ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is the key determinant of your success in life and work.
Practice Creative Procrastination - The difference between high performers and low performers is largely determined by what they choose to procrastinate on. You can get your time and your life under control only to the degree to which you discontinue lower-value activities.
Create Large Chunks of Time - Your ability to carve out and use these blocks of high-value, highly productive time is central to your ability to make a significant contribution to your work and to your life. Make work appointments with yourself and then discipline yourself to keep them.
Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson (Book)
Remote work is becoming the new norm right now, and we’re all learning to do it on the fly. Fried and Heinemeier Hansson, the founders of Basecamp, provide a blueprint for how to work from home effectively. If you’re working remotely for the first time, I highly recommend reading this. There are a lot of good insights that will help manage the transition. While remote work is required for most right now, I think many companies and employees will see the numerous benefits and be more flexible with how work gets done in the future.
Observations
The Not Your Parents’ Workplace Show (YouTube)
A few weeks back I kicked off a video series where I share stories and lessons from my book as well as career insights I've had over the last five years.
My plan is to post one per week. Here are the two published since my last email:
What Pitbull Can Teach You About Building a Powerful Network (Episode #2)
Fortune Favors the Bold (Episode #3)
Career Q&A with Ryan Seamons, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Sprintwell
Earlier this year I kicked off a series of Career Q&As with successful leaders. Here’s my interview with Ryan Seamons. I’ve always been impressed by Ryan’s commitment to learning and how intentional he is in living his life. I particularly like his advice to never stop learning, to spend time early to decide what you really want, and to be bold.
Gratitudes
I’ve found power in regularly expressing gratitude so I’ll continue the habit. I’m grateful for bicycles. My wife and I both got new bikes recently and I’ve loved going on rides with the family as well as going out by myself. I hurt my knee while training for a triathlon last year and it’s finally healed enough to go on longer rides. Road biking brings me a lot of joy and is a huge stress reliever.
Thanks for reading. If you've read anything worth sharing I'd love to hear about it. If you have questions or topics you’d like covered in a future episode of the Not Your Parents’ Workplace Show please reach out! And do let me know if there's anything I can do to help you.
Nathan
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