I subscribe to James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter that goes out every Thursday. He’s the author of Atomic Habits (a great book I first read in 2019) I always read it and it nearly always has some great thoughts and quotes. Today’s newsletter had a quote that really hit me and that I shared with some folks at work:
That last line in particular hit home: You were so busy focusing on how much you could carry, you never realized you could run this fast.
Uffda. If that isn’t a gut-punching metaphor. Shedding weight and moving lighter and faster sounds refreshing right now.
In a work context, this also reminds me of the ideas from Cal Newport’s book Deep Work which talks about the importance of uninterrupted focus time. There are so many inputs and priorities some days that productivity tanks and it seems like nothing meaningful got done.
I got to experience some focused time this morning with an unexpected two-hour meeting moved and a whole morning free to lay out some strategy for my team next year, something I’d been doing in pieces for weeks but without proper time to think. Then I read the James Clear quote and it landed. How can I create more time for focus and priorities? How can I shed that weight so I feel like I can move again after a year of constantly getting stuck and spending the time to get unstuck?
As we wrap up 2023 and look to a new year (I am so thankful for a new year), I think this idea will stay top of mind.
With Love,
Natalie