THE POWER OF POSITIVITY WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW
Choosing to be kind is something we talk a lot about at The Button Law Firm. When there’s a lot out of our control, how we respond in any situation — and choosing to respond with kindness — is one of the most important decisions we get to make. All of us are faced with challenging situations every day. Our clients know this better than anyone. People call us when they are going through some of the most challenging moments in their life. They, their child, or another loved one has been injured by a company’s or person’s negligence.
are going to happen; adversity is going to happen. But you don’t have to succumb to it. You can take the time you need to feel your emotions and process what you are going through. Take 15 minutes to yourself or even a whole day if you need it. Then, choose to look at the lesson you can take away from that challenging situation. Choose to focus on the positive rather than dwell on the negative. You can especially apply this outlook of kindness when you encounter someone who’s not having a great day. Something going on in their life has affected them, and you’re seeing their “not so good” side. How we respond to another person should always be from a place of understanding, so let’s give each other the
benefit of the doubt. When we could choose to be anything, let’s choose to be kind and compassionate. There are two habits you can start right now to help you find the power of positivity! 1. Every time a negative thought enters your head, flip it around and write down the reverse. For example, if you think, “This dinner is going to be a disaster,” flip it around and write, “This dinner is going to turn out well.”
The power of choosing positivity is that you get to choose how you react. Tough moments
2. Each day, take a few minutes and write down five things you are grateful for.
While they may seem little, when done over time, these habits will help you more easily focus on the positive and let go of the rest.
HOW TO CULTIVATE MORE TIME FOR ‘DEEPWORK’
Last month, I read a book that really got me thinking about how I approach my work every day. “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport explains how creating more time for deep,
which smaller tasks were distracting me and pass them off to others. It also led me to realize I need to bring on an executive assistant. My dad has had one for decades. They make sure everything is operating on all cylinders so he can focus on high-priority tasks. I’m excited to see how this model will help me create more time for deep work. HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT AWAY FROMTHE OFFICE FOR FOCUSED TIME. Maybe you’ve heard of one of the ways Bill Gates creates the environment for deep work: He takes all the books, papers, and resources he needs and isolates himself in a cabin away from everyone. He spends a week there reading, thinking, writing, and coming up with one big idea to move his company forward. He maps it all out, then returns to his team and shares his idea. The book gave a bunch of examples of how different business leaders create this time away from the office to do their deepest thinking. I may not be able to take a week
like Bill Gates, but I can go out into nature for an afternoon (or even a day), bring the books and resources I need, turn my email and phone off, and focus. CREATE DEEPWORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR TEAM. I’m not the only one on my team who’s going to benefit from deep work, and after reading Newport’s book, I want to make sure I’m providing opportunities for everyone to have deep-work sessions. There might be a day when Ashley has the chance to do deep work, and any calls, emails, or questions that would normally go to her are rerouted to me first. We’re also looking at setting up a no-phone zone in the office where team members can go to do deep work. I’m excited to see the impact this has.
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focused work will help you see better results in whatever you are tackling. Three main takeaways stuck out to me.
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EMBRACE THE POWER OF A ROUTINE. Newport describes how cultivating more time for deep work can have massive benefits in every profession. To do that, you have to create a routine. Because my days can vary a lot, it’s challenging to get big projects done because I get distracted by smaller tasks that pop up. “Deep Work” made me realize I needed to figure out
With the guidance Newport provides on how to create a routine that cultivates deep work across professions, I think just about anyone can benefit from the takeaways of “Deep Work.”
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