Not Almost There

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Why Not Almost There? I had never run a long race in my life, but here I am, in the middle of the 2015 Chicago Marathon. I’m feeling fantastic, even thinking I could go double the distance. Just being in this race was a mini-miracle. I had heart surgery and back surgery a decade earlier. I could barely stand back then, let alone run. Nonetheless, I’m fired up and feel better than ever. Then I see right in front of me— a sign that nearly stops me in my tracks, NOT ALMOST THERE. I try to brush it off but can’t stop thinking about those words. Every step seems heavier, harder, and then I start cramping up. I begin to walk and complain inside and out. I struggle the entire second half but finish (barely) with everything I have after being physically and mentally crushed. I have never stopped thinking about that sign but that’s fueled a quest to understand the power of the mind, body, and spirit. To understand how we accomplish things. To understand how we become better in the race against time and ourselves. Who am I? Southside Chicago kid. Young Father (20). Assembly line worker. Found 15 seconds between building cars to study. Graduated. Took 5 years. Created a few companies. Sold two. 800 employees. Created Refuel and Not Almost There to help others.

Episodes

Monday May 31, 2021

Rest with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang Ph.D

Monday May 31, 2021

😴 Alex Soojung-Kim Pang’s academic training is in history and sociology of science, a field that blends history, anthropology, and sociology. His research uses ethnography, interviews, historical case studies, and literary analysis (and whatever other tools are lying around) to understand users and their worlds. Alex started his career studying people, technologies, and the worlds they make. Since 2000 he has worked as a technology forecaster and futurist, helping companies understand new technologies and global trends, and their strategic and business implications. His research and consulting opportunities lead Alex to become an author. Most recently he wrote, SHORTER: work better, smarter, and less- which uses design thinking to explain how companies in a variety of industries and countries are moving to 4-day weeks. It’s a sequel to his 2016 book REST: why you get more done when you work less, which explores the hidden role rest plays in the success of super-creative and -productive people. Alex also wrote, THE DISTRACTION ADDICTION, deals with technology, addiction, and distraction.

→IN THIS EPISODE… Joe and Alex take a deep dive into the workweek, employee burnout, and how our perception of productivity needs to be reconstructed. Alex advocates for working shorter, more focused hours and balance that with more ‘serious leisure’ time. Joe and Alex discuss the power of taking breaks from meetings, such as zoom calls, and Alex gives great actionable tips on how to take planned breaks from intense work to enhance your creativity and capacity.

🔍 Breakdown with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang:

Chapter 1 (0:00) Joe Introduces Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

Alex Soojung-Kim Pang is a best-selling author and futurist.

Chapter 2 (1:58) The importance of rest

The “why” behind the importance of rest is the recharge that comes from recovering the energy lost during the day.

Chapter 3 (9:14) Breaking up your day

Setting time for yourself throughout the day for various mental breaks is just as important as meetings throughout your day.

Chapter 4 (22:53) Companies with successful workday models

There are some companies that started adapting a 4-day work model and Alex shares the results.

Chapter 5 (31:50) Catalyst to Rest

While on a work sabbatical, Alex came to the realization that

Chapter 6 (35:52) Creating your company culture

A couple of useful tips to ensure being respectful of people’s time. Make meetings shorter and purposeful, using technology for focus, and better structure of your day.

Chapter 7 (41:35) Lessons from the pandemic

Going to a remote-based model and showing employees flexibility has proven to be successful. We need to keep this model going post covid.

Chapter 8 (46:11) Maximizing your productivity

It isn’t easy to self-identify what time of day is your peak performance time. It’s important to recognize your most focused times are, also it doesn’t have to be limited to one time of day.

Chapter 9 (54:21) The power of sleep

Alex breaks down the cycle of sleep, and the benefits of a nighttime routine to help power down and get the maximum benefit from recharging. He also explains the negative effects of a sleep deficit.

Chapter 10 (1:05:47) Concept of deep play and vacation boundaries

You need to give your creative subconscious time to mull over your ideas without conscious effort. This is also true for your vacation. Set your boundaries so you can enjoy downtime which can then fuel a more focused mind upon your return.

Chapter 11 (1:20:26) Combating distractions with your kids

Thinking about how distracted our kids are due to the number of electronics and screen time that is in front of them.

Chapter 12 (1:24:30) Getting started incorporating rest in your life

There is great value to adding rest boundaries in scale at organizations. Think about how you can model and encourage employees to have higher quality focus time as well as downtime.

Chapter 13 (1:29:55) Wrapping up

Joe concludes the episode and gives you a recap of his highlights from his conversation with Alex.

Material Referenced in this interview:

→SHORTER by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

→REST by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

→THE DISTRACTION ADDICTION by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

→Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

📞 Connect with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

→https://www.linkedin.com/in/askpang/

→https://www.instagram.com/askpang/

→https://www.facebook.com/askpang

→https://twitter.com/askpang