Hey friends
Sorry for missing last week’s instalment of Three Bullet Thursday!
I’m in the process of transferring my email content system to a new platform as part of the my online business so in the next week or so there will be a change in the look of this newsletter.
I’m also considering re-naming the newsletter to High Performance Habits and focusing the content on helping you achieve better than expected results on a consistent basis in Business, Fitness and Life.
Tweet me and let me know what you thoughts about the change.
Let’s crack on.
Business
If you’re starting a new or growing an existing business, do you know who your competitors are and what they are doing?
That’s where a competitor analysis comes in handy. It helps you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors in comparison to your own business, and helps you identify gaps in the market.
I’ve spent some time carrying out a competitor analysis for my online business over the last couple of weeks and it’s helped me identify opportunities which I otherwise would not have seen.
Determining who my competitors are, what their strengths and weaknesses are, their marketing and revenue strategies and carrying out an analysis of their content, although time consuming (unless outsourced) is massively valuable to your business.
When was the last time you carried out a competitor analysis for your business?
Fitness
This week we’re going to focus on the brain fitness rather than the body fitness (inspired by the Podcast recommendation below).
Here are 9 keys to unlocking your superbrain:
- Eat a good brain diet. Foods rich in antioxidants, good fats, vitamins & minerals like avocados, blueberries, eggs and drink plenty of water.
- Kill your ANTs. Challenge your Automatic Negative Thoughts through questioning, reframing, and turning ANTs into PETs - Positive Empowering Thoughts.
- Exercising regularly helps protect your memory and thinking skills.
- Join Positive Peer Groups. Surround yourself with people that help you grow and expand your views.
- Your brain craves organisation to focus. Keep your home and work environment clean to increase brain performance and retention.
- Sleep well. An evening wind-down routine, exercise and a good brain diet contribute to a good night's sleep.
- Protect the Brain! Wear a helmet when necessary.
- Lean something new. Your brain likes to be active, so use it and engage in a life of learning.
- Manage Stress through meditation, journaling, sleep, hobbies and spending time with loved ones ensures that your brain performs at its peak.
Life
I’m sure you’ve heard of the 2-minute rule.
I’ve been using the 2-minute rule a lot recently to build momentum and consistency in my life.
I spent most of 2021 procrastinating. Probably not the only person to do so.
Then at the start of this year, I signed up for James Clear’s 30 days to better habits course and last month I finished reading David Allen’s Getting Things Done book.
Both refer to the 2-minute rule.
Why is that?
The 2-minute rule creates action and moves you forward.
It stops you procrastinating and delaying things by generating forward momentum.
The 2-minute rule encourages you to just start that thing you've been avoiding and then see what happens.
It’s a simple as that.
Here are two examples:
- Whatever habit or project you're looking to start can be condensed into a 2-minute version. "Going to the gym" becomes "Putting on gym gear”
- Before adding a new task to your to do list, ask yourself whether it can be completed in less than 2 minutes. If so, do it there and then. Don’t delay and waste more time by doing it later.
I’ve been using the 2-minute rule as a tool to start taking action.
Action creates momentum.
Momentum creates results.
Try using the rule yoruself, it’ll only take 2 minutes ;)
Check out this video for a deeper dive.
Favourites of the Week
Podcast: I listened to a fascinating episode of The Knowledge Project podcast with Dr Andrew Huberman last week. Dr Huberman is a leading neuroscientist and Stanford University School of Medicine professor and is great at breaking down complicated science into easy to understand concepts.
This episode is heavily focused on slept and how you can optimise your sleep. He also talks about breathing protocols to help reduce stress, how to control impulses and why exercise slows down ageing.
If you like this episode, check out The Huberman Lab podcast and YouTube channel as well - mind-blowing content.
Quote: “Treat your body like a business” - Michelle Mone. Find out how right here.
Tech: I’ve just started to use Todoist as my personal Task Management app. I’ve been using Google Tasks (to basic) Apple Reminders (not enough integration) recently and as part of implementing my GTD system (Getting Things Done), I wanted a Task Management app with more features and integration.
Getting started with Todoist is FREE. The premium paln is also super reasonable.
A noteable mention for TickTick - also super powerful to use.
Useful: Uptime is an app that turns books, classes, and documentaries into 5-minute “knowledge hacks.”