The 2 Pence Problem | Attention | Effortless
Hello there! Welcome to my weekly LEAPS.
You’re receiving this email because you subscribed to my weekly Wednesday feature or our mailing list. Every Wednesday, I share 5 things using our LEAPS approach:
Learn: something new or an idea
Energy: an energy (good or bad) word and it’s meaning
Action: something to do
Processing: a question to consider
Shout out: something or someone that I want to celebrate or acknowledge
LEARN
Something Worth Sharing
The 2 Pence Problem
Have you noticed how easy it is to become all consumed by the small stuff - to end up deep in the weeds and lose sight of what matters and what is important?
When I ran our family’s manufacturing business, we used to talk about the ‘2 Pence Problem’ - this was our shorthand for highlighting how silly it was to waste time trying to save a ridiculously small amount of money (2 pence = less than 10 cents). As you’ll know, the cost of time to save 2 pence is way more than 2 pence!
While money is one example of wasting time and money fighting to save such a small amount of money, we do this with many other things. We can argue with loved ones about silly things that are far less valuable than the upset then caused. We can refuse to let someone in to traffic and block everything - meaning we can’t progress on our journey. These are just a couple more examples of ‘the 2 pence problem’.
Know your priorities
Get out of the weeds
Find perspective
Let go of the non-important stuff
Consider what you’re saving and the costs
ENERGY
An emotion or energy; a stand-out word / s
Attention
Attention can so easily be lost!
The word is directly from Latin ATTENDERE meaning "give heed to" literally "to stretch toward". It is formed from AD "to, toward" + tendere "stretch".
ACTION
Something small that you can do that might make a big difference
Try The Time Wheels
Work out a) what you focus your time and energy on versus b) how much you enjoy each of the areas (see visual):
SELF: Physical and mental well-being. Time spent on yourself and your needs.
RELATIONSHIPS: Friends, family and connections.
HOW YOU SPEND YOUR TIME: Work, activities, achieving and tasks.
WORLD AROUND YOU: Community, news, media, opportunities, travelling and connecting.
YOUR FUTURE & LEGACY: The big picture, causes, creating impact, gratitude and growth.
PROCESSING
A question to think about and consider (you can discuss this with someone or write your thoughts down)
“What were you taught about hard work / working hard?”
From an early age, what were the beliefs you formed about working hard and hard work - through those around you? Does this impact what you think, feel and do in terms of ‘hard work’ now?
I’d love for you to send me your own stories / thoughts about this. Drop me a line with your answer / thoughts on this question
SHOUT OUT
Who / what I think deserves recognition - my gratitude or to be celebrated.
A Tidy Desk
My ‘go-to’ activity when feeling overwhelmed is to tidy my desk - and wider office if needed. Sorting, arranging, and tidying physical items helps to tidy one’s mind. Shout out to this simple and very effective activity!
BONUS GIFT FOR YOU
The gift is only available to those that subscribe to the weekly LEAPS email
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LEAPS is a process used by our team and clients all the time - and even my own family on a daily basis.
I’ll be sharing a set of LEAPS each week with you and encourage you to do your own version:
L: what have you learned?
E: what’s your energy / feeling word
A: what’s one thing you need to do?
P: what are you thinking / processing?
S: who or what can you shout out?
