Jeroen Sangers

People can often solve their own problems. They sometimes just need a little help to find the right solution. A coach therefore does not provide ready-made answers but helps people find answers themselves. This is like peeling an onion: layer by layer, you get closer to the core of the problem.

A coach asks questions, listens carefully, and helps people think about what they are saying. This makes someone feel safe to think about what they want to achieve and the problems they encounter. By discussing this together, someone gets to know themselves better. This gives more confidence to make decisions on their own. The coach only helps - the person themselves knows best what is good for them.

It is important that the coach believes that someone can find answers themselves. When people realize they can come up with solutions on their own, they feel stronger. They then take more responsibility for their own growth. Because they have found the solution themselves, it suits them well. As a result, the changes they make are often lasting and they feel good about them.

Related

• Trust in yourself, the process, and the client

Under pressure, we can indeed accomplish more work in less time, but this often comes at the expense of accuracy and depth. Researchers like Don Moore and Elizabeth Tenney have shown that while deadlines can help us complete tasks that might otherwise be left unfinished, the quality of the work often suffers due to the rush. This is because, under pressure, we tend to make quicker decisions and spend less time checking our work, increasing the likelihood of errors.

Additionally, the heightened state of alertness we experience under time pressure, caused by substances like dopamine and adrenaline, can give us the feeling that we are performing better. However, this state of readiness can also be achieved in other ways, without the drawbacks of hasty work. For example, some people use physical activities like trampoline jumping to get into an energetic and focused state. This can help to be productive without the risks associated with working under time pressure, such as overlooking details or making unnecessary mistakes.

Finally, it is important to recognize that while time pressure can help us work faster, it is not always the best way to ensure quality. It is essential to find a balance between speed and accuracy and to understand when it makes sense to use time pressure as a tool to increase productivity. By being mindful of deadlines and how we allocate our time, we can work both efficiently and effectively.

Related

• Do the right thing, in the right way, and at the right moment
• Take the time before doing something you can’t undo
• Try to complete new tasks on the day you receive them
• Before you start (a task, a work session, a project…), set a time budget
• Working slower promotes deeper thinking processes and better results
• A little time pressure while working on your tasks helps to reduce ‘attention residue’

Trust is the foundation of coaching and personal growth.

It starts with self-confidence, which is very important for any coach or professional. When you believe in yourself and your knowledge, you can better help and support others. This self-confidence helps you remain calm and assured, even when things get tough. Remember, as a coach, you don’t need to have all the answers; your task is to help the client find their own answers.

The process, such as the GROW model (Goals, Reality, Options, Will), offers a structured approach that helps streamline conversations and provide direction. By following the process, coaches can work step by step towards the client’s goals. Trusting this process means believing that the client, by taking the right steps, will come to important insights. The model helps both the coach and the client stay focused and goal-oriented.

Finally, trust in the client is essential. Every client already has the answers within them, and the coach helps them find these answers. This means believing that the client can grow and change. By being genuinely interested in the client and their story, you naturally ask the right questions that help them move forward. This mix of self-confidence, trust in the process, and trust in the client ensures successful coaching and personal growth.

Related

• The client being coached already has the answer within themselves

Have you ever noticed how some conversations with AI flow effortlessly, while others feel like speaking different languages? The secret might be simpler than you think, and it lies in a beautiful Japanese concept called “kaizen” — the art of continuous improvement.

Imagine having a friendly assistant who not only helps you today but also thinks about making tomorrow easier. That’s what adding a simple kaizen section to your prompts does. It’s like leaving a note in your recipe book saying, “Next time, remember to soften the butter first!”

Here’s the golden phrase I’ve discovered works wonders:

“Please look over the instructions and changes I’ve asked for in our conversation. Can you suggest ways to improve the original prompt so I won’t need to request these things next time?”

What if every prompt you wrote could learn and evolve? What if each interaction left your templates a little bit better than before? That’s the power of adding a kaizen section to your AI prompts.

What do I want Tana to be for me? The truth is, Tana can be anything you need it to be.

For me, Tana started as a simple notepad where I jotted down quick notes during my workday. Then, I began adding links and my thoughts on them, turning Tana into my personal knowledge hub. Next, I created projects and tags, and Tana became a versatile to-do list app. Now, Tana is also my research assistant, my brainstorming partner, my podcast script writer, and my contact manager.

Tana can be anything you want it to be. What do you want Tana to be for you?

On MacOS, you can easily hide files or folders by using the command line. This can be useful if you want to keep certain files out of sight without deleting them.

To do this, first open a terminal window. You can do this by pressing Command+Space, typing “Terminal,” and pressing Enter. In the terminal window that appears, use the command chflags hidden <file path>, replacing <file path> with the path to the file or folder you want to hide. This command marks the file or folder as hidden, making it no longer visible in Finder.

If you later decide that you want to make the file or folder visible again, you can use the same command with nohidden instead of hidden. This will make the file or folder visible again in Finder.

There has been much discussion about how blue light from screens affects our sleep, but new research shows that the impact may be smaller than we thought. Sleep experts have found that blue light causes you to fall asleep on average less than three minutes later. This means that the idea that blue light significantly disrupts your sleep is largely incorrect. Although using technology just before bedtime is sometimes linked to poorer sleep, there are other factors that have more influence, such as what you watch and notifications that can wake you up.

People often use technology to keep themselves occupied or to feel better, which can also affect their sleep habits. It is important to know that it is not so much the blue light that affects your sleep, but more how and why you use technology. Through self-control and help from others, you can use technology wisely before bedtime so that it does not negatively affect your sleep.

Related

• Good sleepers are more productive and earn more
• Reduce mobile phone use to improve your life satisfaction, well-being, and health

As a productivity expert, I’m always on the lookout for tools that can adapt to my ever-evolving workflow. This week, I decided to experiment with Tana, a system that has become my go-to for task and project management. What I love about Tana is its flexibility—it can be molded to fit any workflow, making it an indispensable tool in my productivity arsenal.

Until recently, I organized my tasks using a Kanban system within Tana, categorizing them into three horizons: today’s tasks, this week’s tasks, and future tasks. This method worked well, but as someone who constantly seeks improvement, I wanted to try something new. Enter time-blocking—a technique I had previously used with another tool, SkedPal. Now, with Tana’s comprehensive capabilities, I no longer need multiple tools. Everything I need is right here.

The transition to time-blocking was surprisingly simple. I added a due date field to my task super tag and included a calendar in the sidebar of my daily notes page. This let me drag tasks directly into the calendar, effectively time-blocking them. I also made a few tweaks, like adding the meeting tag to the calendar to see my appointments alongside tasks. For convenience, I created command buttons to quickly schedule tasks for the day. These enhancements, while minor, showcase Tana’s adaptability.

My primary goal with this experiment is to become more realistic about my commitments. I have a tendency to overcommit, and by blocking tasks on my calendar, I can better understand how long tasks take and how limited my time truly is. This awareness is crucial for prioritizing effectively and ensuring that I focus on what truly matters.

This week-long experiment is a testament to Tana’s flexibility. Whether it’s task management, knowledge management, or contact management as a CRM, Tana adapts seamlessly to any workflow. While I’m not sure if time-blocking will become a permanent part of my routine, this trial has already highlighted the system’s potential to enhance productivity.