Move The Chains Podcast | Unlocking Your Full Potential with Ryan Munsey

Latest Episodes:

BHP 073: John Zeratsky | Tech Insider: "Problems with Productivity Mindset" Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

John Zeratsky is a writer and designer on a mission to help people make time for what matters. He's the bestselling author of Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days and Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day.

John's writing has been published by The Wall Street Journal, TIME, Harvard Business Review, Wired, Fast Company, and many other publications. He has appeared on stage nearly 200 times, including at Harvard University, Netflix, and SXSW.

For nearly 15 years, John was a designer for technology companies. At Google Ventures, he helped develop the design sprint process and worked with close to 200 startups, including Uber, Slack, 23andMe, Flatiron Health, Blue Bottle Coffee, and Nest. He was also GV's in-house copywriter, editor, and content strategist; he created and edited the GV Library, which has reached millions of readers since 2012. Previously, John was a designer at YouTube and Google, and an early employee at FeedBurner, which Google acquired in 2007.

John's unique skillset and experiences make for an amazing conversation that we're excited to share with you here on the BHP. PRESS PLAY to tune in!

Show Notes

Problems with the "productivity mindset"
Sprint - the tech industry's secret to solving big problems quickly
Testing and prototyping before commiting
Stop spending time by default! How to be deliberate with our time usage
Creating friction to break our habit loops
Understanding how social (and other connection platforms) fit into the customer journey
The 3 corporate layers that must be addressed for high performance
How great work really happens
John Zeratsky's Top Tips to:
- Be a Better Human
- Do Better for others

Links & Resources

BHP 073: John Zeratsky | Tech. Insider Reveals “Problems With Productivity Mindset” Oct 09, 2019

Show notes

John Zeratsky is a writer and designer on a mission to help people make time for what matters. He’s the bestselling author of Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days and Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day.

John’s writing has been published by The Wall Street Journal, TIME, Harvard Business Review, Wired, Fast Company, and many other publications. He has appeared on stage nearly 200 times, including at Harvard University, Netflix, and SXSW.

For nearly 15 years, John was a designer for technology companies. At Google Ventures, he helped develop the design sprint process and worked with close to 200 startups, including Uber, Slack, 23andMe, Flatiron Health, Blue Bottle Coffee, and Nest. He was also GV’s in-house copywriter, editor, and content strategist; he created and edited the GV Library, which has reached millions of readers since 2012. Previously, John was a designer at YouTube and Google, and an early employee at FeedBurner, which Google acquired in 2007.

John’s unique skillset and experiences make for an amazing conversation that we’re excited to share with you here on the BHP. PRESS PLAY to tune in!

Show Notes

Problems with the “productivity mindset”
Sprint – the tech industry’s secret to solving big problems quickly
Testing and prototyping before commiting
Stop spending time by default! How to be deliberate with our time usage
Creating friction to break our habit loops
Understanding how social (and other connection platforms) fit into the customer journey
The 3 corporate layers that must be addressed for high performance
How great work really happens
John Zeratsky’s Top Tips to:
- Be a Better Human
- Do Better for others

Links & Resources

John Zeratsky’s Website | Twitter
Make Time: How To Focus on What Matters Every Day
Sprint: How To Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days
Gary Bertwistle on the BHP

The post BHP 073: John Zeratsky | Tech. Insider Reveals “Problems With Productivity Mindset” appeared first on Ryan Munsey.

BHP Shorts 043: Get More Peace, Love and Beauty Oct 07, 2019

Show notes

Want more peace, love, beauty, and fulfillment if your life?

I'm willing to bet, it's already there.

We just need to look for it.

We see what we want to see.

Our biology is wired for survival, and this means we're wired to see what's wrong. For millennia, seeing what was wrong - the threats that could end our lives - kept us alive.

If you're reading this, chance are, your life is not in immediate danger.

By training ourselves to overcome our biological wiring, to instead look for (and appreciate) the peace, love and beauty that is all around us, we'll get progressively better at spotting it.

Once we're aware of and grateful for what we have, THEN, we can create more of these moments.

EXERCISE:

Keep a daily PLBF (Peace, Love, Beauty, and Fulfillment) journey.

Each day (it doesn't what time, just do it) write down:

One moment of peace
One moment of love
One moment of beauty, and
One moment of fulfillment.

Do this for a few weeks and you'll be surprised at how full your life already is.

Keep doing this and you'll be amazed at how full your heart becomes.

Keep focusing on and creating meaningful moments that fill your heart and soul.

Links & Resources:

BHP Shorts 043: How to Create More Peace, Love and Beauty in Your Life Oct 06, 2019

Show notes

Want more peace, love, beauty, and fulfillment if your life?

I’m willing to bet, it’s already there.

We just need to look for it.

We see what we want to see.

Our biology is wired for survival, and this means we’re wired to see what’s wrong. For millennia, seeing what was wrong – the threats that could end our lives – kept us alive.

If you’re reading this, chance are, your life is not in immediate danger.

By training ourselves to overcome our biological wiring, to instead look for (and appreciate) the peace, love and beauty that is all around us, we’ll get progressively better at spotting it.

Once we’re aware of and grateful for what we have, THEN, we can create more of these moments.

EXERCISE:

Keep a daily PLBF (Peace, Love, Beauty, and Fulfillment) journey.

Each day (it doesn’t what time, just do it) write down:

One moment of peace
One moment of love
One moment of beauty, and
One moment of fulfillment.

Do this for a few weeks and you’ll be surprised at how full your life already is.

Keep doing this and you’ll be amazed at how full your heart becomes.

Keep focusing on and creating meaningful moments that fill your heart and soul.

Links & Resources:

The post BHP Shorts 043: How to Create More Peace, Love and Beauty in Your Life appeared first on Ryan Munsey.

BHP Shorts 042: Stimulus vs Adaptation Oct 03, 2019

Show notes

Which are you chasing: Stimulus or Adaptation?

One will keep you busy and spinning on hamster wheel - possibly going backward.

One will make you better.

Which do you chase?

When we chase the stimulus, we're being driven by our emotional/limbic brain's desire for an adrenaline rush, the dopamine hit, feeling "busy", and the NOW.

When we pursue adaptation, we're guided by the process, the actions that lead to our desired results, "productivity", guided by our rational brain (aka, the logical PreFrontal Cortex) and it's ability to see beyond the NOW.

The obvious fitness example is working out too hard, too frequently because we want to feel like we accomplished something, or we're emotional tied to our results, or we're punishing ourselves for some other reason/behavior.

Since many of our examples are fitness or nutrition related, here's a business example: Copy and pasting an outreach email.

TAKE THE TIME TO PERSONALIZE IT

What's more important? Sending 100 of these emails today, or getting as many yeses as possible?

The former focuses on the dopamine hit from crossing off a to-do item.

The later is focused on MOVING THE CHAINS with a yes that will drive the adaptation we seek - connecting with the individual on the other end of the call/email + the increased exposure that might result from a "yes".

Are you an adrenaline junkie chasing a constant stimulus or are you driving adaptation?

Links & Resources:

Better Human Workshop: 10/26/19 at BCI in Madison, Alabama

BHP Shorts 042: Stimulus Vs. Adaptation Oct 02, 2019

Show notes

Which one are you chasing: Stimulus or Adaptation?

The former will keep you busy and spinning on a hamster wheel – possibly going backward.

The latter is what most people have in mind when they create a goal.

So which do you chase?

When we chase the stimulus, we’re being driven by our emotional/limbic brain’s desire for an adrenaline rush, the dopamine hit, feeling “busy”, and the NOW.

When we pursue adaptation, we’re guided by the process, the actions that lead to our desired results, “productivity”, guided by our rational brain (aka, the logical PreFrontal Cortex) and it’s ability to see beyond the NOW.

The stimulus sparks the response that leads to adaptation – but only if the dose is accurate. (HINT: If some is good, more is always NOT better.)

The obvious fitness example is working out too hard or too frequently because we want to feel like we accomplished something, or we’re emotional tied to our results, or we’re punishing ourselves for some other reason/behavior. In other words we’ve exceeded our capacity to recover (aka, get back to baseline) and we certainly won’t have the capacity for supercompensation (aka, adapt to be better equipped to handle that stressor the next time we encounter it).

Since many of our examples are fitness or nutrition related, here’s a business example: Copy and pasting an outreach email.

TAKE THE TIME TO PERSONALIZE IT

What’s more important? Sending 100 of these emails today, or getting as many yeses as possible?

The former focuses on the dopamine hit from crossing off a to-do item.

The later is focused on MOVING THE CHAINS with a yes that will drive the adaptation we seek – connecting with the individual on the other end of the call/email + the increased exposure that might result from a “yes”.

Are you an adrenaline junkie chasing a constant stimulus or are you driving adaptation?

Links & Resources:

The post BHP Shorts 042: Stimulus Vs. Adaptation appeared first on Ryan Munsey.

BHP Shorts 041: Work Smooth = Lifetime Peace Sep 30, 2019

Show notes

On our recent travels, Donna and I encountered a Buddhist Monk who offered us some advice: "Work smoothly. Lifetime Peace."

In a world that increasingly makes us feel as though we need to scream, shout, push, hustle, and elbow our way into other's attention, this token is a welcome reminder to focus on our own work, at our own pace.

Don't force it. Learn acceptance, pacing, patience.

Appreciate, don't expect.

Measure success by intrinsic factors, not extrinsic (retain the power of judgement).

Chase an ideal, not the approval of others.

THERE is not better than here.

Run your race. Focus on yourself, your stuff. Blinders. Avoid toxic goals. (3 C's, if you missed that episode, I'll link it in the show notes)

Work smoothly. Lifetime Peace.

Links & Resources:

Better Human Workshop: 10/26/19 at BCI in Madison, Alabama
Tao Te Ching (the Stephen Mitchell translation)
Toxic Goals with Paul Reddick on the BHP

BHP Shorts 041: Work Smoothly = Lifetime Peace Sep 29, 2019

Show notes

On our recent travels, Donna and I encountered a Buddhist Monk who offered us some advice:

“Work smoothly. Lifetime Peace.”

In a world that increasingly makes us feel as though we need to scream, shout, push, hustle, and elbow our way into other’s attention, this token is a welcome reminder to focus on our own work, at our own pace.

I don’t propose to have the solution to world peace or perpetual happiness for all, but something tells me the realization of those pursuits is not found in 100 hour work-weeks accompanied by overworked, over-stressed, and dis-eased lives that constantly seek the attention and approval of others.

“If you want to be old after 42 years,
keep dropping the hammer and grinding the gears.”
– Drive By Truckers

I’m not saying we should throw up our hands, and let the winds of fate blow us where they will.

If you know me, you know that’s the opposite of my beliefs.

So the answer my friends must lie somewhere in between.
Control what we can control to the best of our abilities and then let go.

I guess that’s why I always loved this prayer written in 1951 by Reinhold Niebuhr (and famously adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous).

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

Regardless of our spiritual preferences, there is a common theme here – seeking to find the balance between making things happen and accepting that which we cannot control.

Don’t force it. Learn acceptance, pacing, patience.

Appreciate, don’t expect

Measure success by intrinsic factors, not extrinsic.

Chase an ideal, a standard of excellence, an internal vision, not the approval of others.

Remember that THERE is not better than here.

Run your race. Focus on yourself and your stuff. Put on blinders if need be. Avoid toxic goals. (3 C’s, if you missed that episode, it is linked in the show notes)

Work smoothly. Lifetime Peace.

Links & Resources:

Better Human Workshop: 10/26/19 at BCI in Madison, Alabama
Tao Te Ching (the Stephen Mitchell translation)
Toxic Goals with Paul Reddick on the BHP
Serenity Prayer
Outfit – by Drive By Truckers on YouTube (lyrics by Jason Isbell)

The post BHP Shorts 041: Work Smoothly = Lifetime Peace appeared first on Ryan Munsey.

BHP Shorts 040: Superheroes Need Other Superheroes Sep 26, 2019

Show notes

This edition of BHP Shorts builds on the theme of connection and contact that we explored in BHP Shorts 039: Contact Vs. Stance with a powerful observation from Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld.

As Dave puts it, "superheroes need to hang out with other superheroes".

But it's not about forming a super-alliance that fights crime together. Rather, it's a support group where humans can relate to other humans who face similar struggles - both internal and external.

Like recognizes like. The artist recognizes the work and struggle experienced by another artist. The athlete or business owner understand the realities of their respective counterparts.

For this reason, we need ----

If it doesn't it, create it.

In-person
Virtually

Disclaimer - it's not an opportunity to whine and wine. It's about supporting and encouraging each other to continue to push the boundaries and walk that wire...

No playing small. Step into your greatness.

Links & Resources:

BHP Shorts 040: Superheroes Need Other Superheroes Sep 25, 2019

Show notes

This edition of BHP Shorts builds on the theme of connection and contact that we explored in BHP Shorts 039: Contact Vs. Stance with a powerful observation from Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld.

As Dave puts it, “superheroes need to hang out with other superheroes”.

Contrary to our initial thoughts, this camaraderie is not about forming a super-alliance that fights crime together. Rather, it’s a support group where humans can relate to other humans who face similar struggles – both internal and external.

Like recognizes like. The artist recognizes the work and struggle experienced by another artist. The athlete or business owner understand the realities of their respective counterparts.

For this reason, we benefit greatly from spending time with those who understand the resistance we seek to overcome on a daily basis.

I get it, hangouts for superheroes aren’t common as your corner Starbucks. If it doesn’t exist, create it.

Start a weekly coffee meetup for the superheroes in your community.
Make time to take of your cape & mask with another person who is fighting the same fight you are.
Start a group text or DM with a squad of like-minded people who may not be in your geographical area.

Now, the disclaimer – this superhero hangout is not an opportunity to whine and wine. It’s about supporting and encouraging each other to continue to push the boundaries and walk that wire. It’s a safe haven to recharge and restore before going once into the frey of the good fight.

No playing small. Step into your greatness.

P.S. Thank you to all the amazing humans I get to talk to and hang with in this beautiful thing we call life.