Category Archives: Personal productivity

I want to share a personal story about my career as a writer, something that ten years ago was unbelievable but now is a reality. I cannot start in a better way than by highlighting James Clear’s quote: “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” Ten years ago, I began reading and learning obsessively about personal productivity, despite being an inconsistent reader before that. Then, I started writing posts, one per week. After some years, I decided to write a book, a task I thought difficult for someone who needed to improve their writing skills. Day after day, for more than two years, I committed to writing. Some days, it was for 30 minutes; others, it was for 2 hours; and sometimes, it was just 5 minutes.   When I had what I thought might resemble a book, I sent it to several publishers. One of them said yes, and that book, as of 2024, is in its 14th edition in Spanish. A year ago, a valued client suggested I launch the book in its English version.   Considering the impact it could have on the FASE Method brand, especially at a time when we had more international than national clients, I thought it was a great idea. And once more, I received another surprise this month: the book is in its 2nd edition.   So, thank you immensely for your support. P.S.: By the way, I still write every single week; it’s a weekly habit. We must bear in mind that YOUR HABITS SHAPE YOUR IDENTITY.   So, I don’t just write; I AM A WRITER.

From time to time, we find ourselves forced to republish this image. Why? Because the situation does not improve or even worsen. The only thing that does improve is that more and more people recognize that this is their natural way of working, but they know they need to change it. We always insist to our clients that we must have four, or rather, five modes of work during the day: 1️⃣ Attend only the meetings in which we really need to be. 2️⃣ Dedicate time to manage our communication channels: emails, mobile, internal messaging… 3️⃣ Moments of full attention and concentration, without multitasking. 4️⃣ Recharge times. 5️⃣ Personal life moments at the end of the day, with our minds focused on personal matters. And what is, unfortunately, the real reality for many? That the following gets mixed into each of those modes: 🔹 When I want to be concentrated, I check my email, WhatsApp… 🔹 If I’m in an important meeting, I’m replying to emails. 🔹 When I want to take a coffee break to recharge, I continue answering WhatsApps or looking at my phone. 🔹 When I’m at home to enjoy my children, I keep looking at my phone more than I should. And so we could go on… Some may already be thinking that their case has no solution for various reasons we convince ourselves of. Although the perfect world does not exist, we guarantee that we depend much more on ourselves than we might think. Achieving this becomes a differentiating professional element while also being a formula to gain time and enjoy a more balanced life with harmony between personal and professional aspects. PS: Writing this post took me 11 minutes, thanks to avoiding multitasking. Had I fallen into it, it would have been 30 minutes, with more errors and lower quality.

Saying “yes” to things and demonstrating proactivity is a distinguishing quality at certain moments in your professional career. In the early years, it shows a good attitude, proactivity, and enthusiasm. Furthermore, it benefits your learning and the establishment of valuable internal relationships. It turns out to be a differentiating factor. Likely, it helps you to be considered for future promotions and growth within the organization. As you progress, your agenda becomes fuller. Many more issues and people are requiring your attention. It’s not so much about showing proactivity by saying “yes” to everything, but rather others filling your agenda with meeting invitations, emails asking for your intervention… And that’s when you start to experience that your agenda is overwhelmed. At this point, people react very differently. On one hand, there are the willing ones, who think they can handle everything and that they must say “yes” to everything, believing that the differential value lies in covering everything through an inhuman over-effort. They deteriorate silently and progressively, and their performance worsens. These stories usually don’t have a good ending, and without a doubt, their evolution is hindered. Then there are those who realize their plate is too full, and their phrase is: “I’ll do what I can.” However, this “I’ll do what I can” is not based on any coherent reflection. Unaware, they run many risks by not often attending to what is really important. And at some point, something important blows up. Their reaction to the failure will determine if it’s the end or a last chance. Here, all kinds of reactions are observed as well. Finally, some have learned that the quality of their “yeses” is proportional to the quantity of their “nos,” meaning, one cannot and should not try to cover everything. Proactively, and having identified what is most important, they focus on certain areas while avoiding many others. They know that the perfect world does not exist and that not everything unimportant is rejectable, but being intentional is key. They reserve their best version for key and important issues, and in the rest, they apply minimal effort. The 80-20 rule is part of their DNA. The quality of your “yeses” and the quantity of your “nos” are the foundation for achieving extraordinary results. And the higher the level of responsibility, even more so. The challenge is that defining your “yeses” and identifying your “nos” requires time for reflection. For some reason, it’s hard for us to do it; we prefer to continue on the hamster wheel that the day-to-day imposes on us, which in many cases leaves us so exhausted that we don’t want to stop and think. Choose your battles.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been deeply reflecting on the four-day workweek trend that’s been gaining momentum in the United States. As a result, I’ve become more attentive to the actual working hours of individuals. Now, my children have become valid interlocutors on this topic since they’ve entered the workforce. Recently, one of them mentioned that a friend was overworking. Upon inquiry, he shared that one day that week, his friend started at 9 am and didn’t return home until 9:30 pm, calling him to vent. I asked if this was a daily occurrence, and he said no. I had him ask his friend about his total weekly working hours. His friend acknowledged that it was the first time in months something like this had happened and, upon reflection, admitted that on many Fridays, he only works six hours and that the hybrid model allows him to relax, a practice he adopts at least two days a week. We often fall into the bias of assessing our weekly work hours based on the longest day of the week. Yesterday, I was listening to a podcast featuring Malissa Clark, an expert in personal productivity and work hours, as well as workaholism. I’m intrigued by her perspective on how the Boston Consulting Group in the U.S. is making significant efforts to reduce work hours for younger employees. This surprises and pleases me at the same time. Such consulting firms seemed to pride themselves on their teams’ long hours years ago. When discussing this with my children again, they tell me that many of their friends feel exhausted not because of the workload but because of the hours, as they have to stay in the office since their bosses haven’t left, which is regrettable. When asked what they do during this time, they say basically whatever they like, such as browsing the internet or chatting. However, having to stay prevents them from getting to the gym, leading to late home arrivals and frustration with their company. This reminds me of another article I read last week by Dr. Anders Hansen, about the impact of exercise on cognitive abilities, mood, and even leadership. It’s costly for the company to have people stay just because the bosses do. Reflecting on this, I’ve concluded that there’s still much to do, but things are changing and will change even more. It’s also true that not everything is acceptable. If we want a good work-life balance, we must earn it by learning to be efficient and avoiding time-wasting, as we often do unconsciously. We can’t expect to work fixed hours and then be inefficient during the workday. To my children, I try not to say something I clumsily could apply to myself, which is that to be a good professional and start on the right foot, they need to be the last to leave and make a good impression. Instead, I advise them to: Prioritize and plan their week. Seek feedback from their managers. Commit to sports and restorative sleep. Stay humble and learn continuously. Reflect on their organization and strive for constant improvement. I made mistakes for years, leading to burnout in 2013, resulting in poor decisions, poor outcomes, and a long list of other issues. Ironically, I now dedicate myself to helping others avoid the same fate. I’m not sure if these conversations are helpful to my children, but what I do know is that the world is moving towards that model. It’s not about warming the chair but about achieving results by understanding what it means to work smart, not harder, and ensuring our best physical, emotional, and cognitive version sustainably over time. “Work smarter, not harder.”

Harvard Business Review has stated loud and clear: the four-day work week is not only the future, but companies that do not adapt to this model risk falling behind in the race to attract talent. From our experience, when these discussions start there, they eventually reach us here. A few years ago, there was talk about the freedom to set one’s schedule freely, and we see this more and more every day. Therefore, just as it happened with hybrid work and workdays of fewer than 40 hours, the transition to a four-day week is on many executive tables in the United States. But here’s a caveat: the key is not to work fewer hours or more, but to work better. To be truly effective. To do what needs to be done (prioritize well and always) and how it needs to be done (without wasting time). And this is not for free. This involves learning how to organize ourselves on an individual level. And on a group level, within organizations, to build cultures where leaders and their teams have learned to be effective. Four-day weeks, or weeks of fewer than 40 hours, or days when no one is in the office at 5 PM? That is not the real reflection or challenge. The real challenge does not lie in the number of days and hours worked, but in how we organize ourselves during those days. Without a culture of efficiency and effectiveness, we run the risk of reducing hours without improving results. This, in turn, may lead to a pendulum effect where management will want to impose working more hours as a solution. It is crucial not only to reflect on the future of new work structures and the freedom and flexibility we give to workers but also to transform our way of working and finally learn something as vital as individual and group effectiveness. In the FASE Method, we strongly believe: ✅ Work smarter, not harder: Reflection on new scheduling structures should go hand in hand with an improvement in personal and group organization and effectiveness. 🏬 Cultural Transformation: A transformation towards a culture of greater effectiveness is essential, where not only a few know how to organize better, but the entire organization evolves towards more efficient work methods. Are you ready to lead the change towards new scheduling structures alongside an improvement in effectiveness? If we don’t, we run many risks. FASE Method – “We transform cultures towards greater effectiveness, individually and collectively.”

Walking through the airport and bam! There it is, something that makes you stop dead in your tracks, filling you with a rush of emotions. Seeing the 13th edition of LIDÉRATE (Spanish version) on the shelves is like running into a good friend in the most unexpected place. It prompts reflections on the long hours I spent shaping each page of those books, supported by my children at the time (my little great motivators), the example of perseverance inherited from my mother, the encouragement from many friends, and of course, those brave first clients who leaped with us into the unknown when the method was still, as the English would say, a “work in progress”. I can’t help but mention the huge push from Jordi Nadal and the incredible team at PLATAFORMA EDITORIAL. And, of course, a massive virtual shoutout to all those anonymous readers who have taken a chance on the book; I feel a responsibility to try to offer them something valuable, even if it’s just a small contribution to their lives. And you enjoy the moment so much that it leaves you feeling good all day!

Whose responsibility is it to learn how to manage work-related stress? Ours? Or our managers and the company’s? A recent forum I participated in led me to reflect on this alongside leaders and experts from various sectors. 🎶 Forum Reflections: Quique Dacosta: “We identified someone as a time thief; they were super talented but approached others 15 times a day without transferring positive energy.” This three-Michelin-starred chef not only innovates in the kitchen but has also shown for many years that his innovation extends beyond culinary arts to team management. I understand that one cannot lead the world of haute cuisine without giving maximum value to the people who accompany them and assist in their growth. Alejandra Vallejo: Challenges us with her vision of work-life balance, putting our routines in perspective compared to those of athletes: “We want to be corporate athletes, but athletes sleep 10 hours, work 6 hours, and eat perfectly. How are we going to achieve that if we do the opposite?” These words resonate especially in sectors like hospitality, where Quique Dacosta was a pioneer many years ago, in understanding that his role as a leader and the support of specialists was key in helping his teams manage stress. For my part, my contribution was clear: “Avoiding stress and ensuring well-being at work is a shared responsibility. People don’t leave companies; they leave bosses or stressful situations.” In summary: Shared Responsibility: The management of stress and occupational well-being is a joint effort of the teams and their leaders. The Role of the Leader: Must be a model of organization and teach effectiveness, relying on external support if deemed necessary. The Role of the Employee: To assume individual responsibility and be open to change and other ways of organizing to gain efficiency and effectiveness. 🔹 Beyond Words: These ideas, although arising in the context of tourism, have a universal echo in the working world. What’s your opinion? Who do you think should lead the responsibility to improve time management and stress? Where does the individual part in improving our organization lie? What should companies and managers teach us?

December Predicts January Stress: Strategies for a Smooth Start to the Year Did you know that December can predict your stress levels in January? Here’s how to start the year on the right foot. December is unique: fewer working days, more festive events, and the pressure to close the year on a high note. It’s also common to neglect personal care, impacting our sleep and exercise routines, along with a psychological effect – feeling more tired as vacations approach. 📅 Planning for a Peaceful January Organize Your Agenda: Ensure your January schedule is well-planned and prioritized. This will allow you to enjoy your holidays peacefully and avoid chaos upon your return. Maintain Balance: While it’s tempting to indulge in holiday excesses, remember the importance of balance to enter January refreshed. Maintain minimal exercise routines and some self-control during the holidays. 🔍 The Impact of Good Planning Stress Reduction: Having January organized in advance can prevent the increase in cortisol levels due to falling behind and post-holiday stress. Avoid Physical Regrets: Planning helps you avoid regretting holiday excesses and lack of physical activity. 🚀 There’s Still Time Every day counts. Spend some time planning January with intention and coherence. This way, you can fully enjoy December, knowing your return will be more manageable and less stressful.