#22: What are you creating?
Is your life on auto-repeat or are you doing something more?
Hey friends,
In this edition, I will talk about:
a visit to my hometown
some thoughts on creating
3 posts I liked
Yoga Nidra to help you sleep
how to deal with career growth barriers
1/ A visit to my hometown and holiday preparation
As we’re going away for a 2-week vacation I had quite a lot of work to do at work to make sure everything is set. And of course not everything will be set as emergencies will pop but I promised to myself that I won’t check my emails (too often).
Last weekend was a very special weekend.
As it was a special occasion, the commemoration of my dad and my grandad, we asked our friends to join us for a weekend in my hometown of Braila.
It was a great weekend, as I got to see and do a lot of things I didn’t do while living there until I was 18.
First of all, I rarely ate out when I lived there. The reasons being that:
I was staying with my parents and ate almost always at home
there weren’t that many nice restaurants those days
I didn’t really have money to eat out
So on Friday we went to a really nice restaurant just outside town, called “Fish and Wine”, I had heard about it for a few years but never ate there.
It was great and I will go there again.
Not to mention that this weekend I found out there are 2 ride-sharing services in Braila, both Uber and Bolt.
For my non-Romanian friends, taxi is very cheap in Romania, these 2 rides to and back from outside the City cost us around 5 dollars in total.
The second day we went to church and the cemetery in the morning and then we had a barbecue at my sister’s, which was very fun.
We continued the day with a tour around the town’s old center. There were so many things I didn’t know about the city even if I lived there for so many years.
I usually love going on these walking tours every time I visit a new city but it seems they can be interesting even when the city is not that new.
On Sunday morning we went for a speed boat ride on the Danube and heard some very interesting stories again, about the river wild life and how poaching fish is a major issue for the ecosystem.
Had lunch with mom before coming back to Bucharest in the evening.
It was a very entertaining and active weekend. And it made me realise that I am still very connected to that town, even though none of my friends from my youth live there anymore and I don’t visit it soo often, it’s still a big part of my life and my upbringing here probably had a lot of influence on who I am today.
And it was great visiting those places and those streets with new friends.
I didn’t take them on the real tour, though, the tour of my high-school misbehaving stories.
That’s for the next time.
2) What are you creating?
I wanted to write on a completely different topic but I had this thought yesterday.
I was coming back home from a run and ready to start my working day and I heard a song on my "Spotify Release Radar” playlist.
It was Hozier’s newest song, which isn’t that great, but somehow it made me think about art and creating something beautiful.
I always liked art and wanted to created it in some way or another. I was in art school until my 8th grade and started writing poetry since the end of high school or such. I haven’t written any verses in a while but this desire to write, to create, to express myself has always stayed with me.
And it’s not even about art per se, it’s about being creative, finding a voice and putting it out there. I try to do this lately by writing this newsletter and online in general.
I know this is not Murakami or Pablo Neruda, it’s just some thoughts or some impressions that I put out there for anyone who wants to read them.
Because, and I realised this at some point in my career, there are days or even weeks in which we don’r really use our brain as much as we should. Of course, you go through meetings and planning and discussions and forecasts and so on, but it’s so automatic at some point that you don’t really feel like you came up with any new or interesting idea.
Just think about this, when was the last time you had an “Aha!” moment? When was the last time you sat, walked, showered, and got a great idea that you wanted to implement?
And this is what I’m doing, or at least trying to do. I wake up every morning, I clear my head through journalling and then I write something.
It may be a Twitter thread about my morning routine, or a LinkedIn article about what I think are the qualities you need to become a successful tech leader. Or just a newsletter in which I pour my thoughts on being creative.
James Altucher says you should start the day by writing 10 ideas. And I’ll expand on this once I will implement it. Maybe 10 ideas is too much.
Start with one.
We wake up, get our morning routine going, eat breakfast, dress and go to work (or just turn on our laptops). And the days go by. Short-circuit this mechanism. Spend 5 minutes thinking about something.
Could you create something that could make you a better person? Bring some benefits to your close ones? Or maybe even change the world?
When you have ideas, when you write about them, when you think, you might also find out even more interesting things about who you really are.
Do the people who know you really know you? Do you know yourself?
Start doing something great.
Who knows, you might have the next Beethoven’s 5th in you. Or the next “Grapes of Wrath”.
Or just a piece of the real you.
3/ 3 Posts I liked
3 tweets, Instagram or LinkedIn posts that made me think, educated me or amused me over the last week
About acting, but I’m thinking it’s about living
Now regarding those failures:
This straightforward, magnificent cold email (remember this the next time you cold DM someone)
4/ Yoga Nidra for sleep
I think you’ve often heard me talk about the importance of sleep. I wish I had listened to people telling me about this when I was younger but that’s too late.
For a few years now I’ve started prioritizing my sleep. And that means keeping a sleep schedule. I try to go to sleep around 11 PM and get up around 7.
But sometimes that’s not as easy as it seems.
I often find myself sitting in bed thinking about what happened the day before or what I need to do the day after. And I guess we all struggle with this.
At some point I listened to Andrew Huberman talking about NDSR (non-sleep deep rest) and Yoga Nidra on his podcast. Even though they are similar, they have some differences.
Yoga Nidra, often referred to as "yogic sleep," is a structured meditation practice that guides participants into a state of deep relaxation, positioned between wakefulness and sleep.
Derived from ancient Indian traditions, this technique involves lying down comfortably and following a set sequence of instructions that often includes body scans, breath awareness, and visualizations. The participant can stay conscious throughout the session and the practice will facilitate a deeply restful state similar to the benefits achieved during sleep.
Not me, 90% of the time I fall asleep after 10-15 minutes.
Practicing Yoga Nidra offers a plethora of benefits, physical, emotional, and mental relaxation, which in turn helps reduce stress and anxiety.
Moreover, it enhances sleep quality, making it beneficial for those with insomnia. Regular practice can improve concentration, support emotional healing, and even assist in fostering positive behavioural changes through the incorporation of intentions.
While most meditation apps are paid, the best thing about Yoga Nidra is that you can do it for free.
This is the Spotify “podcast” I use:
But you can also find several Yoga Nidra guided meditations on YouTube.
So, if you have trouble sleeping, try Yoga Nidra.
5/ My own favorite piece of content
A thread I put out on X and LinkedIn about the hurdles we experience in our career journeys
I know so many high-potential people who got stuck in a lousy job forever. If you feel you might be one of them, here are 6 career growth barriers and how to smash through them:
1. Mindset blocks
This is the most dangerous one. It tells you you're not good enough to find something better.
It's vital to acknowledge and challenge these negative beliefs.
seek mentorship
journal your thoughts
foster a growth mindset
2. Poor Networking Skills
Many professionals neglect this aspect, thinking their work speaks for itself. It's like shouting in the void.
attend industry events
engage in online communities
catch-up with old classmates or former colleagues
3. Lack of Skill Diversity
Start by identifying complementary skills for your career
identify growth areas
embrace lifelong learning
practice those skills in real-world settings
In today's rapidly changing job market, relying on a single skill set can be limiting
4. Ineffective Time Management
Inefficient time use can lead to missed opportunities, stress, and burnout.
prioritize tasks
learn to say no
use technology for leverage
Remember, it's not about being busy; it's about being productive.
5. Avoiding Feedback
Feedback is a valuable resource for growth, yet many shy away from it due to fear of criticism.
actively ask for it
approach it with an open mind
don't get defensive if it's not positive
See feedback as a roadmap to your next career milestone.
6. Failing to Set Goals
Without a clear purpose, you can feel like you're drifting from one role to another.
visualize your ideal role
set clear, actionable goals
review and and adjust them monthly
Make informed choices that align with your career aspirations.
To sum up:
Overcome mindset blocks
Network effectively
Diversify your skills
Manage time wisely
Seek and utilize feedback
Set and review goals regularly
With this roadmap, you're set for unparalleled career success.
Thank you for reading, and let me know if you liked something in particular in this newsletter.
Until next time,
Leo
P.S.: If you would like to read my content on a daily basis, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Linkedin.
P.S. 2: If you want to take your Productivity to the next level, check out my extensive Productivity course that can accelerate your career.