Hey there,

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! I know our hometown team is in the big game, but I’d be lying if I could name more than five collective players on both squads. That being said, we’ve got some homemade Paloma’s ready to go! Today's essay is a fun post on WIFFME (and incentives).

I also want to invite you to meet the philosopher who’s helping executives (like me) overcome the scarcity mindset. You’ve often heard me reference my teacher, coach and friend Andrew Taggart. Together we’ll explore questions of what’s enough, why we always assume the worst and how to overcome time scarcity. The event is on March 10th at Noon PST and is free to attend.

The WIFFME approach to getting what you want

I want you to imagine for a moment that I was your boss.

(I know, cringe.)

Then imagine that I assigned you a task. One that would take up a good chunk of your afternoon.

This task would require you to write in detail how you show up at work.

The ensuing document would have a section titled What my colleagues misunderstand about me and another called Here’s my work style.

The document would end with you detailing your typical schedule.

When do you exercise? When do you eat lunch? When do you have the most energy? When do you put your kids to bed?

This request would probably garner an eye-roll or three. You might slow play the request by re-prioritizing every possible activity ahead of this Human Resources project. Or you might just flat out ignore it.

This reluctance would be understandable. Surely I could use my authority and make you do it.

Or I could tell you:

Now we talking?!?!

This persuasive tactic falls under a simple acronym: WIFFME or What’s in it for me?

Here are this week's top reads:

// one

What a CEO does

2 minutes | AVC
​

I’ve been thinking (ahem obsessing) about what my high-leverage, high-skill work is as the “new” CEO of RadReads. And this quick post from Fred Wilson shows how $10K Work is both mundane, yet extremely difficult due to the fact that it can’t be measured and occurs over extended periods of time.

→ Read the post​

// two

How to land your kid in therapy

20 minutes | The Atlantic
​

Let’s start with the obvious: raising kids is hard and we’re all trying our best. But trying so hard to protect our kids from unhappiness may actually have the inverse effect because they never learn how to feel disappointment. If your kid falls and you always swoop in, will they ever really learn to process and sit with the discomfort that comes with difficult, sometimes painful, experiences? (Going a step further, do we - as parents - even know what happiness means ourselves?)

→ Read the article​

// three

Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable

4 minutes | Behavioral Scientist

​
It is our human nature to avoid discomfort. In pain while exercising? Stop for the day. Emotional discomfort? Withdraw. But research shows that we should actually see discomfort (within limits) as a sign of progress - in many cases, it means that whatever we’re doing is actually working. How do we embrace this? Reappraise your discomfort as a positive cue (whisper to self: “I’m making progress. This doesn’t feel comfortable, but it’s a good thing”).

→ Read the post​

// four

Hire managers of one

6 minutes | Signal v. Noise
​

What’s a manager of one? Someone who comes up with and executes their own goals. Someone who doesn’t need heavy direction or daily check-ins. They know how to manage up, they can assign themselves to-dos, and they can determine what needs to get done. Best of all? They free you from oversight.

→ Read the post​

// five

Zen To Done (ZTD): The simple productivity system

6 minutes | Zen Habits
​

Here at RadReads, we love David Allen's defining book on productivity: Getting Things Done. But we have to admit: it's a complex system and sometimes, it can feel more like "getting your things on lists" than "done" (which is why we modified the system and integrated into $10K Task Management). Here’s an alternative, simplified approach: Zen-to-done.
​
→ Read the post​

Below the fold

ICYMI

• ​Do you need help learning to saying "no" in your work-life (Copyblogger Podcast): I discussed our key cultural principles as we grow the company.
• ​Embracing the Pathless Path (Paul Millerd's YouTube Channel): I discussed why leaving a high-paying job wasn't "that risky."

​

LAST WEEK'S MOST READ

• ​Should you die with zero? (RadReads, 979 clicks)
• ​How to say no (Starter Story, 431 clicks)

​

And finally, dropping in on a surfer is the ultimate no-no. Here's how to make someone pay for this disrespectful act.

Warmly,

Khe

PS Refer two friends to RadReads and receive our free Weekly Review Cheat Sheet. Here's your unique link: https://sparklp.co/9ac1b50d

PPS Did someone rad forward this to you? Subscribe here.

​Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook​