Minute With Mallon: Unlock Deep Work!

Nov 21

Happy Thanksgiving!!! 🦃

Today, I just want to say how truly thankful I am for you—your support, your trust, and the connection we share. As you enjoy the day, take a few minutes to reflect on the blessings in your life. Gratitude changes everything!

Something I Taught:

Recently, I've worked with several clients who have felt the need to schedule more time to work on important initiatives they are responsible for.

One client calls this "Office Hours." But this concept is called many other things too:

● Deep Work: Coined by Cal Newport, this term emphasizes focused, distraction-free work on mentally demanding tasks.

● Focus Time: A straightforward term often used to signal dedicated time for important work.

● Head-Down Time: Informally used to indicate periods when someone is fully immersed in work.

● Time Blocking: A time management technique where blocks of time are set aside for specific tasks or projects.

● Maker Time: Popular in tech and creative fields, this term reflects uninterrupted periods reserved for creative or intensive work.

Without scheduled focus time, you’ll face constant interruptions and increased stress, which can lead to burnout and feeling overwhelmed, not to mention lower-quality work.

Not a pretty sight.

So what is a message you can give to your staff, coworkers, or boss to help you implement a focused work structure? Try this:

"I’m blocking off dedicated time on my calendar each week for 'Focus Work.' During these blocks, I’ll be working on key priorities to help keep us moving forward. To ensure I can stay focused, I won’t be available for meetings or interruptions during these times. If something urgent arises, please feel free to email or leave a message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can."

Setting clear expectations like this will help you maximize productivity and support your team’s workflow.

Scheduling focused work time is one of the most effective ways to boost productivity, improve work quality, and reduce stress. By implementing this strategy and clearly communicating it to your team, you create the necessary space for high-impact work. Consider blocking off your own “Focus Time” each week—your future self (and your team) will thank you!

Take action: What’s one task or project you’ve been putting off that would benefit from dedicated focus time? Block it on your calendar now and commit to giving it your full attention.

Something to Ponder:

“He who knows the ‘why’ for his existence, will be able to bear almost any ‘how.’”

Viktor Frankl

Something I Learned:

Years back I read a book called Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Ecker. And I didn't just read it once, I read it 9 times in one year! No kidding. It was just what I needed at that time in my life.

Here's a small excerpt that stuck with me:

WEALTH PRINCIPLE: If you want to change the fruits, you will first have to change the roots. If you want to change the visible, you must first change the invisible.

One of the most important things you can ever understand is that we do not live on only one plane of existence. We live in at least four different realms at once. These four quadrants are the physical world, the mental world, the emotional world, and the spiritual world. What most people never realize is that the physical realm is merely a “printout” of the other three.

Money is a result, wealth is a result, health is a result, illness is a result, your weight is a result. We live in a world of cause and effect. Have you ever heard someone assert that a lack of money was a bit of a problem? Now hear this: A lack of money is never, ever, ever a problem. A lack of money is merely a symptom of what is going on underneath.

The only way to change your “outer” world is to first change your “inner” world.

Let that sink in!