Summary
This week's maintenance newsletter talks about the CliftonStrengths assessment and how that could be beneficial for personal growth. PLUS, other articles about NSFW Instagram Scams, Best Productivity systems and Social Media Calendar and Hashtags for July.
Dave's Impactful Thought/Tip for the Month
Oh my gosh, so many this month that I can choose from! Why? Because I've recently gotten back to working more in my strengths.
I've long been a student of knowing myself, so I've taken multiple personality assessments. One of my favorite ones is the CliftonStrengths.
Invented by Don Clifton, the CliftonStrengths assessment gives you your unique ranking of the 34 strengths that he identified.
- they are your talent DNA, and explain the ways you most naturally think, feel, and behave.
The idea is that, once you discover these, and work more in those strengths, you'll be more productive, happier, and more engaged at work and in life.
Well, here are my top 5 as shown on a mug given to me by Keith Baldwin, a certified Strengths coach:
So you can see, my top strength is "Learner". And I've gotten back to doing this and making it a part of almost every day. How?
- Being intentional about having that strength more prevalent in my life and business.
- Putting Learning more into the culture of Pro Website Creators and leading the way by dedicating part of our meetings to this and making sure I show up with things I've learned.
- Starting to mentor some folks in the area of leadership, requiring me to learn how to be a better leader.
- Creating a long list of items to learn about in our project management system.
- Looking at problems more as opportunities to learn since I'm passing along the solutions.
Because I'm doing this, the benefits to me are EXACTLY what Don Clifton said - more enthusiasm, energy, excitement, and the increased ability to bring value to you, {{ subscriber.first_name }}, a trusted client.
Follow my steps above and you'll also enjoy the same benefits! Of course, you'll have to take the assessment first...let me know if you need a link to it. Highly recommended, even though it costs a little bit.
July Social Media Calendar! #MidYearBoost
Again, we have a social media calendar for you this month, so you don't have to think about what to put on your social media.
2022 if halfway done - can you believe it? It's time to post RE-ENERGIZING content to boost your audience, as many are experiencing a mid-year slump or post-vacation depression.
Here are some hashtags that aren't 4th of July related:
- SUNDAY - #SundayFunday #HappySunday #WeekendVibes
- MONDAY - #MondayMotivation #MondayQuotes #MondayMantra
- TUESDAY - #TuesdayMotivation #TuesdayThoughts #TacoTuesday
- WEDNESDAY - #WednesdayMotivation #WednesdayMorning #HappyHumpDay
- THURSDAY - #ThursdayQuotes #ThursdayMotivation #ThrowbackThursday
- FRIDAY - #TGIF #HappyFriday #FlashbackFriday
- SATURDAY - #HappySaturday #SaturdayNight #SmallBusinessSaturday
We're looking forward to what you're going to post! Have fun!
NSFW Instagram Scam! Stolen selfies.
There are NSFW (Not Safe For Work) Instagram accounts that steal selfies from real Instagram users, baiting people to click on a "Naked Site Link".
How to spot an NSFW IG Scam account:
- The account has no images/video (content) on its feed.
- The only thing that the account has is an Instagram Story with a link redirecting to a Burner Site (Usually using free trial website builders like Wix.com).
- The bio of the account would have phrases like "NSFW", "For your eyes only", and "Hidden Account."
The main goal of this scam is to lure you into giving your details (name, address and your CREDIT CARD DETAILS) in exchange for FREE LIVE SHOWS.
Do not fall for this scam. If you happen to stumble upon a similar-looking account, report it immediately.
Which Productivity System is Best for You?
In a world of constant distractions, productivity can be challenging for even the most organized person. Staying productive is a constant struggle to find and maintain focus.
But what if there's a productivity system that you could implement to make it easier to be productive?
Are you goal-driven? Reward-driven? Do you crave deep work or prefer to break your work into bite-sized chunks? There is a system for anyone.
1. The Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique breaks down work into 25-minute intervals (called "pomodoros"), with a five-minute break between intervals. Here's a free timer that functions in Pomodoro.
2. Eisenhower Matrix
Eisenhower Matrix is a great way to simplify your endless to-do list. This system, popularized by Stephen Covey in his book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effectively People," is based on a decision-making matrix created by former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and helps you prioritize your tasks by urgency and importance.
Quadrant I: Urgent and Important—must be done immediately.
Quadrant II: Important, but not urgent—should be done as soon as possible.
Quadrant III: Urgent but unimportant—can be delegated or outsourced.
Quadrant IV: Not urgent and not important—can be automated or discarded.
Here's a free Evernote template to help you get started with the Eisenhower Matrix. If you prefer a google sheets version, click here.
3. Ivy Lee Method
This method helps you prioritize your tasks by focusing on the most important ones. At the end of each day, list the six most important jobs you need to accomplish the following day and put them in order of importance.
Why six tasks? Because, for most people, that's enough to fill an ordinary work day. When you start in the morning, you know exactly what you need to do, which removes any indecision so you can get to work quicker. And if you don't get through all six by the end of the day, any incomplete tasks get moved to the next day's list.
4. Most Important Task (MIT)
Important tasks = tasks that will move the needle and make a difference in your business, work or personal life. To start with MIT, list the top 2–3 important tasks you need to accomplish for the day, and focus on getting them done as quickly as possible. Once you've completed your MITs for the day, you can move on to the less essential tasks on your list.
5. The DADDA funnel (Dave and Larry, this is NOT in the article link down below)
DADDA stands for Delete, Automate, Delegate, Defer, and Attention. This method, adapted from Rory Vaden, helps you put your tasks through a funnel so that you're working only on the ones you can do and that need to be done now. And gives you emotional permission to do so.
