Month: February 2018

Tie knot logic

Why: Play while dressing

How: Create your own tie knots

What: Learn a model that will free your imagination

When I started my career, the tie was a must. While I love the knots, I looked on Internet for some guidance. At that time I found a research that I recently found back (thanks Internet memory). It is a 1999 research from Thomas M.A. Fink and Yong Mao (Cambridge University) for which you can see below some extracts.

1. Know the nomenclature

2. Run a sequence

3. Discover some samples, for which you will recognize famous knots.

Why not trying it?

100% present

Why: Ensure your meeting participants are connected with each other’s

How: Allow participants to openly share their distractions

What: Start your next team meeting by a round table ice-breaker

Ask them what could be their distraction that prevent them to be 100% with the team. It could be a morning issue, a future meeting concern, …

Three rules are key:

    • You should start
    • It is optional for others
    • No comment or body reaction is allowed

Why not trying it?

Old games

Why: Transmit values to your children

How: Play with them thru interactive games

What: Re-use your childhood games

Why giving a tablet or mobile to kids when such “old games” still produce engagement, connection, challenge, failure, focus and excitement?

Recently I discover a box my wife stored in our cave. I felt so excited when I bring it back to my flat that my kids finished their meal in a record time (compared to the average 😉 to see the reasons of my teasing.

We spent a long part of that evening to test games they didn’t knew and after few months we continue doing so.

Starting from 3 years to 9-10 you cannot imagine how powerful these games are: draughts, chess, backgammon, little horses, goose game, loto, …

Why not trying it?

Power Nap

Why: To stimulate your imagination and boost your afternoon awareness

How: By doing a power nap (even at work) for 10-20 min.

What: Here are couple of powerful insights to make your daily nap a success.

1/ Prepare your environment

First, I strongly recommend you not to hide yourself when napping. So when we consider doing napping at work, don’t go to the toilets. That’s really less comfortable than your office chair or your desk with a pillow.

Second, I recommend you tell your colleagues and Manager about your nap (in my case HR was also a good support). At least they will prevent your visitors to wake-up you by mistake.

2/ Know the timing

While it depends on people, ideal napping time is between 12:00 and 15:00. Ideal duration is between 10 and 20 min. Maximum duration is around 25-30 min, which is when you start your deep sleep. And you should absolutely wake-up before it.

3/ Prepare for napping

  • Take a coffee before your nap (as the caffeine effect will start 30 min after)
  • Put your computer and phone sounds off
  • Update your Instant Messaging status
  • Set-up a calm alarm countdown from 10 to 20 min
  • Relax yourself in your chair, moving backward if possible
  • If required, put eyes mask and ear plugs

4/ Enjoy the napping

  • Close your eyes and breath with your stomach
  • Push away any topics that stress you, and concentrate back on your breath
  • If an issue come to the surface that you’re afraid not remember, wake-up and note it
  • If some great ideas come to your mind, leave them growing without asking question, they may generate other mind connections
  • If you want to wake-up earlier than your alarm clock, please do so

5/ Demystify your first attempts

  • Nap can be with or without sleep. So do not stress if you can still ear background noise. (Just) try to do not pay attention to them.
  • Don’t feel guilty if you don’t nap. Some days your agenda will be too busy.
  • If you have a chance and if you feel the need, do a 2 to 5 min nap on your way to come back home

6/ Enjoy your new habits

  • If you start waking up earlier (which you should the next day of a nap), do not stay in your bed, stand up and start your day. Note also your wake-up time for couple of days. Then change your alarm clock for 10 min after that average wake-up time. This will work as a backup alarm just in case your new natural wake-up doesn’t work.
  • Do not change your night schedule except that a good practice is to avoid computer or television at least 30min to one hour before going to bed. Simply take a paper book!

Why not trying it?