Week #4 Reflections

💡 Learned Lesson

A few weeks ago, I was faced with a challenging task that required me to plan, implement, and deliver a high-quality outcome.

As I worked on this project, I noticed that I went through three distinct phases that seemed to hold me back from taking on new challenges and pushing past my comfort zone.

I refer to these phases as “monsters,” as they can be intimidating and difficult to overcome.

Let me introduce you to the three monsters: Limiting mindset, procrastination, and fear.

“A limiting mindset is a prison, procrastination is an unproductive occupation, and fear will bury your work under the dust.”

Let me explain to you these phases in more detail.

Phase 1: You can’t do it. 😟

Have you ever heard this inner voice screaming “I can’t do that, I’m not competent enough”?

This is the first monster “Limiting Mindset”. It comes in as your “Imposter Syndrom” kicks in convincing you that you are not competent for this new role, to take this initiative, or just to present something to your team.

How to overcome this monster? Always remember that you won’t feel ready anyway, feeling unprepared is an integral part of learning and growing.

Just set realistic expectations of what you can do and recall your previous successes when faced with difficult tasks.

Phase 2: Is it worth it? 🤔

When was the last time you were about to start doing something unusual and found yourself questioning the value of what you were about to do?

This is the second monster “Procrastination”. This can happen for various reasons whether you are feeling unmotivated, aiming for perfectionism, or overwhelmed by having too many ideas to choose from.

How to overcome this monster? Try setting a deadline for yourself and breaking larger, challenging tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces.

This can help you build momentum and motivation as you make progress towards completing your goals.”

Phase 3: Is it good enough? 😱

“Do you ever feel nervous before giving a presentation, hitting the “Publish” button on a post you’ve written, or sending an email?”

This is the third monster “Fear”. This arises when you finish your work and face the prospect of presenting it to the outside world. Fear of criticism, vulnerability, and failure can all contribute to holding you back.

How to overcome this monster? Please don’t run away, face it because running away will just make you feel worse. The best action to take here is to jump off the cliff and deliver what you have.

📖 Inspiring Resources

• I came across an intriguing article that explores the ingredients of tech products’ success and failure by examining their histories.
  It dives into interesting case studies of products like the Nintendo GameBoy, Apple Watch, and Ford’s Model T, among others, to extract the pillars that defines a Category-Defining Products.
• In his post, Jared Spool discusses the importance of UX research and the impact of making “guessing” versus “informed” decisions in product design.

Some people think user research takes time, but guessing doesn’t. They think user research delays projects, but guessing keeps things moving. They think user research is expensive, but guessing is cheap. These people are wrong.

• Are you interested in creating a UX Research repository? This comprehensive guide offers a step-by-step walkthrough of how to build one using Notion.

📚 Book Readings

I started reading “Just Enough Research” by Erika Hall this week, and so far, I find it to be a promising read. The book’s clear and concise approach makes it easy to understand and quick to read.

The first two chapters covered various topics, such as different research types, objections to research, biases, and research in different organizational settings.

One paragraph that caught my attention from the book is the author’s encouragement for researchers to be skeptical.

I’m excited to continue reading and learn more from this insightful book.

🎯 Achievement

This week, I achieved a significant milestone by going to the gym consistently for two months straight, with four to five workouts per week.

I’ve been working on developing this habit since last year, and it has helped me significantly in my professional life by improving my persistence, reducing my anxiety, and increasing my productivity.

Thanks for reading!