A Check in with Full Circle
Full Circle is a family and youth project in St.Pauls.
Eight things I learnt from big business executive Ann Hiatt
Find out what Mikael learned from speaking with the ex-executive assistant of Amazon, Yahoo and Google’s CEOs, Ann Hiatt
In September I, amongst others, was fortunate enough to have what can only be described as a POWER breakfast with Ann Hiatt. Over the last fifteen years, Ann has assisted the likes of Google and Yahoo executives and CEOs as well as the current richest person in the world, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. She visited us to share her knowledge. Here’s how to apply it to your own life.
Structure your day
Creating a to-do list the night before (or if you’re really savvy making a weekly/monthly plan!) is mad important as it gives you direction and provides structure, ensuring your time is utilised productively. You could also write down everything you’ve done in a day as this means you’ll be more likely to not waste your time (no one wants to write down they were scrolling through Insta for three hours)!
On the same note, getting enough sleep is imperative to success, you can’t maximise yourself running on half empty. Getting a minimum of eight hours of sleep allows for a steady body clock so you can keep to schedule and wake up early. It’s also worth mentioning spending an hour reading a book or informative newspaper (not the Sun lol) is beneficial as soon as you wake up. All the most successful people read extensively.
Shoot for the moon
This may seem counterintuitive, but what if I were to tell you it’s likely if your achieving the majority, all of or more than the task at hand you’re probably aiming too low. Aiming high enough that you can only achieve half of your goals means your ambitious and that you aren’t underestimating your potential. If you are achieving 80% or more of what you set out to do your standards and goals aren’t ambitious enough and won’t contribute to raising yourself above the bar! In essence, if you shoot for the moon and miss you’ll end up amongst the stars, however don’t settle. Failure can dishearten us when chasing our goals but look at it this way: failure is a springboard to success. We tend to learn most during failure as this is when we are able to analyse our shortcomings and learn how to improve or change them. See the stars as stepping stones to the moon.
Don’t burn yourself out
Don’t try to sprint a marathon. Pacing yourself for the long run is better than burning yourself out trying to do loads fast. Make sure there is adequate time to rest, exercise and look after mental health.
Don’t undersell yourself
Often, we may feel a sense of imposter syndrome. Am I out of my depth? Is someone else more equipped for this than I am? Well it’s time to let go of those doubts! Understand everyone has imposter syndrome, even the CEO’s of Silicon Valley, according to Ann. It’s best to feel under qualified for a job instead of overqualified because in those times we grow and learn the most. Being out of your depth provides the springboard to success. Always saying yes and grabbing every opportunity with both hands regardless of how ready you feel for it will ensure we are often out of our comfort zones where exponential growth occurs most.
Grow your strengths
Identify what your top five talents or abilities are and spend time maximising them. Don’t spend more time strengthening your weaknesses over your strengths as it’s better to have great strengths than improved weaknesses. Find people whose abilities compliment yours. People who embody your weaknesses make good partners as you can form a strong team working together to complement each other’s capabilities.
Satisfaction is key
Identify what excites you and what you’re passionate about as these things will be mandatory in achieving job satisfaction. Pursuing things that embody these feelings means you will have a clear idea of what prospects are for you and what isn’t going to bring you happiness in the long run.
Be nice without an angle
Know that all kind acts should be done out of nothing but sincerity and good intention. Doing acts of thankless kindness make a difference in what energy the universe will return. We are hardwired to appreciate acts of sincerity so when someone goes above and beyond out of the goodness of their heart you will remember them.
Celebrate your achievements
Write down your achievements of the day. It’s important to recognise your achievements and celebrate them as we don’t always give ourselves credit where credit is due. This doesn’t need to be anything fancy but it will help you keep track of your progression and make sure we remind ourselves of all the good we can do.
Did you learn anything from this list? What are some of your keys to success? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
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About the author
Mikael Techane
Originally from Manchester, Mikael Techane is a mixed-medium creative who grew up and currently lives in Bristol. His passions lie in filmmaking, photography, art, skateboarding and spoken word, and he sees them as platforms to promote inclusivity and shared experiences. Education, enlightenment and discussion through his works is also a theme. In his free time Mikael enjoys painting and drawing, skating with his friends and watching excessive amounts of anime. His ultimate goal is to be a filmmaker.
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