Latest Unthinking - November

Welcome to the Latest Unthinking newsletter, November edit!🤘🏼

Tell me something new

Relying on willpower to consistently do something is one of the most common mistakes learners make.

The New Year's resolution is a classic example. A hot start in January, while motivation and willpower are high, soon starts to fade.

Thinking we can convince ourselves to do something against our deep-rooted desires is a lie we often tell ourselves.

James Clear shares more wisdom than your best friend after 8 gin and tonics.

He said this the other day:

Intensity makes a good story. Consistency makes progress.

An action-packed workout can make a sexy Instagram reel. A 6-week visit to France can fire up the language fundamentals. Observing one keynote can spark new thinking. An hour of sending outbound sales emails can make your sales activity look impressive.

Yet one workout doesn’t make you fit.

A one-off visit to France doesn’t guarantee a lifetime of speaking French.

A single learning stimulus doesn’t make you an epic leader.

One outbound point of contact doesn’t land you a new signed piece of work.

Some stats that back up the power of consistency:

Those who practice language skills daily are 4 times more likely to reach fluency than those with irregular learning schedules.

Roughly 90% of podcasts don’t make it past three episodes and only 1% make it past 21 episodes.

80% of sales require 5 follow-up calls after the initial meeting, but 44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up.

Encouraging new behaviours to last is difficult and we can’t rely on willpower alone to make this happen.

A savvy learner would look to edit their environment, remove friction and implement a structure that can’t be overlooked when willpower is lacking.

They’d engineer accountability by pulling the sociality lever, they’d create goals and reward themselves accordingly.

1. What is something you need to do more consistently?

2. How can you design your life to encourage consistency?

Something to think about as January approaches…

Dirt track mindset

Greg Goya takes the Unthinking limelight this month, with a passion for taking a very, very ordinary task and making it an experience.

Right up our street.

If you pardon the pun.

Click the image and enjoy his creativity…

Highlights

⚡In October, we kicked off a new leadership programme with Primark Area Managers called Leading Without Boundaries where the group enjoyed a value-based tour of London in old school mini coopers!

⚡4 action-packed days from interactions with the police in Frankfurt to comfiscated walkie talkies in Dubai... Watch the latest Behind the Brand here.

⚡What does it look like when a graphic cartoonist summarises an Ethics and Compliance annual Leadership Summit? I know, a question that keeps you up at night. Check it out here.

⚡Janne Muller-Wieland celebrated her birthday last week!

⚡You made it this far in our newsletter… We appreciate you. You deserve an exclusive…  

🔄 ICYMI: Our last four Unthinking Thursdays 💡:

💡The Dreaded Task 

💡 The Magic of Mission-Driven Companies: How Passion, Values, and Community Build Powerful Brands

💡All boats rise when the tide comes in

💡Here’s the deal: in fact, it is a reality: no matter your decision, you will regret something