Today marks the end of my ninety-seventh week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week ninety-seven:

• Big vision – A few years ago, I had an idea and a vision for it. Others thought it was too big, not possible. This week they realized that my vision is possible and there’s a clear path to get there. Excited to see how this develops.
• February – This month started off at a brisk pace. I have some good stuff lined up, and I’m looking forward to the rest of this month. I think it will be a great one.
• Alignment – When people are aligned on the end game, it’s easier to trust one another. You may not agree on how to get there, but because you’re aligned on the destination, you’re more likely to try each other’s approaches. When alignment isn’t there, neither is trust. This week reminded me that alignment is important.

Week ninety-seven was a lively one. It kept me on my toes. Lots of good things came together or started coming together.

Today marks the end of my ninety-sixth week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week ninety-six:

• Iterative learning – This week was a reminder that getting to the ideal state of something is an iterative process that isn’t guaranteed to be smooth.
• January – Monday is the last business day of January—this month has flown by! This year is beginning very differently than 2021: we’re hitting the ground running. Last year, things ramped up slowly.
• Habits – Sticking with my new daily habits has been working well. It will take time, but I’m starting to see some of these habits produce positive results.

Week ninety-six was a busy week that required me to juggle competing priorities. I’m looking forward to next week being more normal.

Today marks the end of my ninety-fifth week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week ninety-five:

• Atlanta – I had great conversations with various people about new initiatives happening in Atlanta around start-ups and entrepreneurship. The city is on an upward trajectory. I’m excited to be part of it and can’t wait to see where Atlanta is in ten years. I foresee Atlanta as being the internationally recognized capital of the Southeast and known for inclusive entrepreneurship.
• Beginner’s mindset – Another investor I respect shared this term with me a few months ago. It’s hard to disregard what you know and have experienced when looking at opportunities, but since then I’ve been more aware of this mindset and more intentional about looking at things from a fresh perspective. Talking with credible people this week about things I’m researching was a good way to induce a beginner’s mindset.
• Energizing chats – I had a few great chats this week. Some personal, some business, some a mix of both. They were helpful and energizing. It’s always enjoyable to connect with good people.

Week ninety-five was a high-activity week. I got a lot done—but still have a lot to do next week.

Today marks the end of my ninety-fourth week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week ninety-four:

• More current learning – Learning new things is important to me. And reading books is one of my favorite ways to learn. One problem: the pace of change in the world is accelerating, and books aren’t always up-to-date. This week I spent time thinking about other ways I can learn more current information efficiently.
• Habits – I implemented some new habits this week. Some went well, while others will take more work. I’m confident they’re the right habits, but it will take time for them to become second nature.

Week ninety-four was productive and steady. Looking forward to keeping up the momentum next week.

Today marks the end of my ninety-third week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week ninety-three:

• New year – This week was the first week of the new year and the first week back in the office. Felt great to start fresh. I’m focused on being more intentional as I get this year going.
• Something planned – It’s hard to plan far out in the current environment, but I want to always have something planned that I can look forward to.  

Week ninety-three was a great week. I’m energized and ready for 2022!

Yesterday was the finale of the holiday season for me. I had a great time celebrating Christmas with friends and family, and I’m appreciative of the opportunity for food and fellowship. Admittedly, I’m still a little in holiday mode, but I’ve started thinking about what I want to work on during the last few days of 2021.

I’ve got a book I want to finish reading and a few YouTube videos I want to watch. The most important thing, though, is finalizing my 2022 habits. I want to start the new year practicing small daily habits that align with where I’m aiming to be long-term.

Looking forward to perfecting my list of habits and sharing them with people close to me!

Today marks the end of my ninety-first week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week ninety-one:

• Christmas – This week, the focus was on getting ready for the holiday. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Planning on enjoying the food and fellowship with family and friends!

Week ninety-one was a holiday week. I’m looking forward to Christmas and more down time next week!

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Today marks the end of my ninetieth week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week ninety:

• Crunch time – This week was packed full. It was crunch time. I got lots of stuff done in a short time, but I felt it. Feeling a bit tired.  
• New project – I was finally able to overcome the hurdle I’d run into and get this moving forward. I learned a lot, and I’m excited to get back to moving this toward the finish line.
• Christmas – After wrapping up this week, I’m able to think about Christmas now. I’m excited to connect with friends and family next week for the holiday.

Week ninety was long and tiring but productive. Looking forward to the holiday!

I was watching a video today about decision-making. The presenter said that being asked good questions leads to making better decisions. I thought about this and reflected on my own experiences.

As a founder, I was part of a peer group of founders. One of the things I enjoyed was getting the perspective of the other founders on particular situations. Inevitably they would ask a series of questions to help them understand the situation better before they expressed any opinions or gave any advice. Their questions were sometimes invaluable. And they often forced me to think about things I hadn’t before or perspectives I hadn’t considered. I credit some questions from that group with leading to some of my better decisions.

I agree with today’s video, with a caveat: good questions from credible people lead to better decisions.

A friend shared a video with me today. They didn’t say what it was about but assured me I’d like it. They were right. It went deep on unconscious bias. This is something I’ve thought a lot about but frankly haven’t taken the time to study. The video did a great job of filling in lots of gaps. It shared a framework that can be used to mitigate unconscious bias. Here’s how it works:

• P – Pay attention and notice your reactions and assumptions. We all react to situations and people. Being on the lookout for how you do it is important.  
• A – Acknowledge your assumptions. Assumptions affect how we relate to people and situations. And they lead to your brain making decisions on your behalf without your conscious permission. Be aware of your assumptions to be aware of what’s affecting how you relate to people and make decisions.
• U – Understand your perspective. In other words, be self-aware. How is your history affecting how you perceive a situation or person? Different life experiences lead to different perspectives. Your perspective might not be the only way to see things.
• S – Seek different perspectives. This helps you understand that your point of view is just that, a point of view. Not the objective truth. Hearing other perspectives can help you understand whether your assumptions are valid. Making a habit of hearing and understanding (not necessarily agreeing with) other perspectives also helps build empathy. Building human connections with people who are different from you can lead to more positive impressions of entire groups of people.
• E – Examine your options. After disrupting bias with the above-mentioned steps, you probably have more options. Use them to make an objective decision.

I have bias, and so does everyone else. Today I learned that bias is natural and necessary for human survival and decision-making. It’s based on assumptions and helps us in many instances by reducing the amount of thought required to make a decision. Being aware of bias and not making critical or complex decisions decision based on bias is the key.