This newsletter comes a little later than usual, as I didn’t get a chance to sit down and write until now that I am back home.
Last week was full of travels, and I visited 6 cities in 7 days: Cologne, Dubrovnik, Madrid, London (where I celebrated the second birthday of my adorable niece Dana 
), Basel and Barcelona.
However, one of the most rewarding moments of my week happened through Zoom (I’ll tell you more about it in the first 3 highlights).
These are the 6 highlights of my week.
H1: The DAC method
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you probably know that one of the things I’m most passionate about is helping others.
Although my responsibilities and commitments currently limit me in terms of the time I can devote to giving personalized advice, I previously enjoyed spending several hours a week mentoring, coaching and guiding people to implement positive changes in their lives.
At the beginning of August, I received a message from Mercedes, asking me if I could talk to her son Facundo, who had just turned 17.
Finally, last Tuesday the 10th, we had the opportunity to talk for almost an hour, and I hope it was as rewarding for him as it was for me.
Facundo shared with me that, despite having many interests and passions, he is unable to focus on any of them and quickly becomes frustrated at not being able to advance or improve in whatever he is doing.
To address this situation, I explained the DAC method, which consists of 3 simple steps to get clarity on what to do or change to get closer to a specific goal.
DAC is an acronym that stands for Define, Analyze and Change.
The first step is to clearly define what you want to achieve.
Then, you analyze how close or far you are from that goal, and whether or not the plan (or actions) you are executing are getting you closer to the desired result.
Finally, based on the results of the analysis, the necessary changes are implemented.
H2: 9 steps to follow when you don’t know who you want to be
Another topic I talked to Facundo about was his identity.
Being 17 years old, it is normal that he still does not know who he really is (or who he wants to be), however, we took a few minutes to answer some questions that gave him more clarity as to the direction he wants to follow.
Here are the 9 steps, in case you also want to do the exercise 😊:
- Who do you admire and why?
The idea is to be as specific as possible about the characteristics you like about these people and explain why you admire those traits. - Can you identify other traits/characteristics you would like to have?
After analyzing the personalities of those you admire, take some time to identify the traits you would like to have or improve upon. - Prioritize those traits
There are bound to be some characteristics that you like or are more interested in than others.
While you can try to work on all of them, it’s best to be realistic and prioritize the ones that truly reflect the person you want to be. - Define how far you are from having those traits
Now that you know which traits are most important to you, rate yourself on each of them.
For example, you may have identified that productivity and time management are 2 priority traits for you.
How would you rate yourself (from 1 to 10) in each of these areas? - Define the actions you need to take
Remember that you are the result of what you do, so take some time to define the things you need to do to unlearn the traits you have prioritized. - Travel to the future
The type of person you become will determine not only how others will remember you, but also the influence you will have on your environment (or the world) when you are gone.
Take some time to visualize your future.
With that picture clear, you can reverse engineer it to find out exactly what you need to do to get to the future you have visualized. - Decree who you want to be
With the clarity you have achieved so far, decree who you want to be.
Avoid using labels that limit you (entrepreneur, leader, good parent) and instead find a description that covers all the qualities that are important to you. - Define your goals
Knowing what you want to achieve in life and having clear goals will give you even more clarity about the kind of person you want to be. - Forget about perfection, but never stop growing
The last step, and probably the most important, is to know that the perfect image you envisioned will not come true overnight.
You must strive daily to approach it, step by step.
Aspire every day to be a better person.
Be patient and kind to yourself, and don’t ignore the small changes you gradually make, because in the end, every small action is part of a big transformation.
H3: 3 rules for working with your subconscious mind
The last thing I want to share from my conversation with Facundo, are the following 3 rules for working with your subconscious:
- Your subconscious focuses on what it THINKS you want (which, in many cases, is different from what you really want).
That is why you often end up repeating the same patterns or situations and experiencing more of what you don’t want in your life.
This happens because fear and worry makes you focus on the negative things with a high emotional charge, which, to your subconscious is the signal that this is what you want and that it should focus on it. - Your subconscious only understands images and emotions
The goal is to use your words to create those images and emotions.
But if you don’t genuinely feel and believe what you are saying, or if you use words that don’t empower you, again, your subconscious won’t know what you really want. - Your subconscious is unable to understand “no” and “never”.
Because it only understands images and emotions, you must be very careful when structuring your decrees.
For example, if you are on a diet, decreeing that you do not want to eat pizza, that you do not want to see pizza, that you will not be tempted by pizza, etc., only generates the image of pizza, as well as the emotion linked to that image.
In summary, when working with your subconscious, be sure to speak (and decree) affirmatively, use specific and empowering words and be very clear and specific about what you want.
H4: The better half
This week, I had the opportunity to see the appearance of Colombian actor Andrés Parra, on BBVA’s “Aprendemos juntos“ podcast.
The fragment I extracted to share with you is a valuable reflection on the importance of valuing oneself instead of seeking external approval (or valuation).
I hope you enjoy it too.
H5: Dubrovnik
Despite having several years traveling around the world, I still have many places to discover.
This week I visited Dubrovnik (Croatia) for the first time and it was a nice experience, which was interrupted by a thunderstorm 😅.
Nevertheless, I had the opportunity to visit its old town, a beautiful walled city, with picturesque narrow alleys and very friendly people.
Here are some photos below…
H6: Who, not how
This was my sixth week in a row finishing reading any of the books I started this year.
On this occasion, the title was “Who, Not How” by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy.
The book talks about how important collaboration and teamwork is to achieve great goals, and these are the main lessons I take away from the book:
- Focusing on the “who” rather than the “how”
Finding the right people to help us achieve our goals, rather than trying to do it all on our own, is critical to long-term success.
In that way, we can focus on our strengths to apply them in those areas where we truly excel, and delegate other tasks based on the skills of others.
Collaboration expands your vision and effectiveness
Involving others in your projects can expand your perception of what is possible and increase your potential. Collaboration can provide valuable resources, whether in the form of time, help or perspective.
If an ambitious project is undertaken, it is essential to actively seek collaborators or mentors who can contribute new ideas.A positive aspect of procrastination
Although procrastination can have negative effects, the authors highlight a positive aspect, which, used correctly, can be a valuable tool in project management (and in life in general).
When you find yourself procrastinating, don’t blame yourself. Take it as a sign that you need help. Identify the specific tasks you are avoiding and look for a “Who” who can help you overcome them.
The key is to recognize when you need help to move forward and identify the right person who can help you do so.
Until next Sunday, with 6 new highlights
Feedback? I would love to hear from you. Remember that you can contact me at any time through vladimir@younity.one.
