If your brain is buzzing and your eyes are glazed like honey-dipped donuts, stop for a second.
You cannot go any faster. But you can go slower, be more intentional and still get there at the same time.
Hit pause. Inertia is good in small doses.
Breathe for one hot second. If you don’t you’ll die.
Focus that energy. It’s not going anywhere without you.
It’s time to chill like a popsicle and stare at this magic shape for 60 seconds. Just try it.👇
![A breathing gif. Breath in for 5 seconds, then breathg out for 5 seconds.](https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/breathe11-990000000004513c.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1251&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1568&s=42da8721d9d7337bfe7ef784cb129a3f 1568w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/breathe11-990000000004513c.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2502&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=3136&s=4f802257972f62fdd70824e9027e629c 3136w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/breathe11-990000000004513c.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=3753&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=4704&s=445cce564513849b57fab2bb1c4e0d08 4704w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/breathe11-990000000004513c.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=817&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1024&s=c155eeac802dde057d438dd29f04ffad 1024w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/breathe11-990000000004513c.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1634&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=2048&s=fe3059a8331adf8b103e6ee390e22f8a 2048w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/breathe11-990000000004513c.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2451&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=3072&s=4a2048d687b125db3dd94629cee5c146 3072w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/breathe11-990000000004513c.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=611&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=766&s=94bfa58e8de56594bb20f60b9155c898 766w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/breathe11-990000000004513c.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1222&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=1532&s=f533d073a978355fcac531080f7633a9 1532w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/breathe11-990000000004513c.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1833&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=2298&s=b75b5957039c03419f912b617f5a8c1b 2298w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/breathe11-990000000004513c.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=357&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=448&s=6eddb7a9eeb05ed46a5f1fe045a32edc 448w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/breathe11-990000000004513c.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=715&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=896&s=048ba38060b191ff06731e28f221f2dc 896w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/breathe11-990000000004513c.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1072&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=1344&s=8bae6e49b4273b2045488875183303ea 1344w)
Feel better? Not yet? Let these tickle your brain:
- Drink tea angrily and then laugh at how ridiculous that is
- Imagine a cat cooking you dinner but being disappointed at your reaction
- Picture two grandmas one-upping each other on TikTok
Now you feel better!—Oh, you came here for project management tips? We’ve got those, too.
I’ve been thinking...
You have the power to choose what to do right this minute. A tired brain wants to do nothing and everything at once (and is pretty terrible at executing either). A still brain wants to keep focused deeply for hours and bubble up slowly to the surface to regain composure. If you are twisting plates and juggling projects in July, be ruthless with your tasks and be gentle with your brain. Be still for a minute and think about what’s in front of you before executing. Be ruthless in the way you prioritize your projects, too. You’ll find your energy sits in those quiet spaces waiting for you to return.
Having a ruthless mindset means accepting reality. It’s a realization that you will have to make hard choices every day on where to focus. It’s a realization that shipping the perfect product is an illusion, and that trade-offs are always required to ship. —Brandon Chu, Ruthless Prioritization
Choosing is about deciding what you’re willing to let go of. Decide right at this moment, which things will wait. Because they will.
- Prioritize your important and urgent tasks first
- Get help or delegate urgent but less important tasks
- Schedule less important, less urgent tasks for later
- Let go of or do less important, less urgent tasks last
Here’s a prioritization guide if you forget the steps.
Okay, now that you’re ruthlessly prioritizing and your brain is feeling less smoky, schedule some time to read these helpful but not urgent things later. We’ll be here for you.
From the #bookshelf
The best links posted in Slack this week. Straight from our apprentices and their trainers:
- Scott Berkun’s thread on how designers can have more power (hint: not through design)
- The Toolbox Toolbox: a curated list of solid tools for business and tech
- John Cutler’s thread on what feels like going faster vs what actually makes us faster
- How to fix your tech interview to increase diversity
- Bureau of Digital 2019 Digital Services Salary Report
- Shape up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters: Another lifesaver by Basecamp
Do a process tune-up
![](https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/pm-foundations-banner_190620_220939.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=882&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1568&s=08f62ef66ad8601396801d8890d144a9 1568w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/pm-foundations-banner_190620_220939.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1764&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=3136&s=ae93411b441c78c74ab7f04edffe4831 3136w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/pm-foundations-banner_190620_220939.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2646&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=4704&s=00c5566f42d1f08929f85e8963481e74 4704w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/pm-foundations-banner_190620_220939.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1024&s=fd3a50b752213fe8cc17b34d577f5b23 1024w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/pm-foundations-banner_190620_220939.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1152&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=2048&s=82c1ff661774e4e8f468ebf89770e111 2048w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/pm-foundations-banner_190620_220939.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1728&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=3072&s=a05d81467b1aa8f3976ebbef8c92f10f 3072w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/pm-foundations-banner_190620_220939.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=430&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=766&s=8cea585320213171ee693493aa0d76f4 766w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/pm-foundations-banner_190620_220939.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=861&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=1532&s=b03726596da53d23a21f3b1c8ccd7b42 1532w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/pm-foundations-banner_190620_220939.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1292&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=2298&s=3acd25b41e6cc6ebb708850b26ad12e0 2298w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/pm-foundations-banner_190620_220939.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=252&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=448&s=392382ed357e4a46cb264d78013dda3b 448w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/pm-foundations-banner_190620_220939.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=504&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=896&s=53b14d8c2934e6a0b676c24ac29ebae5 896w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/pm-foundations-banner_190620_220939.png?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=756&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=1344&s=5c69e036c0256cf1308183b63711f0f8 1344w)
Join us for our beta course this September
Here’s a little whisper of something new just for you: we’re launching a short course called Foundations in Digital Project Management on Sept 6th. We asked our community and they helped us pick 10 modules from our full apprenticeship program to distil into this whip-smart 3-month course. Great for dialling up your PM and Ops processes a few notches. Three spots left.
Starting at $3500.
Or take your company up to eleven next spring...
Turn it up in February
This fall’s apprenticeship is sold out, so if you want your project lead being a smooth operator, better sign them up for winter 2020. Folks like Dev Society are already putting their second PMs through this fall.
Oh, and last but not least…
SuperHi ✖︎ Louder Than Ten present
![A colourful collection of stationery, a clock, and a smart phone](https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/superhi-vertical.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2194&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1568&s=bfedadd6badc6f1b20e5ef62c45f8dd7 1568w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/superhi-vertical.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=4388&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=3136&s=78177e4e159b28a3f40957cfa4d21cd8 3136w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/superhi-vertical.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=6583&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=4704&s=4e72239555d3b9a34b1128f53c8f9939 4704w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/superhi-vertical.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1433&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1024&s=6966c0adefd40e881f6802333465f851 1024w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/superhi-vertical.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2866&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=2048&s=e2de97cb510a0fd002f2d8a269f425dc 2048w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/superhi-vertical.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=4299&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=3072&s=f17e5ee463c4ce75d4e108b15c4d023c 3072w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/superhi-vertical.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1072&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=766&s=51906ad85e76e85f745bf8de8ee77f75 766w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/superhi-vertical.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2144&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=1532&s=44b5b00f7632be6dc9020b7ef7090f88 1532w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/superhi-vertical.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=3216&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=2298&s=367d2b3c72c9e074e47e12ecea5f2188 2298w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/superhi-vertical.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=626&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=448&s=78b44dfef65e628a09d24a1a52436f5d 448w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/superhi-vertical.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1253&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=896&s=01e1fca0c64482ce333e3adb6bd6da7a 896w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/superhi-vertical.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1880&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=1344&s=cbca1d4c4bb1f685b70f297b97cbd3b2 1344w)
Digital Project Management
An eight-week SuperHi course tackling the fundamentals of Digital Project Management.
Fresh up! We’re partnering up with our favourite coding school to offer this 8-week course so you can learn PM at your own pace.
Learn smart project management principles that you can use on tomorrow’s projects. Whatever your role, this accessible course can help you take your projects across the finish line sans cold sweat.
Sign up now for $199
Regular $499