096: Getting Unstuck: Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety and Procrastination to Make Better Decisions with Steve Riley
What if you could break free from cognitive overload and make razor-sharp decisions in no time?
On this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve guides you through the revolutionary Fast Focus Process, a six-step method that promises to unclog your mental traffic jams. Through relatable personal anecdotes and actionable examples, we’ll pinpoint the decisions that cause your mind to stall and provide you with practical strategies to tackle them head-on. This episode is all about enhancing your decision-making prowess to build a better practice and a more fulfilling life.
Using the metaphor of a traffic rotary, we’ll explore how even the most ambitious goals can get you stuck in a loop of procrastination and anxiety. That’s where the “fast focus strategy” comes in—starting with a simple yet powerful step: scheduling an “unstuck meeting” with your brain. This technique will help you regain control, break the cycle of inaction, and make more confident decisions moving forward. By mastering these cognitive strategies, you’ll find it easier to navigate both your professional and personal life.
We’ll also dive into an exercise designed to improve your decision-making skills by categorizing tasks into trucks, cars, and scooters. By employing quick sprints—focused bursts of activity—you’ll minimize distractions and reduce cognitive load, making tackling tasks more efficient. Discover how these practical steps can help you clear your mental congestion and build a truly great practice and life.
Join Steve on this journey to transform your decision-making abilities and achieve your goals with newfound clarity and confidence.
In this episode, you will hear:
- An introduction to the Fast Focus Process for efficient decision-making
- Cognitive overload and mental traffic jams
- Strategies for breaking the cycle of anxiety and procrastination
- Utilizing metacognitive techniques to enhance decision-making
- Organizing decisions by size: trucks (big), cars (medium), and scooters (small)
- The importance of scheduling an “unstuck meeting” with your brain
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If there’s a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at steve.riley@atticusadvantage.com.
Supporting Resources:
- Steve Riley, Shareholder, Practice Advisor, & Attorney
- The Fast Focus Process (PDF)
- Decision Fatigue Exhausts Self-Regulatory Resources – But So Does Accommodative and Goal-Pursuit Choices, Kathleen D. Vohs, et al
- Metacognition and Cognitive Monitoring: A New Area of Cognitive–Developmental Inquiry, John H. Flavell
- Guided Discovery in a Community of Learners, Ann L. Brown and Joseph D. Campione
- The Construction of Preference, Sarah Lichtenstein, Paul Slovic, eds
- Metacomprehension and Self-Regulated Learning, John Dunlosky and Katherin Rawson
- Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning, John Sweller
Want to add your insights to Episode 100? Send your video or message to gracer@atticusadvantage.com
Steve Riley
Certified Practice Advisor & Attorney
Steve Riley has coached attorneys for more than 20 years. His one-on-one coaching focuses on a limited number of top producing attorneys committed to taking their practices to new levels of excellence, profit, and personal success. He also presents at group coaching workshops around the country for individual law firms, state bar associations, and other legal organizations.