Mind the gap, Carrer de Còrsega, 180 (2026)

04/12/2023

😡Time Management and the Fiery Fuel of Fury.

Believe it or not, fury can either be your ruin or your rocket fuel. Get sufficiently ticked off and you could probably move mountains! So, let's deep-dive into how to harness this force of nature for better life organization.

👍🏻When does fury play on your team?

When you're sharp-eyed enough to catch it early and deliberately decide to channel it as your superpower. Here's where fury morphs into zeal, helping to slash through procrastination and pump up work efficiency.

👉🏻So, how do you harness it?

Think of it as a short but potent jolt of energy you can point at any task: from transforming a grimy kitchen into a clean haven, to launching your own venture.

👎🏻And when does it not play ball?

When it's not fury, but a full-blown tantrum or just plain old irritation. These guys, ironically, only heighten your tendency to introspect, get you sidetracked, and make you dilly-dally.

🔥A couple more important tidbits:

Firstly, post a fury-fueled leap, you gotta make time for some solid recovery.

And secondly, don't try to cure bouts of rage with wholesome actions. That’s a job better left to your friendly neighborhood psychologist.

27/11/2023

5 Hacks to Survive in a Hustle

When there's too much on your plate, the usual rules of time management crumble: you can't tell a project presentation, Christmas celebration, or a trip to "hold on, please". What to do if you're anticipating a crucial event and you've got to get everything sorted before that?

✔ Invest 15 minutes to take a good, hard look at your to-do list. Purge anything with an unreasonably tight deadline.

✔ Micro-breaks are your lifesaver. At least once every 2-3 hours. Set a timer and run away from everyone! Masha, for example, while preparing for a science festival, would escape with a book on Russian cultural history. Then, she dove back into work re-energized. The result? A restored focus and energy, meaning, time well saved.

✔ Preserve your sleep! At least until the final three-day sprint before the big event.

✔ Keep an eye on your nutrition. You could, for instance, order yourself a week's worth of healthy lunches.

✔ Structure all incoming info, especially if it's not work-related. Don't check them during a meeting or just every 5 minutes. Deal with them in blocks, at least every 2 hours for 15-45 minutes. Write your messages first, then reply to others'.

06/11/2023

Work, Life, Love, Loss: Striking a Balance in a Messy World.

Alright, let's spill the beans. Masha and I, we've given out hundreds of pointers, consults, and heart-to-hearts to help our peeps strike that elusive balance between the grind and the grand life. Heck, we've even launched a business off of it. We've got a whole squad sweating it out with us to help others walk that fine line.

But hey, what's going on in our backyard, you ask?

Just the other day, my supervisor and I were deep diving into this quarterly ebb and flow of life versus work. My game plan for this year was to squeeze in a little more life, ya know? So, we were checking out how that was coming along.

Now, here's the kicker. Last quarter? I actually clocked in more "life" than what was on the docket. Quite a surprise, I'll tell ya. Here's the why though - my romantic entanglement was on the fritz. Right before we called it quits, it was gobbling up all my off-hours and even a chunk of my work time. Both of us pulling out all the stops, wanting the best, pushing everything else to the back burner in a desperate bid to salvage what we had.

When folks talk about this whole work-life balance gig, "life" usually conjures up images of sunrise yoga sessions, morning runs, family dinners, or vacay palm trees. It's not like anyone tucks heart-wrenching breakups, personal health issues, or the struggle of a loved one's illness into that "life" category. It's like "life" in this scenario is supposed to be all glossy and Instagrammable, while the messy, complicated real stuff doesn't get a look in. It's sidelined, off the radar.

In my book though, all of that IS life too, and as odd as it sounds, I reckon it's important to make room for all of that as well. So there you have it, life in all its glory and gore. Striking that balance ain't all sunshine and rainbows, is it?

Regenerate response

31/10/2023

The Struggle of Getting Back Up After Multiple Fails

We've all heard it before - failure is just a part of the journey, and we can't succeed without experiencing a few flops. But when you're in the middle of a losing streak, it can be tough to keep your head up and keep going.

I know this all too well from my own experience. I've tried to find a balance between my work and personal life many times. When I was a broke student, it wasn't possible, and when I switched careers, it became a mess again. Relationships were a struggle, and my work-life balance took a hit. I managed to get back on track, moved to Spain and saved up money to work less and enjoy more free time. But then the war started, and it messed things up all over again. So, I'm giving it another go.

So why is it so hard to keep trying after multiple fails? For one, failing is emotionally draining. It can make us feel like we're not good enough or that we don't have what it takes to succeed. We might even feel embarrassed or ashamed, especially if others know about our failures. All of these negative emotions can make it tough to stay motivated and keep pushing forward.

Another reason why failing is so challenging is that it often requires a change in mindset. When we're used to being successful at everything we do, it can be hard to accept that we might not be perfect or that we might need to work harder. We might feel like we're wasting our time or that we're not making progress, which can be frustrating.

But here's the truth: failing is a crucial part of the path to success. It's through our failures that we can learn the most - what to avoid in the future, what to do differently next time, and how to be more resilient when things don't go as planned.

10/10/2023

I screw-up.

Good day! Ivan from mindthegap speaking. In this post, I'll share one of these screw-ups, but don't fret - I'll get around to the rest in due time. So here goes - I have dozens of important work chats and I've got no skill for managing them. I regularly miss something, forget to send someone something, fail to answer questions in time, or set up a meeting. Even if I manage all this and don't miss a beat, I chat as if I'm some bot, dry as a bone. This is so different from my real-life self that some people think they've got the wrong chat. I've learned to sprinkle in polite phrases everywhere, but making my chat interaction lively is still something I haven't mastered. I'm still learning. My colleagues tease me in a friendly manner, saying they love me, not for my chats. I hope my efforts won't be in vain and I'll master this in the coming year. In a year, I'll gather feedback and let you know how I'm doing with this. Stay tuned...

01/10/2023

# mind the mess / a casual guide

Hey there! It's Ivan speaking.

Ever had your mind feel like a pot of oatmeal? It usually comes with stress and bewilderment. Sure, it’s tempting to avoid that mess, and just watch some YouTube instead, right?

However, the less attention we pay to the chaos, the worse it gets. From missed deadlines to headaches, bad moods to poor decisions, the fallout isn't pretty. Moreover, when YouTube isn't enough to distract, the chances of resorting to alcohol skyrocket.

So, what to do?

First off, observe your mental mush from a distance. Sounds funny to step aside from your own mind, doesn't it? But really, adopt the role of a journalist or a scientist, scrutinizing the happenings.

Important! Don't rush to fix anything, even if you spot some actionable item. Even if you get it - don't run to act. Action matters, yes, but understanding comes first.

Secondly, mental oatmeal usually means multiple voices talking over each other, leading to unconnected shouts in the overall racket.

Identify 4-5 different voices and let them speak. You don't have to agree or disagree, just let them have their say. Write down their points on your phone or a piece of paper. They might sound absurd, we're just attentively listening and observing.

Usually, at this point, anxiety and confusion linked to the mental mess decrease. But not always, sometimes everything stays unclear, which is okay.

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For the next down-to-earth and friendly piece of this guide, just take a casual stroll to the next post. See you there!

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This here's part two of the guide. If you're feeling a bit lost in the chaos, don't fret. Just swing back to the previous post, and you'll find the start of this down-to-earth, friendly guide. Catch you there!

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Lastly, find the most rejected voices, the ones you want to throw overboard your body. This step is tricky, often exacerbating the inner conflict. You might even question the sanity of this guide and loathe talking to these 'jerks'.

However, evicting them doesn't work; they always come back. The only way out is through – dialogue with them.

How to negotiate depends on the context. Sometimes simply acknowledging them is enough, sometimes it's a bigger job. In my experience, it always worked out eventually, but not always right away.

Once you've settled the dispute, clarity will follow. And most importantly, you'll have the time and space for what you truly love. Good luck!

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26/09/2023

# How can we overcome the difficulty of trying after multiple fails?

1. **Reframe Failure:** Understand that failure is not a reflection of your worth but rather a part of the learning process. It helps us identify what doesn't work and guides us towards what might.
2. **Adopt a Growth Mindset:** Embrace the concept that skills and abilities can be developed over time. A growth mindset will help you see failure not as a dead-end, but as an opportunity for growth and learning.
3. **Set Realistic Goals:** It's essential to have achievable goals. By setting smaller, incremental goals, you can celebrate your progress along the way, boosting your confidence and motivation.
4. **Practice Resilience:** Learn to bounce back from setbacks. This involves maintaining a positive outlook, managing your emotions, and being persistent.
5. **Seek Support:** Don't hesitate to seek help from mentors, coaches, or supportive peers. They can provide advice, share their own experiences with failure, and offer encouragement.
6. **Self-Care:** Regular exercise, a healthy diet, sufficient sleep, and mindfulness exercises can improve your mood and energy levels, enabling you to better cope with setbacks.

20/09/2023

# Weird unexpected stuff

Hey, it's Masha on this side of the screen, and it's time to talk about my favorite subject: the weird and wonderful world of unexpected stuff.

Stuff has a knack for happening when you least expect it. I've come to sort these surprise life events into a few categories:

💫 The "Oops, forgot to plan for this even though I meant to" type

💫 The "someone piled additional tasks on me."

💫 The "Eureka, I just had a brilliant idea" type (yes, unexpected can be sweet too)

💫 The "Caught off guard by emotions" type. Whether someone hurt your feelings or made your day, it's all about making room for these experiences in your life.

💫 The "Too good to refuse" type when you're offered something you just can't say no to

💫 And some truly unexpected event: you fell ill or a pipe burst in your house.

🤡 Now, why am I sharing this? The other day, 10 minutes before a consultation, I HAD A PIPE BURST. No kidding. With some quick thinking, I turned it off, threw all the towels I could find at it, and barely made it in time.

Can you picture it? A time management specialist late for a consultation because of a house flood. It's like "The dog ate my homework" in the world of time management.

And yesterday, 5 minutes before the start of a consultation, when I was hugging my daughter, the door fell off the closet and landed right on my head! Talk about the universe insisting I remember to discuss weird, unexpected stuff with my client.

💩Three more consultations lined up today. Can't wait to see what surprise life has in store this time.

09/12/2022

Be productive in the long run 1:

You probably heard that if you want to stay productive in the long run, you must not get overworked. There is lots of evidence to that statement. Scientists and hr-directors all agree about that simple rule.

Still, in the day-to-day life of my colleagues, clients, and friends (and mine as well), I regularly notice that we act as though we are sure that overwork is the magic of productivity, the best solution one could ever imagine.

Why do we act against our convictions?
There is always a cause for each overwork we go through, I know that. Have you ever told yourself something like, «I’m only overworked for this important reason, hopefully, last time this year. I know that’s bad, but I need to have the stuff done as soon as possible that is really important for me». We all know this sneaky thought is pure BS. There were so many “last times”, way more than a handful. Yet we still put enormous efforts into making ourselves believe that BS thought - or at least making ourselves pretend we believe it.

How come?
That’s not a rhetorical question, by the way.
Can we ask you to pay some attention to that situation when it occurs to you next time? Not to stop that immediately, but rather to observe it.

14/11/2022

Why we are "mind the gap"

“Mind the gap” is the famous announcement you can hear in “The Tube”, the London Metro. Why did we take our name from that announcement? It materialized from the conversation between two specialists: Masha, who focused on solving time management issues, and Ivan, who helped people with their psychological problems. We knew each other for years, lived in the same city (gorgeous Barcelona), and sometimes, at lunch or sitting in the bar, talked about our professional experiences. After a while, we noticed one interesting thing: we both had some crucial gaps in our work. In addition, these gaps also occurred to our clients. We discovered at least 3 connected subjects to talk about:

- Having worked with hundreds of people as a time management coach, Masha realized that some crucial schedule problems were caused by psychological issues. Her clients could notice those issues with her help, but without a psychologist, it was possible to fix only part of those problems. Hence she had a gap in this area.
- Ivan knew for sure that psychological help may improve job performance. But he also found that not all the problems could be solved this way alone.
- Finally, we both noticed that fixing all those issues was ineffective if an employee sought to fight for their rights to well-being with their employer rather than cooperating with them. So a huge gap can be noticed here as well.

Those gaps!

The gap between expectation and reality.

The gap between the needs of people and the opportunities of specialists.

The gap between the desire of the company to support the employee, and their real needs.

But what if we could unite with employers and employees, and implement a complex approach to both time management and psychological support?

This way we could reach the ultimate goal: make the life of the employees more comfortable - and get them to work more effectively!

That is how some Barcelona bar conversations led to our Mind The Gap project. Because only if you can mind your gap, it's possible to fix it.

Mind the gap

04/12/2023

27/11/2023

06/11/2023

31/10/2023

10/10/2023

01/10/2023

26/09/2023

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