Sometime around the end of the 20th century, busyness became not just a way of life, but a badge of honour for many, especially in the western world. In fact, the busier you are, the faster you work, the more you can multitask – the better. That is how our society now measures competence and success. If you’re busy, you’re important.
| Book Name | 5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There is Never Enough Time |
| Author | Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram |
| Book Language | English |
| Publisher | Wiley |
| Purchase Now | Buy from Amazon |
Yet, leadership experts Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram would argue we’re measuring the wrong thing. It’s not about how busy you are, but rather feeling present and productive in every aspect of your life.
In their new book, 5 GEARS: HOW TO BE PRESENT AND PRODUCTIVE WHEN THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME, they present a revolutionary method to not only grow your relational intelligence, but increase your daily impact as well.
Relational intelligence is a social skill, but it focuses specifically on learning and understanding how we engage in our relationships. And according to the authors, the key to doing it well is being able to shift into the right gear or mindset at the right time. The 5 Gears metaphor is based on a manual stick-shift transmission, with each gear correlating to a corresponding behaviour that people shift into at certain times and with certain people. Each gear has a purpose, and if you apply this driving analogy to the way you “drive” your life – aligning the right gear with the right speed and situation – it will allow for a smooth journey.
The 5 Gears are:
5th Gear
You are fully focused and in the zone, working without interruption. This gear is personal; it’s where we shift when we need to work on our own, think strategically, or be singularly productive with one task.
4th Gear
This is the work gear. You are checking off your to-do list and often multitasking. Most people spend their work day in this gear.
3rd Gear
Time to socialize. This is the gear for being present in social spaces with a variety of different people. This can often be related to work, such as a networking event.
2nd Gear
Take time to connect with family and friends without an agenda or pressure to work/be productive.
1st Gear
This is your time to fully rest and recharge. Crashing doesn’t count and recharging does not happen the same way for everyone.
Your gear order is strategically important to your life. You need to understand the tendencies of where you spend your time or in what gears you tend to get stuck in as well as those that are harder for you to experience. “By understanding how the five gears work,” write Kubicek and Cockram, “You can improve your ability to connect with the world around you.
All too often people go through life without truly knowing how to connect, and as a result, miss out on experiences and relationships.”
5 GEARS is the definitive primer on boosting your emotional intelligence, and readers will come away speaking a new language. The authors take a complex issue and make it simple for anyone to understand and implement. You’re not too busy to make a change – it’s time to be intentional about the way you live and work in the world.