Mastering Focus, Attention & The 10X Growth Mindset

Hi all,

Welcome to this week’s edition of Selim's Notes! Here’s a look back at what I’ve been up to, what I’ve learned, and what I’m focusing on in the week ahead.

🌍 Where I’ve Been

This week, I spent most of my time in Gaziantep, Türkiye, organizing and delivering a Lessons Learned Workshop for our Young Humanitarian Internship Program with the Humanitarian Leadership Academy and Save the Children Türkiye Country Office.

This was one of the most exciting and insightful lessons learned workshops I’ve had the chance to facilitate. Over the past four months, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring four passionate young humanitarians as part of a cohort of nine dedicated interns.

💡 What I’ve Been Working On

This week, my focus has been on:

• Finalizing the YHIP program and preparing the interns' outputs for publication.

• Client and personal email courses—working on new automated email sequences for both my projects and my clients.

• Exploring new opportunities in humanitarian consultancy, with a focus on partnerships and business development.

I’ve also been continuing my work on expanding my newsletter business—if you’re looking for help with newsletters or email sequences, let’s chat!

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

📚 What I’m Reading & Listening To

This week, I’ve been reading 10X is Easier Than 2X by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy.

One key takeaway that really resonated with me is the idea that aiming for exponential growth (10X) is often easier and more effective than settling for incremental improvements (2X).

Instead of getting caught up in small, incremental progress, focusing on a 10X vision forces us to simplify, eliminate distractions, and concentrate only on what truly moves the needle.

I also revisited Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday.

One lesson that stuck with me is how discipline isn’t about restriction—it’s about freedom. True discipline isn’t about willpower alone, but about building systems, habits, and routines that make it easy to stay consistent. It ties directly into the 10X mindset—without discipline, big goals remain just ideas.

How does the idea of thinking big versus small play a role in your work or personal growth?

🏃‍♂️ Health, Fitness & Running

• Steps Update: Last week, I averaged 14,914 steps per day, totaling 104,398 steps (approximately 85 km).

• Workout Focus: Continued my gym and running routine despite the cold weather.

• Upcoming Goal: Maintain consistency while improving my strength training and recovery strategies.

Staying active keeps my mind clear and focused—what’s one fitness goal you’re working on?

📝 Daily Reflections

Over the past week, I’ve written about focus, attention, and 10X growth in my Daily Reflections newsletter. Here are some highlights:

1. Who Not How: The Secret to Scaling – The fastest way to grow is not by doing everything yourself, but by finding the right people to help you execute your vision.

2. Active Recovery: The Key to Sustainable Growth – Burnout is the enemy of long-term success. True recovery is not about stopping but about refueling in the right way.

3. 30 Days of Writing: Lessons from a Daily Habit – What I’ve learned from committing to daily writing and how it has transformed my clarity, discipline, and impact.

4. Deeds Over Words: Living What You Preach – Your actions define you, not your intentions. What are you actually doing with your time?

5. Put Your Own Mask on First – Prioritizing yourself isn’t selfish—it’s necessary to serve others better.

6. The Emotional Bank Account – Just like financial wealth, relationships require consistent deposits of trust, care, and effort.

7. Your Life as a Movie: Are You the Hero or the Extra? – Are you passively moving through life, or are you actively shaping your story?

8. The Trap of Details: How Overthinking Slows You Down – The difference between progress and perfection is knowing when to stop analyzing and start executing.

9. Closing the Loop: Ending Your Day with Clarity – A simple framework to close your day, reduce stress, and set yourself up for success tomorrow.

10. Mind Your Own Business: The Power of Focusing on What You Control – Success comes from focusing on what’s within your control and ignoring distractions that don’t serve you.

You can explore all my recent reflections here.

You can also read my daily atomic essays (concise 250-word insights) here.

🚀 Plans for This Week

Here’s what I’m focusing on:

• Work/Business Goal: Following up with new email course clients and refining my email automation systems.

• Personal Growth Goal: Deepening my focus—reducing distractions, refining habits, and applying time-blocking more intentionally.

• Health & Fitness Goal: Staying consistent with my gym/running routine and enhancing my mobility/recovery practices.

What are your top priorities for the week?

📩 Closing Note

Thank you for reading this week’s Selim’s Notes! If you’ve ever wanted to start a newsletter, I’ve created StartYourNewsletter.Today to help you launch and grow! 🚀

Let me know if you have any thoughts, questions, or suggestions—hit reply, I’d love to hear from you!

—

P.S. ✍️ Want to start writing daily? Join Ship 30 for 30: bit.ly/ship30for30_

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Warm regards,
Selim