Creative from New York NY
750 Words – How are you going to write that much every day? Well, one work at a time. Working on adding 750 words to my routine, as a way to jumpstart my writing and get a little deeper. Wish me luck.
Tell Someone You Like Their Work – I promise you they will appreciate it. We all need a bump sometimes. And if you are leading a team, “Thank You” and “I like that” should be things you say daily – at a minimum. If you say “I thank them with a paycheck” – grow up.
Happy July – Feels like a month of rest and relaxation – it’s hot. Stay cool. Stay rested. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do :-).
Follow Up – We lose a lot of productivity through no follow-up. When chatting with someone, especially professionally, add the followup to your process. One email can change your world.
Finding – you’ll find it, but are you willing to do it? Finding is hard. What’s even harder is publicly saying you are “finding.” We are all looming for someone to be right. Even if we are aware – right is often a lie. Certainty is calming.
Determination – this is hard to find – but if you are finding , you need. If you aren’t ready to hear the nonsense when finding then work on building the way you can. Determination is hard, but the good news is it is a skill.
Find Something – When it gets wild, find something to hold on to. Sounds simple, but during rough times, finding those bedrocks and being aware of them is important to your mental health. Find that thing and hold on tight so it’s there when you absolutely need it.
Breathe – In a heated argument, it is free to take a step back and breathe. Once you do that, take a second to run down what the argument is to get alignment, and drive the discussion to solutions. You’ll feel better, they will feel better, and you’ll get something done.
Rough – When it rains it pours. It gets rough out here. I wish us all safety.
Scared – When it’s rough it’s scary. Not much else to say there.
Abstinence – is good every once in a while. I will be doing a tech version of it in August. What will this include?
The first few days, just looking to get through the first few days.
Clarity – I’m doing it for a sense of clarity. I use my phone as an escape, and I want to make sure I am clear with what I am using it for. Attention is golden, no need to waste it.
Power loves means testing – What do I mean by that?
Means testing allows for barriers. Barriers are often constructed by the folks in power and are designed to make sure people aren’t able to get to what they need.
Instead of adding stipulation, real change happens with things are universal and cannot be impeded. That free speech thing is great, how great would it be if someone said free speech*.
We know what that answer is.
Product = Problem – Product people need to know the problem because no one else is thinking about it. Problems help us focus. Problems help us prioritize. Problems help us communicate. Also, problems are ambiguous, you’ll have to keep wrapping your arms around it.
Reflections – I spent some time in Kansas City last week. Here are two reflections:
AirBNB has completely transformed the market for apartments. Many exist just as “hotel rooms” and apartment complexes have transformed staff into concierges. This drives up prices and puts people in positions they didn’t sign up for. I’d be interested to see how this continues to evolve int he next few years.
BBQ is awesome with pickles. Didn’t know that, now I am obsessed with adding pickles to everything.
Last Black Man in San Francisco – this is a powerful movie dealing with racism, gentrification and generational trauma. Last Black Man in San Francisco is not for the crowd that wants to be guided through the movie experience – you’ll have to think through this movie – not because it’s unclear, but because it reflects humanity so well. Nothing is black and white, it is all shades of grey.
It is possible to leave the film with different conclusions and all those conclusions be right. Highly reccomend.
Debt Relief – Bernie Sanders is drafting legislation to cancel all student debt. I think this is a good thing. We are in a dire situation. The country’s wealth has moved in one direction – towards the wealthy. The latest report says that the bottom fifty percent has captured ZERO percent of the wealth generated in the last 25 years. ZERO. That is where we are. Things like free college that comes from taxing the people who acquired all the wealth is a start to rectifying the situation. We either start getting some of that wealth back by legislation or we open the door to a future where none of this matters.
Rest – Sleep in, sleep well, sleep often. I didn’t last night, and I am paying the mental price today. Thinking about a sleep coach. Do those exist?
Cheap – is good when quality isn’t important. Figure out where quality isn’t important and get it from CVS and the dollar store. Invest that money back into the things where quality matter (if you are curious – I invest HEAVILY in trash bags).
Easy – When it’s built a certain way, it should probably be easy to put together. If it’s hard, then usually it’s user error. Find the user error.
From the desk of Adam Thomas 