It’s all hard.
It’s also the path to becoming better.
Getting your head handed to you is a part of the gig if you want to get better.
Knowing a clear outcome helps you navigate that list.
It makes you feel vulnerable, but your vulnerability is the key to growth.
How do you make a good outcome?
Ask yourself the following questions:
Answering those three questions will get you well on your way.
“What are we looking for?”
“I don’t know”
“How are we going to get there?”
“I don’t know”
“Let’s get to work.”
Sounds ridiculous, but that is how many companies operate. There is no structure, no plan, no outcome. We just want to get to work.
It is a wonder we get better at anything at all.
So when this happens, what should you ask for?
The next time this happens, before people get to work, just reply with an outcome. It can even be your own.
“We are doing X to accomplish Y that will bring us to Z.”
Outcomes help us focus on the work we are doing and mitigates the risk of our teammates losing the plot.
Whatever you say at that moment may not be right, but its a starting point where you can become better.
This month we will talk about outcomes so when we do work, we can get aligned at the moment and give us a critique point in the future.
Also – RIP Nipsey Hu$$le. That one hit hard.
Old habits die hard, new habits are fragile, and part of the gap between the two is showing up.
That includes when you are scared, or on vacation, or not happy. It means compromise and consistency. Failure isn’t an option, it is an inevitability.
You have to keep going, though.
It also means a hefty dose of FOMO. “No” is your word of the day. And yes, people being disappointed, it is an inevitability.
You have to keep going, though.
Either way, you have to keep going.
Some lessons learned
When do you know to step up?
The secret is – you never will.
The best thing you can do, for yourself and others, is to try to understand your risks (is it worth it?) and go – go as soon as possible.
Every step down is a step up.
Get moving.
A Break is the secret to sustained success.
Having nothing is hard.
Nothing hidden here. We often come to the work that we do with so many unconscious bias.
We may think we had nothing, but often that is a lie. Most of my readers, as much as we may think we had it rough, are coming from some sort of privilege.
It is important that we remember that, and honor the idea that having nothing is hard.
Adam is afraid of bees. He realizes, however, that the future is impossible without them. Because of this, he realizes he has to embrace them. He judges his life on how often he engages the “bees.
My bio on LinkedIn.
We have to dance with fear or else we stay hidden.
Sometimes, the problem is rooted in our inability to see a different view of the whole thing.
IF we are stuck in one perspective, we limit our problem-solving ability. Reframe the problem.
Be a problem solver.
Art lies in our ability to be uncomforable – to make something happen in the space provided to us.
Art can transform even the most cold parts of humanity, only if the artist tries to engage with his uncomfortablity and deliver that truth, any truth to power.
Art is power.
