From the desk of Adam Thomas

This month I thought a lot about things being “new.”

Here are three final thoughts:

• New isn’t just an object – Often I thought of something new as a “brand new X” when there is so much more to it. Change your pace, change the way you do something, change how you start or change how it ends. There are plenty of ways to play with new during the month.
• Fresh takes on old things – After finding an old notebook I realized I could take on something old and see it with new eyes based on my experience. Your old work can be a new gift for your current self.
• Habits carry you – It’s exhausting to think about “new” things. That is why habits are important. When you have a script to follow you open up headspace to think about exploring.

In a pinch, you just follow the recipe. 

Do A, then B, then C.

No thought needed, because thinking is hard.

When you work on something and feel some joy while getting better, that is a special thing.

Leveling up is important – not just for the hobby itself, it’s important for us to find meaning.

If you know what that is, great. Ask yourself what new thing you’ll need to take out of your life to do that often.

If you don’t, ask yourself what you are willing to dispose of in your life to explore?

Are you involved?

Are you taking a chance?

Are you holding back?

Are you thinking it through?

Are you giving yourself a chance to think?

Are you scheduling a due date?

Are you communicating?

Is it worth it? 

Comfort breeds mediocrity.

Ask yourself, when is the last time you placed yourself, by chance or circumstance, into the inner turmoil of tension. 

Making something no one asked for and saying “here I made this” is a great way of finding that space.

Good luck.

Speaking of “uncomfortability” I am starting Instagram Live Sundays on my handle @thehonorableat on Instagram :-). Every week at around noon I will be taking Q&A and talking about life and leadership. I hope you’ll join me.

This post is a different post than the one yesterday, and the one after this one will be different than the one today.

When I woke up this morning it was a different day than yesterday, and the day after will be different than the one today.

Where I am now is different from where I was yesterday, and where I’ll be tomorrow is different than today.

All of these changes happen with or without us paying attention. We grow or shrink based on our experiences, and every experience is different. Even if we think we don’t. We do.

We see based on our perception, which springs from our experience, so we see differently every day.

You can choose to pay attention to all of this context or shield yourself from it but know it changes anyway.

Sometimes leadership is taking your teams frustration and making it yours.

That sucks, but it’s part of the gig.

Kinda a weird spin on D’Evils by Jay-Z, so here it is.

Leadership has many facets.

One facet is transforming energy.

To get the concept, we have to take a step back and recognize a few things:

• Energy cannot be created or destroyed.
• Your team is full of energy,
• Energy isn’t “energetic.”
• Energy reflected is an emotional state.

Now, with those three things understood, let’s go back to the point – leaders need to own the transforming of energy.

Your team’s energy – or state, can be many things. They can be happy, sad, depressed, frustrated, angry, discouraged, or many other emotions.

Your job as a leader is to take it in, understand it, and push it in a direction that is going to accomplish the goals of the team.

This work is hard. I can’t tell you how to do it, because every team is different.

I cannot mince words here; you are going to get frustrated. I still do, and I’ve been leading teams for almost ten years now. The results though, when you move a group from despondent to energetic, are amazing.

Good luck.

Faster or slower?

We often think “new” is something different.

That’s true, new can come in the form of something different. There is, however, more than just that.

“New” can come in a change of pace. 

What if you box the event with time where you have to finish it as fast as possible or stick to doing something until the buzzer sounds?

How does your day change if you walked those steps instead of taking the elevator(slower)? What if you took the express instead of the local, even though the local is more comfortable(faster)?