Tag: progress

Blog Post

Distraction and Compromise

Post author By jrlsage
Post date July 23, 2017

Be OK with Weird – Progress Matters

If you saw my work, it might look insane to you.

When I arrive, I start writing on post-it notes, scribbling on notepads and drinking coffee.

I then throw my cell phone into a bag and put it in another room while getting a bottle of water.

Finally, I close every window and turn on “Freedom.”

When I do that routine, it is a way for me to trick myself. I remove distractions and wall myself off.

Above my monitor, I have the words “distraction” and “compromise.”

Both of them are my friends. Both want fun. Compromise tells me I can do 15 minutes of twitter and then come back. Distraction reminds me to text someone.

I look at the two “post it” notes and go right back to work. I know I can’t listen if I plan on turning ideas into impact.

How are those two friends stopping you?

Tags discussion, friends, progress

Blog Post

The Rabbit and The Turtle Is A Lie

Post author By jrlsage
Post date July 17, 2017

There is no “race” to win.

No, there isn’t a competition between you and your coworker.
Nobody keeps track of anything until something is wrong.
No, there is no universal scoreboard.

If we let our ego tell it, the world is a reality show, and we are the star. We better do something big with our stardom too, because we could get canceled.

This idea is nonsense.

Take your time, do it right, and maintain your focus. The truth is, although we hear about the “Tortoise and the Hare,” in real life, there is no race.

Only progress.

Tags myth, nonsense, progress

Blog Post

Protect Your Ego or Encourage Progress

Post author By jrlsage
Post date November 16, 2016

Being wrong is uncomfortable, so we protect ourselves.

Our minds will do anything not to feel the sting of being wrong.

This point is important to remember when you work on a project where you feel a connection.

Whenever you ask for other opinions or subject a project to the market, things might not function the way you thought they would.

Accept that.

Then decide what you want to protect, ego or progress.

Ego – Hide. Double down. Blame.
Progress – Discuss. Pivot. Accept.

Think of it this way, either you protect your ego, or you defend progress.

You can’t do both.

Tags Ego, growth, progress

Blog Post

Do You Kill your Darlings With Process?

Post author By jrlsage
Post date July 6, 2015
No Comments on Do You Kill your Darlings With Process?

Kill your darlings.

The phrase used by many people in many places. Most books about writing feature it, and likewise with any book on creativity. We discuss how hard it is, how you feel afterwards, and what brings you to do it. I think this discussion should happen, and often. Being able to get past your earlier work and move on with a fresh mind is not only a good thing, but essential if you want to make your best work and make it count.

So this is a good thing.

Now that the background is out-of-the-way, I would love to know how people get into the process of doing it. How do people cut things out? How do they decide to do it? When do they decide to do it? I am often lost on these questions. In my experience, I haven’t heard anyone really discuss the process of killing darlings, just that it is a good thing to do. Do people pick out a day to get it done? Are groups based around this idea? Do people feel safe letting people know the projects they are working on just to have them say that they need to go away?

These are tough questions because I don’t know of a class for that. I think it would be a fun experiment to try it out though. I’m writing this because I find a lot of it difficult. To sit there and label everything doesn’t ever feel good, because we always find out we are either doing way to much and we have to let people down, or way to little and we should have energy to spare. Honesty hurts, and that’s why I think a process makes even more sense. So yes, kill your darlings, but as you do, write your process of doing so. If you are reading this and do have one – I would love to talk to you. Send it over to @TheHonorableAT on twitter and lets talk it through.

Tags kill your darlings, process, progress

Blog Post

Late Starts and Progress

It isn’t ever to late to start. Things happen, and mistakes made. As human beings nothing is perfect and bad things that ruin your schedule are unavoidable. Just like when things were good everything fell into place, bad things can pop up and ruin your day. It is easy then, to throw in the towel, and assume that the work will happen tomorrow.

When I make this promise to myself, I rarely calculate the next days work, and soon I fall behind.Time is a finite resource, and it is something we can’t get back. My default behavior is to ignore this and push things off to later. What I have noticed though, when I do something else, positive things happen.

When I change that behavior from pushing it off to showing up anyway, good things happen. Some get stuck in the past, but by showing up, you are still moving forward.

That is all you can do,show up. Even after everything started without you – show up.

You don’t show up for anyone else benefit – you show up for your own. The work has to get done, regardless of what happened before hand. It’s about progress – nothing else.

Tags late, progress, showing up

Blog Post

Go Help.

Reaching out doesn’t mean people will accept the hand.

Do it righteously, and the right opportunities will appear.

Tags help, progress, sleep