Lost in a Crowd
This is something that I am constantly at odds with, especially at this moment in my journey. There are so many fantastic people around me doing the same work. I mean, even in the same small community I live in. It’s hard to pull yourself out of the pack and present yourself as different. It’s […]
Open Doors
It is a common expression that you should always be looking to open doors and never close them. Most of the time, I would absolutely agree with that. Doors here are a metaphor for clients, opportunities, and the kind of work that we are doing. But while we need to stay in an open and […]
Influencing the Present
I still remember meeting my partner’s grandmother for the first time. She was petit, determined, and fastidious to a degree I have never seen before. Fierce, loyal, and would have taught the most ardent environmental warrior a thing or two about recycling. She had grown up in the Depression, so it was always fascinating to […]
Real Communication
The quickest way to lose any group you are working with is to not engage in real communication. Real in that way that you are communicating from a place of honesty and directness. If you want to lead then you need those people that you are working with to want to follow. It’s difficult to […]
Making Choices
You are going to spend a lot of time in your life making choices. If you are reactive, this will be an agonizing process of looking at the pros and cons, weighing them against your past, and turning into a fortune-teller to see about the future. It’s exhausting, anxiety inducing, and a trap. If you […]
Leadership is Wrong
Or, more accurately, they shouldn’t be afraid to be. From politicians to CEOs to teachers in classrooms, being wrong is just part of the job. Understanding that leadership is wrong, at least some of the time, allows us to adjust more quickly. To say that you are never wrong as a leader is exhausting. No […]
Consistency
Consistency in your daily writing is not something you owe to anyone else. Taking the time to write is a gift that you owe yourself. And while success in writing is the dream, the goal is to get better, both in terms of skill and in terms of balance. Trust me, when it comes to […]
Know Your Moment
For some of us, this is entirely about routine. You write one thousand words -every day, without fail- right after breakfast. That’s when the mood strikes you, or when you know to tame it, and you are at your most productive. I think that’s incredibly efficient and self-aware. You must know your moment, in the […]
Inching Forward
Forward progress is still progress. We don’t need to be embarrassed or compare ourselves to others in terms of where we are and where we would like to be. Success is as much about luck as it is about planning. Growth is as much about persistence as it is about being fortunate. Inching forward is […]
Reflection
There is no moving forward without looking back. Reflection is a practice that I have always embedded in my time in education, and I am finding it just as valuable in writing. It is a powerful tool and it has to be used effectively, mindfully, and not sporadically. We need to find ways to embed […]