Today is a morning when things are finally starting to look up. Joe Biden is being sworn in as president after four years of disastrous ineptitude by Trump, vaccines are slowly being rolled out, and we might be able to turn the corner on the pandemic in around six months or so. Many on social media are expressing their first burst of optimism in a long time.
But optimism can be fleeting, and can actually hinder you from taking the action that can create positive change. Far better is to focus on making the small steps that can result in personal growth and getting projects up and running.
Below are some links from the blogosphere that can help you to channel those positive vibes into long-lasting growth.
How to be an explorer of the world. A short manifesto by Keri Smith that eventually became a book of the same name. These are all things you can do to explore without traveling the world (yet). Some highlights:
1. Always be looking (notice the ground beneath your feet).
5. Observe for long durations (and short ones).
7. Notice patterns. Make connections.
9. Incorporate indeterminacy.
12. Trace things back to their origins.
Useful and overlooked skills. This list by Morgan Housel won’t make your career, but will give you some actionable skills to navigate a changing world more effectively.
Respectfully interacting with people you disagree with. Confirmation bias gets easier when people are more connected. But connectivity also means you’ll also run into more people who disagree with you. Benedict Evans: “The more the Internet exposes people to new points of view, the angrier people get that different views exist.” Handling that challenge without digging the hole deeper is one the 21st century’s most important skills. If you’re not blessed with perfect empathy, the trick to opening your mind to those you disagree with is to find people whose views on one topic you respect – that checks the box in your head that says “this person isn’t totally crazy” – and debate them on the topics you disagree about. Without the first step it’s too easy to write someone off before you’ve heard their full argument.
Always helpful with the QAnon followers on your Facebook friend list.
Getting to the point. Everyone’s busy. Make your point using as few words as possible and get out of their way.
I attended a Zoom meeting a few days ago that finished 40 minutes early. Gratitude aplenty.
How to Get Better at Anything. Nicholas Bate’s wisdom keeps getting more refined as the years pass. Here are some highlights from his 22 bullet points to self-improvement:
1. Read the best book on the subject by the best expert.
4. Read that notebook (3) daily.
6. Keep that plan (5) visible.
9. Talk to experts and practitioners.
10. Note exactly what they (9) do. Not necessarily what they say they do.
Think Like a CEO: The Best Way to Improve is to Measure. Yina Huang makes the argument that the best way to actually improve is not by setting goals but developing a system of relevant metrics and improving on them:
You’ll find tons of quotes related to goals: usually some inspirational quote with beautiful typography backset against picturesque scenery that that doesn’t have much to do with the subject matter at hand.
And while I am all about planning, I do challenge this approach to goal setting and attainment. Instead, I wonder if the priority should not be in the plan, but in the metrics you define for success.
With established metrics that align with your goals, I sincerely believe the plan becomes easier to build, pivot, and execute. Because you now have a target, understanding what’s working and what’s not becomes crystal clear. This limits the uncertainty and decision paralysis we often face when it comes to vague and unclear goals. It allows you to experiment, try new things, and then return back to your metric to see if the numbers have improved or not.
May your 2021 be filled with health, success, and growth. Let’s get to work.
(Image courtesy of Markus Spiske on Unsplash)