From the monthly archives: November 2010
Recently, writing has been like trudging through molasses. It’s been hard and heavy. It’s time to let my writing get a little bit messy. It’s uncomfortable and so outside my comfort zone. I’m a recovering perfectionist. Perfectionism always seems so stifling.
I know the tricks of working through (or avoiding writer’s block). They are invaluable to me and many others, but this isn’t going to be one of those posts. This isn’t about breaking through writer’s block – it’s about experiencing it. It’s about allowing it to break me, and enable a break through.
overcoming hurdles and creative limitations by experiencing discomfort
We are often quick to want to push through and get to the other side of discomfort. Whether we’re talking about writer’s block, a personal situation or professional one we try to get through uncomfortable or painful moments as quickly as possible. However, sometimes the really good stuff lives within those raw moments.
I am a firm believer in feedback. It’s something that was instilled in me as an important skill, both to receive gracefully and to offer honestly. Given my recent work and life transitions obtaining feedback has become a much more proactive process.
While feedback might not always be easy to hear it presents us with an opportunity to improve and change. Creating our own personalized feedback loop can be incredibly valuable, keep us on track, and focused on achieving all we aspire for.
observe what’s going on around you
Where does feedback come from? It comes from our friends, family, co-workers, managers, professional peers, or even the barista at your favorite cafe. Feedback cues are all around us we just have to listen. Each encounter offers insight into how we behave, work, and interact with others. Are there improvements that could be made to these interactions that would have better results or simply a more positive feeling.
ask for feedback from a range of people
Are you looking to improve a specific area of your work or life? Perhaps you’re interested in taking personal stock of your strengths and reveal areas of improve. Human beings are dynamic and therefore we need feedback that’s multi dimensional. Feedback should come from a group of people that are representative of our own dynamic nature.
This tweet from Geoff Livingston really got me thinking about my last post. Was I being too insular? In many ways yesterday’s post was intended as purely self exploratory. It’s not uncommon to struggle with self identify and personal revisions. This awareness often leads to improvements and growth. However, yesterday’s post should have been less about me and more about our exploring of communal growth.
take a look at how you grow.
How do you improve yourself personally and professionally? Some of us grow in solitude, pulling from within, but many of us value and seek communal growth. Regardless of ‘how’, it’s important to be aware of what you need to improve and cultivate growth throughout the many facets of your own life, profession, and inner self.
others enable us to see what we can’t.
We are all capable of amazing things; handmade creations, intellectual ideas, unconditional generosity, and so much more. However, we can benefit from the growth that comes from our community of peers. We are able to witness opportunities and potential through the honest lens of others. Growth in many forms comes from experience and the wisdom offered by those we encounter (online or in person).
I crave community, conversations, and reflections. Often on a daily basis. It not only nourishes me, but helps me to achieve clarity in ways beyond my own doing, thinking, and being. It takes a community to raise a child, but also to cultivate self awareness and release the potential found in many of us. I [...]
I crave community, conversations, and reflections. Often on a daily basis. It not only nourishes me, but helps me to achieve clarity in ways beyond my own doing, thinking, and being. It takes a community to raise a child, but also to cultivate self awareness and release the potential found in many of us. I am who I because of the many relationships I have encountered along the way. Some have been limited in length of time, but no less limited in their impact. They have all shaped me.
For me, I am seeking something even greater than a community, I am seeking a tribe. To many this is probably one in the same, but not for me. Tribal members may come from a variety of the communities I am apart of, but these tribesmen and tribeswomen hold even greater meaning and purpose. These are soul changes and motivators. They reach a deeper level. This is not to say that my communities are minimized, they just serve a different purpose and cause within my life. Not better or worse, just different.
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