All in Aspirations
Today's episode is short and sweet. It's about something Brene Brown shared about a core realization of midlife.
And that is that we need to let go of our armor, let go of all the protections we put up. That, in order to become ourselves, we need to become vulnerable.
One of the ways that my firm helps organizations is by forecasting commodity prices. That is, we study specific commodities (e.g. High Density Polyethylene) and, using both quantitative models as well as qualitative analysis, provide a view as to what will happen to the prices of those commodities 6 to 12 months out. It’s not a perfect science but it’s helpful in driving better decision making.
Every so often, I’ll have someone ask us for a detailed 24 month forecast. And every time, my answer is the same.
Rented space can be a good thing. It provides for flexibility and minimal commitment, allowing us to piggyback on someone else’s work to serve our ends. Rented space can be a good and useful thing - for the short term.
Longer than that, the problem that arises, is one of control. When you rent, by definition you don’t own. Sure, you might be able to paint the walls and move the furniture around a bit, but if you want to make structural changes, more often than not, you’re out of luck.
In today's episode, I recount a Facebook post from the actor Kevin Smith, and something he was told (handed, actually) when he was 19 years old.
It's a lesson that not everyone is always looking out for us, and ultimately, our path forward - our story - is down to us.
I talk a lot on this blog about ‘doing the work’. That is, in order to get to where we want to go, we need to put in the time and effort to get us there.
More often than not, this means A LOT of effort - long hours and plenty of personal sacrifices. The bigger the goals, the more that’s demanded of us. I stand by that.
And while everyone’s different, and each and every one of us have different levels of endurance, stamina and focus, sooner or later, there has to be some tempering.
Nature loads the gun, nurture pulls the trigger. Or genes load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.
I believe this phrase (using “genes” and “lifestyle” instead of “nature” and “nurture”) was first used in a research paper about obesity, but it applies to so many aspects of our lives. It speaks to the complexity of life, of how we might be oriented and what we might be able to influence.
There’s a perception many of us have that what we need is more choice.
It’s a perception that has filtered its way into all aspects of our lives.
When we’re deciding which college to go to, we’ll stack the number we apply to, to give us more options. I personally applied to 8 schools when I was planning on Business School, even though a couple of them I had absolutely no intention of attending, even if I got in. Why did I do that?
We come up with all sorts of projects that we want to get done, goals we want to achieve, but we end up paralyzed by the thought of where and how to begin. We want to do it well and do it right, but in that process of deliberation, we end up doing nothing.
So, as I’ve talked about before, better to just start. But how? And where?
Years ago, I was developing a website when someone I worked with asked me what I was doing about SEO. As I explained my thoughts, it became clear that he was less interested (if at all) in the fundamentals of SEO (strong content) than he was in how we could best ‘game’ the system.
I suggested that tricking the Google algorithm wouldn’t be a great strategy, and certainly not one that could be considered long-lasting.
Risk is a hard concept to really come to grips with.
I mean, we intuitively understand that everything we do comes with some measure of risk, which we accept as a normal part of everyday life. For example, crossing the street, driving a car, or getting on a flight entails risk, but we don’t generally give it too much (if any) thought.
I’ve always had this problem when it comes to the concept and practice of self-improvement. And that is, that I’m incredibly hard on myself as I’m in the process of achieving my goals.
What I mean by that is that once I’ve set a goal, then I presume myself to be not ‘fully complete’ until that goal has been achieved.
We’re only 3 days into 2022 and you’ve probably already been inundated with all sorts of advice about your resolutions, what you should focus on in this year and how to get there.
I don’t want to repeat any of that, but what I can offer one simple piece of advice, especially for the resolution-weary.
Well, it’s the end of another year and, for many of us, it’s that time when we reflect on the year just past and, more importantly, what we’d like to achieve in the one coming up.
I’ve been doing exactly that - considering all of the different goals I’d like to achieve and assessing what it will take to achieve them. This analysis - while hopeful in its intent - also brings up the inevitable:
In the last episode, I talked about how everyone has a platform and how that can be a good thing.
But having a platform isn't for everyone, as it comes with a set of responsibilities around what we say and how we say it. Today's show speaks to some of what I believe are the ground rules for establishing your own platform.
The thing about progress is that it isn’t always exciting.
It’s gradual, incremental and consistent in its progression. That doesn’t mean it’s constant, of course. There will be backs and forths, one step back every now and then, but the overall movement is forwards. Step by step, as the gains compound and we find ourselves closer to our goals.
At first blush, it seems counterintuitive but achieving a Greater Good for a particular group requires a measure of selfishness amongst the members of that group.
But when you really think about it, there’s a sound logic to that idea.
Getting advice is important.
From a young age, we’re taught (or at least should be) that it’s OK to ask for help, that we don’t have to figure out everything on our own, and that there are others who’ve tread our path before. So it’s not a weakness to reach out and ask for guidance. It is, in fact, a strength. I wholeheartedly agree with that.
At the same time, not all advice is equal and it’s well worth remembering a few basic things.
Non-Player Characters (NPCs) are those characters in video games that cannot be controlled and are driven by the program itself to deliver specific pre-defined lines or actions, either playing a very specific role or no role at all. They don’t participate in any meaningful way, can’t be directed and more often than not, are there to simply make up the numbers.
Today's episode focuses on doing the things we want to do, but don't - either because we're concerned what others will say, or we overthink our own ability to be successful at it.
Sometimes, this thought process is helpful, but more often than not, it gets in our way. Better to focus on what we want and just do.
When I was in my teens and learning to play the guitar, there was a guy I knew who had been playing for a few years and was really quite good. He knew how to play all the cool songs I wanted to learn to play, knew all the cool riffs and could play by ear. But he wasn’t interested in sharing any of his knowledge.
I specifically remember him playing Stairway To Heaven, a song I was trying to learn.
