by Owen | Feb 10, 2020 | Impromptu
One of the things I think a lot of people struggle with (especially as students or young professionals) is an anxiety that we have so much more to learn before we are ready to do something. It’s hard not to think that way when the professionals around us seem miles ahead. Publishing, winning awards, or working with world-class performers — and only a few years older than you. So we assume we must be missing something. That there is some knowledge or skill that you have yet to learn. We think if only we can find it, we can be like them.
I felt like this for a long time about my sound design work. I would read dense textbooks cover to cover and ask probing questions at conferences. But every attempt failed. I dug a thousand holes; I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I knew it was something that was going to change everything — if only someone could give me the answer.
I see this today in my peers too. Whenever an industry professional visits or hosts a Q&A, the same questions pop up. “If you could give us one piece of advice…” or “What’s one thing you wish you had known…” they ask, digging another trench. Nevertheless, when their cliche questions are met with cliche answers (“be kinder” or “try more things” or “start early”), the eager students frown, nothing here, they think.
But the truth is the search isn’t one of ambition or drive. It’s one of fear. Because we already know the answer. There is no book or quote or mentor that’s going to change everything and make us “like them.” The truth is that it’s going to take hard work, and experimentation and kindness, and all of those other cliche’s we disregard at every turn. Deep down, we know this, but we are afraid to believe it. Because, if we do have the answers, if we do know what we need to know, then the only thing holding us back (and the only thing we can count on) is ourselves. And that’s a terrifying realization.
There is no magic weight loss plan. It’s just good nutrition and exercise. There is no “perfect” marketing plan for your social media, just experimentation, and development. There is nothing that is going to keep us from failure or take us beyond the “rest.” It’s a matter of work, dedication, and improvement.
So its time to stop searching, stop digging. You know what you have to do. And you’ve known for a long time. What’s important now is taking what you’ve learned and practicing it. Move beyond the mentors and the safety and just try. It’s going to be hard, and scary but its also going to be exciting. There is nothing more exciting than making progress on yourself and your work.
You know the answer. It’s not hidden if we stop avoiding it.
by Owen | Feb 5, 2020 | Impromptu, Practices
Don’t be satisfied with study. In today’s world of home business, divisive politics, and intellectualism, we all want to show off our knowledge or be the smartest in the room. We need to be able to quote the best articles or newest studies, spout trade news or educate the office on the book we are reading. So we spend all our time studying, researching, learning. We are so well-versed that we can drop a meaningful quote with the drop of a hat or go toe to toe with the first left or right-leaning amateur politician on our feeds.
But how often does this study change our lives? How often does that quote we retweeted affect our actions? The turnover is pretty small.
It takes more than memorizing facts or reading studies to create change. We must internalize what we read. Comprehend it as it relates to our lives. And once we’ve truly understood what we’ve learned. We must put it to use.
Why spend the time to learn or read if it isn’t going to benefit you or those you hope to serve? All of the knowledge in the world is useless if we can’t use it to help others and help ourselves.
The smartest person in the room is the one putting those smarts to use, learning, and changing — maybe without a word. The study is only part one. Practice and progress come after.Â
by Owen | Feb 3, 2020 | Impromptu
Self-improvement is less setting off down a path than swinging on a pendulum.
We start at the extreme. We spend too much time on Netflix, or our anger is out of control. A lot, or none at all. We don’t know what the best version of ourselves looks like, but we know it’s not here.
So we head in the opposite direction. Our pendulum swings across, and in the momentum and excitement of improvement, we go too far. Now we work all day or don’t stand up for ourselves.
The other extreme we learn is no better. So then, it must be somewhere in between — a balance.
Seeing the spectrum in full, we swing our pendulum back where we came — aiming somewhere in between. Nevertheless, we overshoot the mark, but this time feels a little closer.
Back and forth like this, we go. Learning and triangulating as we go. With each swing, the extremes soften — some work, some play. We learn what it means to be in balance, and the goal becomes more distinct and closer with each pass.
Our pendulum may swing back and forth like this for months, years, or even our whole lives. It may never stop turning.
Some days we will feel closer than ever, and the next we may be up at the edges once again. But, as long as we believe we can swing back down, as long as we keep riding and keep searching, we will keep improving. Closer and closer to balance.
by Owen | Jan 29, 2020 | Impromptu, Philosophy
All the best coming of age stories start with something new, a new person, place, or job. We’ve come to believe in the tales of Salinger and Kerouac — a young Holden or Sal, setting off to find themselves, free from the dull constraints of home to discover life as they think it should be.
Even today, its why students everywhere go abroad. We leave for a semester, seeking solace amongst new cultures and friends. We return more mindful and full of clarity — some small terror brimming underneath as we return home, afraid to lose our newfound sense of self.
But perhaps we have taken these stories a bit too literally. Rather than ask why or how we found clarity, we seek to emulate that sense of newness. We travel as often as possible, start new hobbies or projects, jump from friend to friend, all in search of that fleeting newness. Or, put another way, running away from the everydayness in our wake.
What’s important in this search isn’t the objects, or the places, or the people. Its perspectives. The newness of Spain or Iceland or London forces us to look at the everydayness in a new way. The new projects give us room to think differently, reconsider our approach. But why can’t we do this every day? Isn’t it possible that maybe we’ve just forgotten how to experience the mundane? We’ve relegated the present moment for a hit of something different. But, sometimes, all we need is to take a second look.
Instead of traveling to a new place, go abroad in your own life. There is always something worth looking at, worth digging into; we need to be open to it. Newness forces us to open our minds to new possibilities and new ways of being. But what if we decided to skip the hit of novelty and open ourselves up first? Chances are we can and will find meaning in the everyday.
We don’t need to go searching elsewhere for ourselves. We only need to be open to exploring within ourselves. When we reconsider the present, truly absorb what’s around us, and our place in it, we can discover just as much clarity as in any road trip.
Find newness in the mundane. It exists, as long as we believe its there. Open yourself up, take a second look, the clarity we are all searching for is there, and we don’t always need a plane ticket to go searching for it — only a willingness to experience this moment for what it is.
by Owen | Jan 27, 2020 | Creativity, Impromptu, Practices
“If only I had gone to the gym as a kid, I’d be much WAY healthier now.”
“I would be that rich if I started my company when I was her age.”
“He’s been doing yoga for so long. I wish I did that.”
We spend a lot of time cursing ourselves for not doing something as a child. We regret not starting our grand scheme at age 20, like Zuckerberg or Gates.
What do we do after? Probably not much. Back to the routine and wishful thinking. “It isn’t worth starting now,” we think. “I’m waiting for the big idea to come,” Or worse, “I still have plenty of time.”
Sure it would have been nice to start years ago — the first best time. And yes, maybe we are behind the clock we set for ourselves. But the more we wait, the bigger that gap grows. And the regret with it.
And why wait? Lighting may strike if we wait long enough. Maybe one day we will wake up and feel like going for a run. Or the golden ticket idea will come to us in the shower. But is it worth putting your fulfillment and happiness in the hands of nature? Developing a half-finished idea will get you farther than waiting around for the “perfect” one. The second best time to start is right now.
As the practice piles up, and as the ideas grow, you’ll be glad you took that first step. Put the regret away; stop beating yourself up; stop waiting around, and take action.
Start today. Start now.
by Owen | Jan 22, 2020 | Impromptu
Just because you have shared, or spoken, does not mean you have contributed. The two aren’t always the same.
Sharing is only the first dimension. You, checking the box on participation. Maybe repeating something already said in a new way. Saying something safe or mildly relevant to prove you were paying attention. But not enough to draw on that attention.
Contribution, on the other hand, requires an investment in the issue or topic at hand. Contribution is sharing with intent, sharing with purpose, sharing with vulnerability.
When we choose to contribute to the conversation, we are showing that we care. It proves that we are determined to find an answer. Contribution is the brave action of putting ourselves out on a limb to further the discussion. It’s the chance to light an inspirational fire in those around you.
A little contribution from everyone goes a long way. So pay attention. What can you contribute? How can you take a stand? Everyone’s got something worth saying. Be bold and bring it to the table.
