Getting Work To Work

As I near my 40th birthday as well as the end of a year that I would graciously call experimental, I am becoming increasingly reflective on things I learned this year. From not being an asshole and being more human, to learning from my weaknesses and embracing my strengths, I enter my fourth decade hopefully a little wiser, kinder, and more curious than ever. In this episode of Getting Work To Work, I’m going to share 12 things I learned this year.

This fall, I had the opportunity to teach four classes at three different colleges and universities. As I near the end of this experience, I ask myself a question that I will probably search for the answer to for the remainder of my life: What does it mean to teach? While there are many critiques of the educational system in America, this episode of Getting Work To Work is a personal reflection on what it means to teach in the age of access to whatever we want to know at our fingertips.

There’s a phrase that I find myself saying a lot, “I get easily bored.” Whether I’m talking about life decisions or business choices, that phrase pops up as an excuse, a validator, a reason for why things don't go the way I plan. But as I started thinking about it, is it boredom or perhaps something else? In this episode of Getting Work To Work, I’m going to explore what I have been mistaking for boredom.

I love out of the box thinking, but it takes a lot of time and effort to go break free from what works today and discover new ideas for tomorrow. In this episode of Getting Work To Work, I’m going to share five ways to think beyond your box and six things that curiosity reveals when you explore outside the boundaries of who you are and what you do.

I’ve probably made every mistake that business coaches and gurus tell people not to make. I didn’t have a plan when I started, I often don’t know where I’m headed, I live in a constant state of feast or famine, I don’t have an end game, and I constantly second-guess myself. And yet, I love this crazy journey called entrepreneurship. I love the thrill of meeting new people, creating new projects, and realizing that I have been on my own path since day one and that’s okay.

As I was texting with a friend this morning about advertisements, paying for content, and the problems with the higher education system, this question kept popping up in my mind: Is there a better way? I can’t think of a better question for creative professionals and entrepreneurs to ask themselves in order to continually evaluate the effectiveness of what, how, and why you do what you do.

Ray Dalio’s book, Principles: Life and Work, is a non-stop treasure trove of wisdom. I was recently struck by the power of this quote: “People who see the tasks and lose sight of the goals will just describe the tasks that were done.” In this episode of Getting Work To Work, I’m going to share four ways you can align your tasks to your goals so that you don’t get caught in the daily pursuit of busy work and the tyranny of today.

I find myself thinking a lot about curiosity and a friend recently asked, what is it about curiosity that you find so compelling? My answer is simple: curiosity is powerful. It has the ability to transform what we think is possible into reality as we question what we know, journey into new environments, and reject the habit-forming addictions of imposter syndrome and comparing ourselves and work to others. In this episode of Getting Work To Work, I’m going to explore three areas that reveal the power of curiosity.

Chances are you want to do something creative, but aren’t doing it. From quitting your day job and freelancing to starting that novel, film, or passion project, we all have a list of things we want to do. We dream of producing an amazing project, overcoming the odds of obscurity, and becoming the next big talent. But that’s as far as we ever go. When asked the question—“Are You Ready?”—we may say yes, but our results say no. In this episode of Getting Work To Work, I’m going to share the process of action that will get you moving from starting to shipping in response to “Are You Ready?”

In a conversation with a friend, we were talking about our businesses and I asked the question: Where is the line between everything and enough? The root of this question is found in the desire to avoid burnout at all cost. When I consistently give everything I have to my work, I have nothing left for my life. But when I give just enough, the feelings of guilt and imposter syndrome rear their heads. In this episode of Getting Work To Work, I’m going to explore the line between everything and enough.