It’s impossible to not be shocked by Kobe Bryant’s death. It’s actually hard to type the word “death” beside his name. It’s true, though. He’s gone.
I thought of paying my own little tribute in this blog entry.
Month: January 2020
The experience of writing my own book
I’ve been trying to write a book since 2016. I came up with different ideas for 30 stories and told myself that only 25 would make the cut. I wrote as much as I could, and as often as time allowed it. However, procrastination got on the way and didn’t advance much in 2017.
In 2018, I retook the project. Still, my commitment wasn’t as serious as you’d think it would be. Constant ups and downs slowed my process, but I didn’t kill my manuscript. I made time to continue.
Opinions that matter
The other day, I came across this post on Twitter:
This advice from @brenebrown is a game changer. Pause what you're doing right now and make your list. 😉⚡️⚡️⚡️https://t.co/rrT0DpH0mu pic.twitter.com/6y9r3dsj3M
— Chase Jarvis (@chasejarvis) January 10, 2020
This short video contains a piece of advice that is truly thought-provoking. Whose opinions really matter to you? The idea of making a list is brand new to me. I have never considered an initiative like this, and now I see great value in it.
There’s always a small group of people you trust. Whenever you are working on new ideas, you ask them what they think, and you find their feedback useful. You respect them, and they respect you. There’s a reason why their opinions matter.
In a digital world, where anyone can criticize your work mercilessly, you have to learn who to listen to. Not all opinions matter. It’s unfair to let trolls influence your every move and your every thought.
Those whom you trust are the ones that can offer you solid comments. You know you can only expect honesty from them. Listen to them and nurture meaningful conversations.
If you were to start that list right now, how many names would there be on it?
Tip: Choose the verb over the noun
One of my favourite chapters in Keep Going by Austin Kleon is “Forget the noun, do the verb.”
Let go of the thing that you’re trying to be (the noun), and focus on the actual work you need to be doing (the verb). Doing the verb will take you someplace further and far more interesting.
If you want to be a writer, first of all, you need to be writing something. It doesn’t matter what title you give yourself if you’re not actually spending your time with words.
A “verb”, in this context, is an action. Creating. Crafting. Writing. Editing. Those are the steps that take you places. The “noun” is a title that you give yourself or that someone else assigns you.
If you wait for someone to give you a job title before you do the work, you might never get to do the work at all. You can’t wait around for someone to call you an artist before you make art.
So choose the action over a random title. Your actions define your results at the end of the day.
What are your thoughts?
New Year: Planning your progress
The beginning of a new year is one of my favourite seasons. Everybody is genuinely trying to be a better version of themselves. I think this is a noble cause. We can affect our environment a little bit by bringing some positives vibes.
At the same time, we wonder how long we’ll be able to maintain our goals and turn them into a reality. While it’s a long journey that requires a lot of energy, I recommend focusing on solutions rather than resolutions to obtain realistic results.
Here’s a few more thoughts and my list of personal objectives for 2020.