It can be so difficult to describe a thing we do, particularly if it’s what we live and breathe.
Recently, I put out a Rhythms of Focus episode in which I attempted to describe the nature of the Waves of Focus, what is quite likely my life’s work. Wouldn’t that be a nice thing to put out there?
I’ve got a mind that wanders. It appears, so do others.
You’d think it would be easy to say,
Nope.
I wrote and re-wrote. Edited and re-edited. I’m reminded of the quote:
Beyond writing for the podcast though, I found an interesting phenomenon develop. As I tried to summarize the course I could sense something like a tree better resting in its roots. A confidence perhaps? I’m not sure what word is, but it feels stronger.
Consider as a takeaway,
- Could you summarize what you do? What’s meaningful to you?
- What if you did that over the course of several days, editing and re-writing as you went?
PS Doors for the Waves of Focus are closing soon (November 2nd to be exact). If you’re at all interested in moving away from Force-based work to Trust-based work, this is the course. I don’t believe you’ll find anything like it. In fact, I dare you and email me if you do!
[1]: Does anyone know who actually said this? I found attributions to Blaise Pascal and Mark Twain, and likely there are others.
Great post—your explanation of trying to distill a life’s work felt really clear and relatable. I like the tree/roots image; rewriting over several days is something I’ve found helpful too. Quick question: when you say “Trust-based work” versus “Force-based,” do you mean shifting habits and language, or more structural changes in how projects are run? Curious how deep the course goes on practical steps.
I mean more about our perspective in how we approach work. We often look at work as a thing that must be completed or timed in order to matter, rather than recognize the internal approaches and the importance of agency.