Taking feedback is a skill. We are always ready to give feedback but taking feedback is a skill. It requires the generosity and empathy of listening to the feedback, understanding how it can help in our own context and feeling grateful for the entire process. In the moment, receiving feedback can feel like handling criticism,
Assumptions. It’s hard but it is always better to clarify whatever is ambiguous. There is a tendency to assume and just go with the flow. When we put things off for later, they tend to become worse. — If you liked reading this, consider subscribing. If you are already a subscriber,
Shipping is a skill. Shipping is different from merely creating. To ship means that you cannot work on that idea anymore, at least not on that version of that idea. Pressing the publish button on your blog or podcast, or the send button on your email means that the task is now shipped. It’
Getting what you want. Not getting what you want is tough to absorb. But getting what you want is tougher. We become so used to the fact that we do not have the thing that we desire, that we are not able to look at the change of circumstances. We try to rationalise why
The root of misery The root of misery is inaction. When we avoid the action that we need to take, when fear overpowers us and we start getting stuck in the status quo, that’s when misery starts compounding. There is no other way to get over misery than to take even the smallest
Embracing sadness. When we see someone sad, we try to get them out of it. Sometimes, it may be better to feel sad instead, to not fight it, to just be. If we keep fighting who we are, if we keep pushing things under the carpet, sooner or later they are going
Unbridled positivity. Positivity is a skill that is built by building a habit of gratitude and generosity. The challenge of being human is to face the voice of Resistance, as Steven Pressfield calls it, within us. The voice of Resistance makes us feel miserable and makes us take action again and again
Be creative first. Yes, you have to unclog the bathroom and order the groceries. And also do the work that will pay the bills. And then there are all the social obligations. But what you can do to start your day is to “be creative first”. Do your creative work before you engage
Being yourself. It’s not easy to be yourself when everyone around you is criticising you and pulling you down. What you need is a safe space where you can express, where you can take risks, where you can try to be yourself. There is nothing more important to do than to
A date with creativity. When you sit down to do your work, whether it is writing, painting or coding or anything else, you are having an affair with creativity. You need to present yourself for the affair. You need to dress up and look like you mean business. Liz Gilbert talks about this in
Order and cleanliness. A professional needs to take care of herself and her surroundings. If the surroundings are not in order, if the work is not done in a place where the professional can thrive, then he or she will be easily distracted. In order to access the magic and chaos of creativity,
Solitude It’s very difficult, almost impossible to do deep work without solitude. When there is activity around you or even the possibility of activity, it is more likely that you would leave the hard work and indulge in these activities. Amateur life is busy life. The day goes away just
Sustenance and passion. It’s a good idea to separate the two. To invest in creating a system that serves an audience and helps you earn a living so that you can do the work that you want to do without worrying about how to monetise it. Bootstrapping is a skill and the
Dancing with fear Fear makes us behave in ways that don’t make sense. It takes the form of perfectionism, procrastination, distraction and whatnot. It makes us feel that we are not ready. It wants us to leave our work and do something else, anything else. If we wait for the fear to
Finding ourselves again. When we are on our creative journey, there can be times when we lose our connection to ourselves. We feel lost, especially when we don’t have a map for the terrain. Alone, in our minds, it is very difficult to find our lost connection. This is where writing helps.
Listening to the author. I love audiobooks. There is something wonderful about your favourite authors whispering wisdom in your ears. Yes, you need to build a taste to listen to audiobooks but it is definitely worth building that skill-set. — If you liked reading this, consider subscribing. If you are already a subscriber, do share
In search for light. There are days when we get engulfed in darkness. The darkness creeps up on us slowly and at times it is difficult to stop letting it take control. Even though it may be tremendously difficult, we should try to find even the smallest flicker of light that can lead us
Talk it out. It’s not necessary that what you think or what you feel is right. Sometimes, it makes sense to talk to others and listen. Our mind is not necessarily kind to the work that we do and does not necessarily understand the impact that we create. — If you liked reading
Making space for solitude. It is more difficult in today’s time than ever. But solitude is where we do good work, we make good art. Because solitude is where we connect with ourselves and find our voice. — If you liked reading this, consider subscribing. If you are already a subscriber, do share with
Going back to the list. It is quite usual to feel lost during the day, especially when we are working alone. What can help is to create a mindful list that we can follow. To arrange the tasks in order, to mindfully add the details so that when we sit down to do the work,
What you don't know. What you don’t know is where there is an opportunity for growth, for curiosity. It is not something to run away from, but something to seek. What new can you learn, what can surprise you today? — If you liked reading this, consider subscribing. If you are already a subscriber,
The work that only you can do. When you do that work, you become unfungible, irrelaceable. You create value that is idiosyncratic and generous. It takes effort to find the work that matters but it is worth the journey. — If you liked reading this, consider subscribing. If you are already a subscriber, do share with your friends.
Acting as if. As a professional, we are expected to show up even if, or especially when, we don’t feel like it. In that moment, it may feel inauthentic to do our work with intent. It might make sense to us to wait until we feel better, more in the zone. But
Me, me, me. It’s very important to get out of the “me, me, me” mindset. It leads to selfish behaviour and a feeling of victimhood. A better way to work through your day is to ask, “How can I be of use?”, “How can I help?” The more we get away from
Busy is not productive. Productive is getting things done, moving forward. When we feel busy, we are rarely productive. It makes sense to take a pause and identify what needs to get done and what done looks like. The work can be effortless if we allow it to be. — If you liked reading this,
