A few weeks ago, my business coach threw down a challenge.
No social media for five full days.
No Facebook. No Twitter. No blogging.
No lurking, no sneaking, no peeking.
I had to go cold turkey. And it was going to be painful. Here’s what I learned about social media and how it acts like it can quench my thirst, but it’s not a substitute for the real thing.
In my recent Ignite Seattle 12 talk, “5 Reasons Introverts Rock the Business World,” I called out different strengths that give introverts an edge. One of the strengths I chose to highlight was “depth over breadth.” Introverts generally have a special ability to stay focused for extended periods of time. I used to be able to keep my attention fixed on one activity for hours, such as writing, practicing my clarinet or reading a good book.
And then I became an entrepreneur.
Why a spreadsheet gave me a heart attack and how I’m getting back on the road to recovery.
Of all the marketing slogans in modern times, the phrase “Just Do It” has infiltrated our culture more thoroughly than any other. I’m talking complete assimilation. Like Xerox and Google have become verbs that mean “copy” and “search,” “Just Do It” has transcended Nike and is generally used to mean “get off your butt and take action.”
And what’s wrong with that? Really, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the phrase and what it inspires has literally saved lives. In fact, I’m sure it has.
Still, I’m going to make an intentional effort to remove the phrase from my vocabulary. Call me nit picky, but one simple word is the undoing of this widely accepted and unquestioned phrase.
Sometimes, a word pops up over and over until I just can’t ignore it. This past week, that word has been “sustainability.” We most often hear about sustainability in the context of the environment, or about the operations of a corporation or organization. While I was at a meeting last week listening to Lorinda Rowledge of EKOSI speaking on “Sustainability: The Next Edge of Coaching,” the question “Am I sustainable?” popped into my head. (The short answer: no!) Are you making choices that lead to personal sustainability and success? Let’s explore what that means…
On the front porch of our house, there’s a welcome mat that I cross every time I come and go. It’s a great spot to wipe the wet Pacific Northwest weather off the bottom of my shoes before coming back inside. Other than that, I rarely notice it.
A client session yesterday – and the memory of a great article written by creative self-development coach Jamie Ridler – brought up the idea of a welcome mat as more than a place to get the gunk off.
