The New York Times published an article by Brian Stelter on Saturday about the growing trend of workers watching short videos online during their lunch breaks, either on...
target practice
The year is almost one week old. I've been busy hanging art and making lists, but in the meantime I've been thinking about some of the year-end posts I've read recently about goals for 2008, resolutions, and the like.
Now that my head is above water again, I went back and reread the ones I had tagged away for future reference, including this one by Chris Brogan.
Based on this and several other posts that have been rattling around in my brain, I'm going to synthesize and work with the simple and practical approach of:
- Play to your strengths
- Make three simple goals
- Use one-word reminders and place them everywhere
Play to Your Strengths
A recurring theme for me lately has been the mantra Be Who You Are. In my blogging, in my work life, in my career goals, in how much of myself I reveal online and offline... this has become my guiding principle.
It doesn't mean I share all of myself online, but that I don't betray or censor myself when something is important to me.
It doesn't mean I need to love everything about my work, but that I examine carefully what I am doing, making certain that it fits with who I believe myself to be.
It means I don't have to model myself too closely on any one or several people I might respect and admire - but that I let my writing reflect my true interests and passions, do what I can to make my voice heard, and let the rest take care of itself.
This mantra has already helped me work through some otherwise confusing dilemmas and decisions. To me, it's another way of saying Play to your Strengths because it keeps me from my old habits of trying to "fix what's wrong" about me. I'm going to stick with it.
Make Three Simple Goals
I don't usually make resolutions, despite the part of my nature that loves repeating cycles and clean, round numbers like 1/1 for starting projects. I do like goals, though. So I have made three very concrete, quantifiable goals for this year. I won't share exactly what they are here, but I will share my
Three Reminder Words
and a very little bit about each one.
Share
I'm going to present on social media in more places and formats. I've already got plans underway to present a class on social media for artists in the spring. I've been booked to present at my alma mater's reunion weekends on social media for nonprofits. I'm going to seek out more venues that are out of my usual rounds. I'm going to do more one-on-one work.
Introduce
I'm going to do a better job of introducing people to each other who should know each other and who might share interests and goals. This involves listening to people more and thinking imaginatively and empathetically about them. This is a good thing.
Ask
Ask for help, ask for information, ask about your life, ask about your work, ask for clarification, ask for dinner, ask for more. Ask ask ask.
I'm going to write these on little cards and place them in plain sight. I'm going to try to think about them every day.