Tag: self-improvement

Three sources

Fabrizio1 Comment

In any role, there are three sources of motivation.

First is what the company you work for values. This is not about the principles you read on the website, but what happens at the company at certain critical times. Is it an environment where people generally care about each other? Is there a lot of control, processes, red tape? What happens when somebody disagrees or fails? Who gets promoted?

Second is the relationships you have. Both with your peers and with your managers. When the first source fails, this becomes incredibly powerful. How often do you hear from them? Do you know them on a personal level? Do you have supporting people around you, and do you have people you feel like giving your support to? What happens when somebody leaves?

Third is the work you do. When the first two fail, this is all you have left. How do you feel about the tasks you are being assigned? Are you proud of what you do? Are you learning something new? Would you do this somewhere else? Can you?

The most important question: where do you get your motivation from right now?

Art and craft

FabrizioLeave a comment

Art is about creating content that is meaningful primarily to you, as it is an expression of your inner world. Of course, art can have a market. That happens when the expression of your inner world resonates with someone else’s inner world. That is not its main purpose though.

Craft is about creating content that is meaningful primarily to an audience, as it is an expression of a common world view. Of course, craft can be artistic. That happens when the expression of the common world view is so peculiar that it clearly stands out among similar other expressions. Again, that is not its main purpose.

There is space for both art and craft in the world, and both paths are available to most people.

You just need to be aware of where you stand.

A good rule of thumb: if you can deliver work through consecutive iterations, reaching a point where the work does not look like something you would have created yourself, and still be working to smooth the corners and be proud of the final results, you are most likely a crafter.

Free of hubris

FabrizioLeave a comment

You need to be able to keep success and self-worth separated.

For two reasons.

First, because success is the outcome of many inputs, most of which out of our control. Luck, for example, plays a huge role. Others do as well, whether we recognize their contribution or not.

Secondly, because we need to be ready to maintain the same distance when success turns into failure. We are not worst human beings (or writers, fathers, marketers) merely because we are failing.

Understanding that success is not a reflection of how good we are keeps us grounded and maintains our horizon wide open. Ready to appreciate the complexity of things and continue learn from it.

Free of hubris.

Active break

Fabrizio1 Comment

Remember to take a break.

When things go bad. When you feel down. When the motivation is low.

Take a break and direct your attention away from what is not working.

Learn something, instead of dedicating one more hour to the project that’s sucking your life away.

Chat with a stranger, instead of repeating the same things yet another time to the friend that is hurting you.

Grab a book, instead of checking your inbox once more waiting for the message that never comes.

You can always go back to the problem later on.

Refreshed.

The end goal

Fabrizio2 Comments

Today, I write my blog post number 1,000.

1,000 days of writing every day. Almost three years since I have decided to give it another try.

And one thing has become more and more clear during this time. The end goal is the act of writing itself. It is not the views – for those, I am grateful. It is not the likes – by those, I am humbled. It is the sitting down in front of the screen every evening, no matter where I happen to be, no matter the kind of day I had, no matter whether I know what I will write about or not. It is the habit. It is the doing.

We need habits. And we need to go back to choosing the ones we dedicate time to.