Fear Pursues You

Garth Beyer

The inherent trouble with your pursuits is not that they can be broken down into either your pursuit of security or your pursuit of gratification, but that by definition, there is bound to be fear in your pursuit of either.

It’s the fear that not only stops you in your tracks, but it also isolates you. The effects of fear are to isolate you, separate you, cripple you, make you feel anxious, desperate, like you need to run away.

But fear is a fickle thing. One moment you fear this, but as you notice it, your fear leeches onto something else. Do you ever stop to notice that you’re arguing with yourself?

“I’m afraid of A.”

“No I’m not.”

“Right, because I’m actually afraid of B.”

And through the alphabet you will go, again and again. You may run away at A. Or you may argue endlessly to prevent action (which, in my opinion is the same as running away, if not worse). Or you can accept every letter in the alphabet.

“Yes, I’m afraid of A, B, and C, but I’m going to see if this works.”

That’s really all we can do in life isn’t it. Just see if it works. Perhaps it’s this mindset that makes the whole alphabet pointless. Perhaps it’s the best way to dance with fear.

 

Stay Positive & HT to Krishnamurti

 

Working For Druthers

Garth Beyer

Nick Dmytrenko asked me what I would do if I had my druthers. I’ve never been asked that.

It was a pleasant reminder that there’s a bigger picture I’m working for. Today, all I want is you to ask (and answer) yourself “What would I do if I had my druthers?”

If you can’t answer that question, how will you know that you’re on the right path?

 

Stay Positive & Thanks For The Conversation, Nick

(want to chat? shoot me an email thegarthbox@gmail.com)

 

Why You Should Apply To X

Garth Beyer

It’s common knowledge that the majority of people who see internships postings, job openings and other awesome opportunities never apply for them. They think they don’t have the credentials, that too many other people are applying, that they don’t stand a chance.

Just by applying, your odds at getting what you want are extremely high because so many don’t apply.

Now, 9 out of 10 who read this still won’t apply. They’re not convinced. And that’s fine. Your chances of getting what you want are higher than ever before.

All you have to do is apply.
Stay Positive & Stop Selling Yourself Short (you wouldn’t day-dream about it if you really didn’t deserve it)

The Lottery Project Effect

Garth Beyer

LotteryProjectEffect

When I call forth a team of bright-minded, intuitive individuals to come up with and execute a project idea, we usually don’t find the end.

It doesn’t say much about the specific team members. Like I said, they are all intelligent, all creative and all ambitious. The problem is what I call the Lottery Project Effect.

To them (to anyone I call on) it’s as if they’ve been given the chance to buy a lottery ticket. They show up to the first meeting, they arrive, bringing a determined and creative aura with them. They’re ready to win the lottery.

As Seth Godin says, “The thrill of possibility, the chance for recognition, the chemical high of anticipation. That’s what people pay [show up] for.”

Buying a lottery ticket incites the anticipation and thrill. On the project end, though, being called on is the lottery ticket purchase. The thing is, they don’t cash in the ticket when the project is complete. They’re cashing in the ticket when they show up. The opportunity to create is the reward. They’ve won. But then starts the hard work.

If you didn’t know already, most people who win the lottery end up unhappy in the long run and continue to buy lottery tickets. So it goes on the project side, the thrill of possibility dies down, the chance for recognition that they hoped for starts being fulfilled the moment they meet other team members, the chemical high of anticipation gets trumped by the idea of “I’ve just won the lottery, now what the hell do I do?”

As the project leader, do you keep giving them lottery tickets? Or wait for a team that isn’t interested in the lottery.

 

Stay Positive & Tough Call, Huh? (That’s the Lottery Project Effect for you.)

Photo credit
It Was Okay, Thanks

It Was Okay, Thanks

Garth Beyer

Okay

Let me take a stab at figuring out what’s holding you back.

You’ve got plenty of great ideas. You start working on them, ordering what you need, planning schedules, collecting a team. Maybe you even complete your project.

Notice how I left “what’s holding you back” very vague. You might be held back from starting, held back from continuing, held back from finishing or held back from promoting what you’ve completed. To any of this, let me ask one important question.

How is your service? Or your product? Or your project?

Really tell me how it is. Is it phenomenal? Remarkable? A dream come true?

Or is it okay? Average? Decent? Acceptable?

Most of the time, what’s holding you back is that we answer with the latter. And the worst part, get stuck there. We feel the need to make it remarkable, but don’t want to put in the effort or are flat-out unsure if it’s something we can make remarkable. There’s no shame in that. A LOT of things are just okay.

When you’re in this spot, consider two things.

1) There’s a tribe out there that only want “okay.” Let them have it and go make something else remarkable.

2) You’ll likely make a lot more things that are just “okay.” And that’s okay. You have to keep going until you cross the gap.

 

Stay Positive & More On This

Photo credit

Nothing Is Common Anymore

Garth Beyer

They say common sense isn’t all that common. Agreed? Agreed.

Having plenty of young journalist friends, I’ve heard over and over that common knowledge isn’t all that common either.

Coincidentally, no one wants to feel that they lack common knowledge and as a result, they lie about what they know. It’s your responsibility to cover the basics anyway. As a teacher and a leader, you’re job isn’t filtration. Your job is to cast your net wide and pull as many up as possible.

 

Stay Positive & Here Fishy Fishy

 

Assorted Links

Garth Beyer

1. Robotic Rhetoric (read, this guy is remarkable)

2. Five minutes to a better job search in 2014 (read)

3. Hacking art education and the creative experience (watch)

4. How to leave your job for a freelance life (read)

5. Mistakes on the road to creative freedom (read)

6. A hand-drawn history of Facebook (watch)