Before I get started, I have to know if the stock images are doing it for everyone. I find them ironic and have a good time selecting them each week, but if they’re really not landing, I can try to provide other visual content that pleases you all more.
Lesson on patience
Obviously, good things take time. But it’s hard to translate from a vague understanding of the concept to actually following this wisdom. I’ve been reminded of this time and time again with my small human. Most of the time, I’m naturally inclined to impatience and operating quickly, and life with a baby is often the opposite of that. What I’ve been most surprised by is that right when I’m ready to give up and write something off as unsuccessful, one extra iteration often does the trick. Whether it’s trying to get the baby to laugh at a new trick or hoping he’ll stay asleep, trying one more time or waiting a few more minutes just in case often helps me accomplish my goal.
As I reflected on this—the concept of persisting for slightly longer than I perceive is necessary—I realized this is not just applicable to Baby Ops but also to work! When standing up a new meeting cadence or making other changes to an operating model, I can’t just hand over the reins after the first successful iteration. I’m always inclined towards impatience, but in reality, the marginal extra time I invest has outsized returns. Waiting around a few more iterations reveals where things go wrong and exposes the skeletons in the closet. It’s frustrating when there’s a lot on my plate because it’s tempting to just pass stuff on to someone else, but that’s usually not the right recipe for success.
Consider this the next time you think to yourself, “This is probably in a good spot.” Just like I try to tell myself, “Baby’s probably asleep, and I can let go of his hand now,” when in reality, it’s probably better to keep holding his hand for a few extra minutes to make sure he’s deeply asleep. Hold your work project’s hand for a few more minutes—it’ll probably leave a more durable, lasting, deep impact.
On steering:
I missed the midyear review season at work while out on leave and caught up this past month. I had a very dense and productive conversation with my manager about my goals for the remainder of the year, where we talked very concretely about specific projects and what I need to do for each of them. It occurred to me as we outlined my goals that I was basically scaffolding my next self-review.
Although the goals are intimidating and I still need to spend more time breaking them down and making sure I understand what they each entail, I feel very well-steered. This clarity of direction has helped me muddle through the overwhelming to do list that awaits me each day at work, and I think I crave this sort of direction in the rest of my life too.
I’ve written a lot about prioritizing and picking what’s most important in the past, and I am writing about this once again, as a reminder to myself. These days, the trickiest part is defining the right window for each singular focus—do I pick something to prioritize on a daily basis? On a weekly basis? On something even longer? I haven’t quite nailed the cadence, but I think once I figure that out, I can start to feel a bit more anchored.
so true on the "cadence" issue.. I really struggle with finding the right rhythm for establishing and then resetting priorities between daily / weekly / monthly!
“and have a good time selecting them each week” you already have your answer 🫶