Hey 👋

I spent an uncharacteristically long time thinking about things that are or were not going well this week.

Worrying is, relatively, easy. Doing stuff is hard.

So I spent time doing hard things this week:

Slowing down enough to truly connect: eyes up, chest open, asking questions to listen, not answer.
Setting a good example to inspire action.
Giving direct feedback.
Smiling through the literal 700th play of the Addam’s Family theme as requested by my 4.5yo.

We shy away from the hard stuff, settling for half measures. When we do, we miss out on the best stuff.

🧠Think: how to build an audience of 1000 true fans in a noisy world

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, marketer, performer, leader or community organizer, you need to know how to build an audience. In this article shared by my coworker Nicole Kohler, Srini Rao, founder of Unmistakable Creative, discusses how to capture the heads, hearts and hands of the people around you without going after the lowest common denominator.

❤️Feel: to have a fulfilling life, you have to make promises

I’m struck, this time of year, with an awareness of what lies on the other side of gratitude. Everyone has a story of a Thanksgiving that has devolved into drunken infighting, making the holiday something to just get through.

This is, of course, the selfish and fearful side of me. In “To have a fulfilling life, you have to make promises,” New York Times columnist David Brooks reminds us of how life opens up in front of us when we commit, when we adopt a moral lens and lean into these intimate moments.

🚶🏽‍♀️Do: pre-crastinate

The instant gratification monkey that lives inside of a procrastinator’s brain is real (and terrifying, and hilarious). Wait But Why breaks down why procrastinators procrastinate. Hey, knowing is half the battle. Save time and let fewer need to do things fall through the cracks this week by learning how to pre-crastinate.

I see you, I love you, let’s have an awesome week.

P.S. on my blog this week: 26 pieces of unsolicited and totally obvious career advice to make you more successful and happier at work and in life.

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