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Dear
Barbara, |
You and I have within us the creative
intelligence to recognize the
conditions that support our growth and we
have the wherewithal to place
ourselves in such an environment.
~
Stewart Emery
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THE TEMPORARY COMPANION
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Early in her third year of college, my
daughter Jennie and several friends decided
to sit out the following fall quarter and go
to Europe. Everyone was excited about the
idea and Jennie began building her travel
fund.
As the months went by, her friends began
dropping out. By the time September rolled
around, only Jennie was still committed to
the trip so off she went on her solo
adventure. She wasn't alone for long,
however.
Staying in youth hostels brought her into
contact with other young travelers. When she
met someone who seemed compatible, they'd
head out for a few days together, then would
go their separate ways. When I met up with
her in London that November, she was sold on
this way to travel she'd discovered.
After she returned to the University of
Minnesota, she went to work in the student
travel office where she enthusiastically
encouraged others to set out on their own
and find partners along the way. I don't
think it's just limited to travel.
If you're running a one-person business, I
urge you to consider adopting this policy
yourself. In fact, these days the hot
business topic is collaboration-and with
good reason.
Unlike partnerships which can be delightful
or difficult, collaboration isn't fraught
with some of the same challenges. In a great
collaboration, you simply join together with
others who bring their own skills and
perspectives to a project for a limited
period of time. A great collaboration can
produce wonderful creative synergy.
There are plenty of examples of successful
collaboration in all sorts of endeavors.
Composer Richard Rodgers had two long-term
collaborations, first with lyricist Lorenz
Hart, followed by an enormously successful
collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein. Of
course, theater and movie productions are
large-scale collaborative undertakings.
As much as I enjoy working on my own, I
enjoy collaboration just as much. Working on
a project with others who have a different
piece of the puzzle to contribute is a fine
addition to any portfolio. I'm going to be
teaming up with all sorts of people in many
different places in the coming year.
If you haven't already done so, consider
joining forces with a temporary partner or
two and see what you can accomplish
together. See what can happen when you share
the risks and share the rewards. |
SHOW OBSTACLES WHO'S BOSS
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"That which hinders your
task is your task," said
Sanford Meisner. It's an easy
truth to overlook so when Terri
Belford first proposed the idea
of getting a small group
together to focus on moving
their business ideas forward, I
signed on immediately. I knew
that a mastermind group is a
tried and true tool for bringing
ideas to life.
Unlike a seminar where there's a fixed
agenda, the Obstacle-Buster grows out of
the needs, projects and concerns of the
group. Problems are tackled, excuses are
dissolved, ideas are shared, suggestions
are offered, new relationships are
formed. Once that happens, the real
power kicks in as members of the group
become accountable to one another.
There's no better place to accomplish
all this than in that entrepreneurial
hotbed known as Las Vegas. We'll be back
there on January 25 & 26
to gather with the next mastermind group
to get their new year off to a lively
start.
When I last checked, there were still a
couple of spaces available, but don't
dither if you want one of them. You can
get the scoop at
Obstacle Busters Mastermind.
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BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
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Ever since I invited folks to join me in The
Collaboratory and set up Joyfully Jobless
Weekends in their part of the world, I've
been busily getting my calendar organized.
The people who jumped in and joined me on
this project have been exploring locations,
investigating local promotion opportunities
and getting things in order for lively
learning adventures that will include my
favorite events.
We'll be kicking off in Dallas on
January 18 & 19, followed by
Houston on February 15 &16,
then Phoenix on February 22 & 23.
As this project continued to grow, Web
Wizard Lisa Tarrant suggested it deserved
its very own Web site. I agreed and urge you
to pay a visit. And, of course, if you
notice I'm heading to your neighborhood in
2013, I hope you'll join us.
Joyfully Jobless Weekend |
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FIRST
THINGS FIRST
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While there are many ways to measure
success, one of the best is adding up
the number of Firsts in your life. To
little children, everything is a first.
As time goes on, however, many people
simply cease doing anything that is not
a repeat of a past performance. That's
the path to early senility.
How can you experience a life filled
with Firsts? How can you find yourself
exclaiming, "I've never done that
before"? It may be easier than you
think.
Every day living offers an abundance of
opportunities to do something you've
never done before. Drive a new route.
Eat a new food. Get to know a stranger.
Pick up a book from a section of the
library you don't usually visit. Try a
new marketing approach. Write a poem.
Wear a color that's been absent from
your wardrobe. Take a public speaking
class. Plan a business project with a
new partner. Keep a log of your Firsts.
While ritual and tradition may be
comforting, making a conscious decision
to pile up Firsts can be addictive.
Doing so can also lead to larger
adventures since it's a guaranteed
confidence builder.
Although we all have random first-time
experiences, they can be far between if
we don't instigate them ourselves.
Learning to think in new ways, in turn,
is vital to growth. "It is one of
the paradoxes of success," Charles
Handy discovered, "that the things
and ways which got you where you are,
are seldom the things that keep you
there."
You've got to keep creating Firsts if
you want to see progress.
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Buon Viaggio,
Barbara Winter
P.S. On occasion, I may receive a
commission or compensation when you
participate or purchase a product or
service I recommend. That being said, I
strive to always offer useful content
and resources in each issue of Joyfully
Jobless News.
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