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Two practical approaches to focus
The survival approach: Choose the best option available, while you’re looking for your ideal option. Do whatever it takes to survive. There’s a Chinese saying, 騎牛搵馬, which translates to, “Ride a cow until you find a horse.” Seth Godin writes the second rule in The Bootstrapper Bible, “Things get better. But first, youʼve got to…
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How many steps ahead?
Thinking one step ahead is generally a good idea. When you anticipate what will happen, you can prepare a response. Most people will not think a step ahead, so you’re in a good position by doing this simple planning. Two steps ahead can be helpful as well, if you want to get ahead of the…
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Reality vs. possibility
I recently moved out of NYC. The way I was set up there simply wasn’t working. For example, by the time I wrapped up work, I felt depleted, without the energy to respond to a city that was calling out. Just a week after leaving, and wrapping up my job, the possibilities are starting to…
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Art about art
On a recent visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario, I came across J.L. Gérôme’s “The Antique Pottery Painter,” which was accompanied by this statement: Artists often have the ability to make us believe their paintings are real. Gérôme mastered and exploited this quality, using the incredibly smooth surface we see here to challenge our…
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What would a doctor do?
Doctors don’t look for clients. They look for patients. A doctor helps a patient diagnose their health condition, and puts a plan together for the patient to recover and heal. A good doctor doesn’t need to pitch you to be their patient. In fact, if you find a doctor being overly pushy, it’s a signal…
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It’s easier to make art, harder to make a living off it
“It’s easier than ever to make music, and harder than ever to make a living from it,” Luc Rinaldi writes. This statement applies well to writing. Perhaps it’s a matter of expectation: too many people expect to make a living from art. Maybe it’s because we are exposed to a lot of artists who have…
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The bad joke phenomenon
When you get promoted, other people will laugh harder at your jokes and seem to excuse your tardiness. The feedback signals that had previously guided your behavior will seem distorted because you’ve gained power and status. Daniel Shapero calls this the “bad joke” phenomenon (via Rohan Rajiv), and he suggests three ways to accommodate this:…