Starting today, I have decided to work more clearly and more openly.
In German, self-employment is called Selbstständig. Selbst means “on your own,” and ständig means “standing.” So: standing on your own. As cool as that may sound—and although I sometimes slip into Selbstständigkeit out of habit (not wanting to be a burden to anyone) or even as a form of egoic bravado—through my own experience, inner knowing, and the wisdom of my valued teachers, I know that such a thing is not possible. No one can achieve true success completely on their own. Meaningful successes are always the result of partnership and solidarity. And for partnership and solidarity to happen, there needs to be clarity about in what a partnership needed . To build this muscle, I am beginning to work out loud.
Since humility is a deeply rooted family value, being vocal requires some effort from me. But a good life is a life of practice. And this is one of my practices.
Now Page
I take this inspiration from Derek Sivers. If you don’t know him, I recommend watching this talk:
Derek Sivers started a movement called Now. You create a page on your website called “Now,” where you write about what you are currently focusing on and which projects you are working on.
So, I have created this page as well, and I will keep it updated.
Whether it’s ADHD (which I suspect I may have), my curiosity about many things, or my hunger for mental stimulation—I find myself working on many things at once. Sometimes I forget what those things are, sometimes I blow them up too much in my head. That’s why, besides fostering partnership, I’m also creating this Now page as a way to gain clarity.
And I can’t go without mentioning John Stepper. I am deeply grateful to him for bringing the Working Out Loud concept into our world, for embedding it in my mental landscape, and for sparking me into action.
Here you can see my Now page.
If you had a Now page, what would we read on it? And why don’t you have one? 🙂
