Weekly Quote: Anne Janzer on Writers as Guides

This week’s quote comes from Writing to Be Understood: What Works and Why by author, non-fiction coach, and “recovering marketer” Anne Janzer. My friend Jim shared some of her work with me, including a quote from this book, and that was enough to encourage me to pick it up.

My favorite writers and creators, the people whom I pay the most attention to and, to be frank, give the most money, are those who personify this quote. They provide immense value and guidance, doing so through engaging means that keep us all coming back to hear what they have to say next.. I’m happy to exchange my money for what they have to teach, because I feel richer at the end.

As a creative person, what Anne has outlined is a guiding principle for what I’m doing. I want my output to be useful and to extend beyond me. I want to help make new connections that continue to grow beyond the initial part I had in building something. That’s something I’m working on everyday, and books like this one are helpful in keeping me on the right track.

Weekly Quote: Tony Fadell on Learning from Failure

This week’s quote comes from Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making, by Tony Fadell, and it speaks volumes about where growth typically comes from. Fadell led the teams that created the iPhone and iPod, and later the Nest Learning Thermostat. He knows well what success looks like, and in his work was able to replicate it several times. There are many reasons the three products mentioned above are household names, and failure is part of that. It’s a part of everything we succeed at, because as much as we’d rather not admit it, we learn more from productive struggle than from a successful day at the office.

Weekly Quote: Getting More Parts on the Table with Steven Johnson

I do a lot of planning around what ends up on this blog and in your email inboxes. With my limited time, I curate ideas from various sources, build on ideas I’ve had for a while, concepts I’ve developed, and pieces that fit into ongoing themes and series. It takes time and effort not only to come up with these ideas but also to go back and dig them out of Craft, bring them to Mindnode or Ulysses, and begin ideating and writing to get them to life.

While this type of planning is essential and foundational, I need to, as the author Steven Johnson says in this week’s quote from his book Where Good Ideas Come From, “get more parts on the table” and examine them to bring these ideas to their final point of being ready for you.

Those who subscribe to The Journaling Guide know it’s typically written in three relatively short acts. Most often, each piece is related, and all share a theme to tell a story of sorts. In order to achieve this, I build each newsletter like a puzzle. I take the ideas or themes that I’m working on, and see how they fit together. Sometimes, pieces get moved to other editions or are swapped to a blog entry, or are sent back to the in-progress pile so they can cook some more.

Even with all the planning, my creative style dictates, for better or worse, that I need to see and feel the words. I rarely just write from an outline; instead, I prefer a more creative approach to finding my voice and sharing it with you. This is probably the longer route to where I want to go, yet it always feels like the right choice. I know what’s creative to me might be chaos for you, and the reverse could also be true. I think that’s the best part of the creative process, it’s different for everyone.

It’s taken me some time to come this far in understanding my creative process, and like so many aspects of my life, I still have plenty to learn. Remember this if you’re working on something and getting frustrated. It takes time to understand not just what you’re trying to accomplish, but the process as well.

Weekly Quote: Steven Pressfield on Doing What Scares Us

This week’s quote comes from The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, a book worthy of regular visits from your time and attention. Pressfield reminds us that meaning lies in the hard stuff, the scary stuff, the stuff that we know is important but triggers our anxiety and makes us want to run away. We can’t run away.

There’s too much to do, and too many people are counting on us to not do what frightens us. We have to keep our heads up and keep going. There’s too much at stake not to.

Weekly Quote: Michael Gervais on Our Greatest Regret

This week’s quote, from The First Rule of Mastery: Stop Worrying About What People Think of You by Michael Gervais, reminds us of the difference between what we think is important and what actually matters.

Weekly Quote: Building a StoryBrand With Donald Miller

This week's quote is from Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller.

Everyone has a story, and one of the key takeaways in Miller's book is that most people care more about their own story than yours. So, when trying to connect with others, it's best to make them the hero of the journey you'd like them to join you on.

This idea transcends marketing and building a business. It's a practical approach that makes a lot of sense in everyday life. Let people see themselves in your world; there's a good chance for a connection that works.

Todd Henry on Walking With the Wise

This week's quote comes from one of the books I start every morning with, the Daily Creative: Find Your Inspiration to Spark Creative Energy and Fight Burnout by Todd Henry.

Todd has written what might be the best and most succinct sentence I've read about the value of mentorship. Spending time with someone who knows more than you, who has more experience than you, and who is just ten percent further ahead in their journey or career can change your life.

In just the same way, being a mentor can be a deeply rewarding experience. You can watch your mentee's eyes light up and feel their energy change as they absorb whatever you're trying to impart.

Everyone has benefited from someone wiser than them. When you're ready, you should add your voice to the world. Someone needs to hear from you.

Weekly Quote: Ryan Holiday on The Pursuit of Justice

This week's quote comes from Ryan Holiday's newest book in the Stoic Virtues Series, Right Thing, Right Now: Good Values. Good Character. Good Deeds.

As with so many essential aspects of our character, we make the most gains from what we practice every day.

Handling Minor Adversity

Here’s a great reminder that how we handle the little things matter, whether at work with our teams or colleagues or at home with our kids, partners, or in-laws.

For leaders, the little things can be a big part of a given day, and minor adversity happens all the time. So remember this quote the next time it seems you can’t catch a break. How you react matters, and people are watching and listening to learn how you handle it and who you are.

Once they find out, they won’t forget.