A Learning a Day

I have a note on my weekend todo list titled “LBLF + Learning check in.”

LBLF stands for “Look back, Look forward.” So, every week, I spend a few minutes thinking about moments from the week that had the biggest impact on me. I jot down my top takeaways.

Then, I spend the next couple of minutes thinking about my priorities for the next week.

It is a check in ritual that reminds me to clear the slate.

No matter what happened the previous week, it is over now. A new week has begun.

It is time to begin again.

I loved seeing this chart of the mix of power supply in the UK. Coal is being edged out.

Every year, fossil fuel emissions kill millions of people – the estimate from a recent paper for 2012 was >10 million. Coal is, by a distance, the worst offender.

In the first decade of the twenty first century, investments in alternative sources were talked about in the context of being “the right thing to do.” The trouble with that narrative is that it only works with a few early adopters.

For mainstream adoption, we need it to become the obvious thing to do. We need it to be 10x cheaper and better. Even with all its negative externalities, Coal didn’t have many viable alternatives even ten years ago.

That has changed. We have an exciting couple of decades ahead of us.

I’ve begun making my way through Epictetus’ Enchiridion. “Enchiridion” is a short book or manual. And, Epictetus’ Enchirdion is a collection of his stoic teachings.

I am thirty minutes into the book now and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard some variant of “focus on what you control.”

I am listening to this book slowly. It is the sort of book that inspires more learning when you put it down. So, I listen to it for a few minutes every day.

As a result, I’ve started nearly every day this week listening to a reminder from Epictetus to focus on what I control. It has resonated every time.

Focus on what you control.

It is an idea that has the power to transform our lives if we make it part of how we live.

Focus on what you control.

It sounds so simple.

Simple is hard.

Three observations from flying a kite recently:

(1) A kite needs to be launched against the wind.

(2) The kite stays in the air as long as its head (/nose) is pointing upward. If its head points to the ground at any point, it will likely crash.

(3) The kite is most unstable as soon as it is launched. Once it reaches a certain height, it becomes easier to control it.

Lots of parallels to attempting something new in our lives.

3 lessons on getting better at verbal communication at work:

(1) There is no end to learning to communicate better. It is like playing a great video game with an infinite number of levels. So, if you’ve felt disheartened about your progress recently, know that it is expected. Perennial dissatisfaction is a pre-requisite to continue playing the game. And, the obstacle is definitely the way. :-)

(2) While there is no secret formula to becoming good, there are 3 things that help – (a) curiosity about the audience/listener(s), (b) improving our clarity of thought (typically by writing more and better – even for things we want to say), and c) a willingness to experiment with different styles to figure out what works for us in a particular context.

(3) There are no “naturals” among great communicators. The idea – “If you want to look good in front of thousands, you have to outwork thousands in front of nobody”* – is 100% applicable to communication.

PS: I always chuckle when I hear communication described as a “soft skill.” It would probably make the top 3 of any list of the most crucial skills in our careers and lives.

(*H/T: Damian Lillard)

“Don’t demand that things happen as you wish, but wish that they happen as they do happen.” | Epictetus, Enchiridion

Hearing this note reminded me of the lines from the poem Desiderata – “And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.”

So it is.

I’ve been writing every day for well over a decade now. So, the resistance (that crafty voice in our heads that tempts us to take the easy way out) knows not to suggest that I skip a post.

No, that would render it ineffective.

So, it makes a different suggestion. “Mail it in today.” – it says. “You’re tired. Just find a random quote and stick it in. No will notice. You will be more rested tomorrow.”

Even after so many years of daily writing, that suggestion is more tempting than I’d like to admit on some days. Only after further thought do I realize that it actually won’t be any easier tomorrow.

There will be other reasons to mail it in. The resistance will show up and be ready in full force tomorrow as well.

It doesn’t get easier. We just learn to deal with it better.

“But a tiny voice whispers in my mind
You are lost, hope is gone
But you must go on
And do the next right thing” | Anna in Frozen 2

There are two lessons here. The first is in the beauty of the lyrics. We’ve all experienced moments when we feel lost. “Do the next right thing” is a beautiful mantra for those times.

The second, however, is a different kind of learning. I wasn’t a fan of the Frozen movies a few years ago. But, after being surrounded by the Frozen universe over the past 2 years and living with a passionate fan, I’ve come to appreciate so many things about them.

Passionate teachers, friends, colleagues, and in this case, kids, can teach you to appreciate things you would otherwise have missed.

“I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.” | James Baldwin

Powerful.

(H/T: James Clear’s newsletter)

A beloved Professor from graduate school used to share a story about a chance meeting with a former student.

They ran into each other at the airport and this former student wasn’t looking well. When he asked him what happened, he learned that he’d been told by his wife that she wanted a divorce. He was surprised.

As they continued talking, the former student shared that he’d spent most of the last few years traveling on the job. So, they hadn’t been spending much time together.

When he was asked for his opinion, our Professor said – “I’m surprised you’re surprised.”

After sharing this story, he’d share his rule-of-thumb. The more someone admits to being surprised by outcomes in their life, the less self reflective they likely are.

Indeed.