"Mindset" is a recurring theme in my work these days. Whether I'm working with leaders, a team or individual coaching clients I've noticed so many of the questions and uncertainties stem from mindset; get that straight and good things can happen.
Coaching someone about career transition the other day, I asked them about what the point of a job interview is. "To trap me with hard questions," came their answer. I've had someone else describe job interviews as a necessary evil. "No one likes going to the dentist, but you have to do it."
These two responses say nothing about what happens at job interviews and everything about the mindset of the person I was coaching. Take the first response about using questions as traps. This response attributes motive to the interview panel (to trap me, to show me up, to make a fool of me etc). There's also a sense that the questions will be difficult or test knowledge that you don't have. Neither of these two things is necessarily true. Employers don't use the time of many people in the interview process just to torture outsiders! Employers with a vacancy to fill, have a problem to solve; they need someone to do the job. By inviting you for an interview, they're saying "we think you could be the very person who can solve our problem and fill the job".
But what about those hard questions you'll be asked? I've been a contestant on a few game shows and I love trivia quizzes. I'm often asked about how I came to know the answers to such hard questions. "No question is hard if you know the answer." Unlike most game shows, you know the main topic of the questions you'll be asked at an interview: YOU! The key to dealing with questions at an interview is to prepare. Think about the role and the organisation and think of relevant examples from your life (at work or other settings if relevant).
Imagine if my clients adjusted their mindset. Imagine what it would be like to go into an interview thinking: "I'm so pleased this company thinks I might be the person for this role. I think I am and it's great to have the opportunity to talk to them and show them I am exactly the person they're looking for. While I don't know exactly what they're going to ask me, I'm a subject matter expert about the main subject (me) and I've prepared by thinking of some examples. I'm confident that this will be a great conversation."
Suddenly, an interview is something to look forward to, rather than an ordeal.
So what? Whatever your mindset, it will show up. Whether you're in a job interview, talking to your teenager or negotiating an extension of time to pay your electricity bill, your mindset will be evident.
The other day I had to call a government department. I was on hold for 30 minutes before someone took my call. I really needed to talk to them, so was just eager that that happen while I was available to talk. I put my earpiece in and went about my business while I was on hold, so that was okay. When my call was answered I expressed relief and said I was really pleased my call had been answered. The response of the woman on the phone was to say, in a very clipped, harsh tone, "Yes, well it is a very busy time of year." I instantly felt put off. She didn't sound like she was having a very good day. I don't know what was in her mind, but she was displaying her mindset:"Oh great, another caller who has to talk about how long they've been on hold instead of just getting to the point. Doesn't she know we're busy!"
If her mindset had been about customer service and helping, she might have said something like, "Oh sorry you've had such a long wait, but I'm here now. How can I help you?" Right there, the mindset changes everything.
I won't go into all the details of the call here, but it was harder than it needed to be. My needs weren't being fulfilled and she told me that she could put me through the process but there was no point because she wouldn't be changing her mind. It's pretty clear what her mindset was likely to be.
I find that mindset is often closely aligned to purpose. Clarity about why you're doing something, or why someone is asking you something, helps resolve anxiety about motivation and just get on with it.
So, next time you're wondering how to approach something, especially if it's feeling difficult or scary, forget about the "thing" and get your mindset straight first.
What do you think? What's your mindset?
Showing posts with label purpose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label purpose. Show all posts
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Sunday, 14 December 2014
Ritual or habit - Is there a difference?
Following on from yesterday's post about ritual and community, I've been thinking about whether any of the things I do constitute ritual. I think they do.
On Wednesday nights I drive over to the other side of town to meet with 20 other people in a hall attached to a Russian Orthodox church. It's choir practice night. There are the greetings as people trickle in. People connect with each other and new things are discovered. We stand in a circle to warm up with music that is familiar before learning a new song or working to develop a work in progress. New friends are made and professional connections forged. There is much laughter and warmth and it's very special singing in a group and making eye contact around the circle.
I think this is a ritual. It is regularly practised. It creates connection and leaves me with a sense of refreshment and connection. Is it any wonder that choirs have been used as an indicator of community health
Each night I light a couple of scented candles. Sometimes I think of something particular as I do and other times I just light the candle. The lighting of a candle often forms part of sacred ritual. This is an accessible and private ritual.
Knitting is something I do everyday, along with reading, walking, playing music and brushing my teeth. Knitting is part of my daily ritual. I slow down, sit down and take up my needles. My hands know what to do without even looking and I soon find my rhythm. I delight in the rich colours as every piece passes through my hands. If I'm knitting for someone else, I think of them while I knit. Soon I feel calmer.
Not so long ago, writing was part of my daily habit. Is a habit the same as a ritual? I think it depends. Contemporary language has appropriated terms like "ritual" and "icon" from religious context and placed them in a purely secular, often commercial context. Sporting heroes and pop star celebrities are now referred to as icons and mundane actions like checking your phone are often referred to as rituals. Reality dating shows like "The Bachelor" hold a "rose ceremony" to remove contestants and "Survivor" incorporates "getting fire to symbolise life" into tribal council. Perhaps these are examples of things that have become ritualised.
A search of the web for images of ritual resulted in pagan images. Interesting. To me a ritual has an element of purpose or mindfulness and something changes as a result of engaging in it. And there is an order or a sequence which is observed.
At the music camp I go to every year (Summersong), ritual forms part of the big celebration party held in the middle of the week. Often the experience is profound and individuals can engage in the experience as deeply as they wish. My first year at Summersong involved a moment that I can pinpoint as being life changing.
We were asked to think of something that we wished to give up. We then had to find a natural object that would embody this thing and bring it with us to the party. I thought about this, taking it very seriously; the idea resonated. After much deliberation I realised that I wanted to give up my hardness. After many years of being a union leader I started to recognise how the toughness I was required to have everyday had made me quite a hard person. I realised I had drifted a long way from myself. I found a stone from the lake bed to embody my hardness. As we filed into the hall we were greeted with deep eye contact and invited to sit and have our feet washed. It was exquisite. I clutched my stone and as I sat there, I could feel a hard lump rising through my torso. Soon, the tears started to flow. They continued for quite a long time. I was invited to discard my stone into a basket. As I did, the tears stopped. I felt like the hardness had left.
I don't know how this will sound to people who weren't there and I'm a bit nervous about sharing it. The reason I have shared here is to show that ritual does not have to be religious. The thing that defines an action as being a ritual, for me, is the notion of being purposeful and conducted in a thoughtful, conscious mindset.
As for the writing habit, I'm reinstating it and still deciding.
What rituals do you have in your life? Where did they come from? How do they affect you?
On Wednesday nights I drive over to the other side of town to meet with 20 other people in a hall attached to a Russian Orthodox church. It's choir practice night. There are the greetings as people trickle in. People connect with each other and new things are discovered. We stand in a circle to warm up with music that is familiar before learning a new song or working to develop a work in progress. New friends are made and professional connections forged. There is much laughter and warmth and it's very special singing in a group and making eye contact around the circle.
I think this is a ritual. It is regularly practised. It creates connection and leaves me with a sense of refreshment and connection. Is it any wonder that choirs have been used as an indicator of community health
Each night I light a couple of scented candles. Sometimes I think of something particular as I do and other times I just light the candle. The lighting of a candle often forms part of sacred ritual. This is an accessible and private ritual.Knitting is something I do everyday, along with reading, walking, playing music and brushing my teeth. Knitting is part of my daily ritual. I slow down, sit down and take up my needles. My hands know what to do without even looking and I soon find my rhythm. I delight in the rich colours as every piece passes through my hands. If I'm knitting for someone else, I think of them while I knit. Soon I feel calmer.
Not so long ago, writing was part of my daily habit. Is a habit the same as a ritual? I think it depends. Contemporary language has appropriated terms like "ritual" and "icon" from religious context and placed them in a purely secular, often commercial context. Sporting heroes and pop star celebrities are now referred to as icons and mundane actions like checking your phone are often referred to as rituals. Reality dating shows like "The Bachelor" hold a "rose ceremony" to remove contestants and "Survivor" incorporates "getting fire to symbolise life" into tribal council. Perhaps these are examples of things that have become ritualised.
A search of the web for images of ritual resulted in pagan images. Interesting. To me a ritual has an element of purpose or mindfulness and something changes as a result of engaging in it. And there is an order or a sequence which is observed.
I don't know how this will sound to people who weren't there and I'm a bit nervous about sharing it. The reason I have shared here is to show that ritual does not have to be religious. The thing that defines an action as being a ritual, for me, is the notion of being purposeful and conducted in a thoughtful, conscious mindset.
As for the writing habit, I'm reinstating it and still deciding.
What rituals do you have in your life? Where did they come from? How do they affect you?
Thursday, 9 October 2014
How to avoid feedback disasters - what's your purpose?
Giving, receiving, thinking about and teaching feedback occupies a large proportion of my time, both at work and in my private life. I notice how people avoid it, crave it, botch it and do well and wonder at the variability of attitudes and capacity. Part of my vision for an improved world is doing it better and appreciating the value of feedback.
So I was pleased to recently work with a medical college in trial exams for candidates to practise and receive feedback about all aspects of their performance: medical knowledge, exam technique, communication with me, the simulated patient, and their overall competence.
My case was intense, requiring me to cry and be angry about the situation. As an acting job, it was excellent. I had a really lovely doctor to work with as he conducted the trial exam station.
Candidate after candidate struggled with both the medical knowledge and their capacity to communicate. They often freak out when confronted with a simulated patient who is crying and angry just like a real patient would be in the same situation. Usually they recover. I quickly discovered that the doctor with me had a very different view of good communication. I also learned that many candidates were having significant problems with the medical aspects of the case.
After all candidates had had their trial, we saw them again for two minutes of feedback. After hearing from the doctor how terrible everyone was, I was surprised to hear him start by telling people "you did well". He'd then list - in exhaustive detail - all the areas of failure. He sent them off by saying they "weren't too bad" or "but you did ok".
I was confused. The candidates looked confused. They really wanted to know about their performance. They were participating in this trial exam so that they knew where they had performed well and what they needed to improve. Instead they received a confusing message that left them with no information about what they should do next time. The next time would be when they sit the actual exam.
I took the opportunity to observe and think about what was going wrong and how I would coach the doctor on providing useful, effective feedback.
The first question I would ask would be "what's the purpose of the feedback you're about to deliver?" Then to further clarify, "what do you want to happen as a result of this person receiving your feedback?"
Answering these questions before any feedback conversation will help remove our sometimes overwhelming desire to be liked from the feedback conversation. Interestingly, if your purpose is clear and about helping the other person, they probably will like you because you've taken the time to give them effective feedback that will help them do better in their world.
Listening to the doctor deliver his confusing messages, I tried to discern his purpose; it seemed it was about fulfilling part of the process of the trial exam. Where's the value in that? Feedback is part of the process and there's no doubt there was an obligation on him to provide it, but if the purpose of feedback is merely procedural then no one will benefit. It will be hard to deliver and unhelpful to receive. At its worst, it may also have a negative impact on the relationship between people.
Consistently I find that a lack of clarity around purpose is where people stumble. And it's not just in feedback conversations. Any conversation can benefit from clarity of purpose. Where the conversation is a strategic one (rather than a casual one), it needs to be planned. If you do nothing else, be clear about the answers to these key questions:
1. what's the purpose of the feedback you're about to deliver?
2. what do you want to happen as a result of this person receiving your feedback?
It can change your life!
So I was pleased to recently work with a medical college in trial exams for candidates to practise and receive feedback about all aspects of their performance: medical knowledge, exam technique, communication with me, the simulated patient, and their overall competence.
My case was intense, requiring me to cry and be angry about the situation. As an acting job, it was excellent. I had a really lovely doctor to work with as he conducted the trial exam station.
Candidate after candidate struggled with both the medical knowledge and their capacity to communicate. They often freak out when confronted with a simulated patient who is crying and angry just like a real patient would be in the same situation. Usually they recover. I quickly discovered that the doctor with me had a very different view of good communication. I also learned that many candidates were having significant problems with the medical aspects of the case.
After all candidates had had their trial, we saw them again for two minutes of feedback. After hearing from the doctor how terrible everyone was, I was surprised to hear him start by telling people "you did well". He'd then list - in exhaustive detail - all the areas of failure. He sent them off by saying they "weren't too bad" or "but you did ok".
I was confused. The candidates looked confused. They really wanted to know about their performance. They were participating in this trial exam so that they knew where they had performed well and what they needed to improve. Instead they received a confusing message that left them with no information about what they should do next time. The next time would be when they sit the actual exam.
I took the opportunity to observe and think about what was going wrong and how I would coach the doctor on providing useful, effective feedback.
The first question I would ask would be "what's the purpose of the feedback you're about to deliver?" Then to further clarify, "what do you want to happen as a result of this person receiving your feedback?"
Answering these questions before any feedback conversation will help remove our sometimes overwhelming desire to be liked from the feedback conversation. Interestingly, if your purpose is clear and about helping the other person, they probably will like you because you've taken the time to give them effective feedback that will help them do better in their world.
Listening to the doctor deliver his confusing messages, I tried to discern his purpose; it seemed it was about fulfilling part of the process of the trial exam. Where's the value in that? Feedback is part of the process and there's no doubt there was an obligation on him to provide it, but if the purpose of feedback is merely procedural then no one will benefit. It will be hard to deliver and unhelpful to receive. At its worst, it may also have a negative impact on the relationship between people.
Consistently I find that a lack of clarity around purpose is where people stumble. And it's not just in feedback conversations. Any conversation can benefit from clarity of purpose. Where the conversation is a strategic one (rather than a casual one), it needs to be planned. If you do nothing else, be clear about the answers to these key questions:
1. what's the purpose of the feedback you're about to deliver?
2. what do you want to happen as a result of this person receiving your feedback?
It can change your life!
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
I changed someone's life today - how was your day?
After a long day and an early start tomorrow, I just want to share that I made a difference to someone's life this week. Having made that difference, other lives will also change. For the better.
In leadership conversation I often find myself reminding leaders what lens they use when they look at their people - do they view people with suspicion, expecting them to do a bad job, or do they expect they're all doing their best?
For people with a negative lens this can be very confronting. It can turn the heat up for many people, which usually means some focussed argument back in my direction. I know this and I choose to do it anyway. Moments like today make it worthwhile.
One of the leaders with whom I'd been in conversation for two days told me that idea of expecting people to be doing their best was revolutionary and was going to change everything. This leader had most things worked out but they described to me a sense that there was still something missing. This new lens was the missing piece - their mindset was now aligned to their purpose of wanting to support and develop people. With the wrong mindset, everyone was disappointed.
The leader was energised and excited as they described this revelation and life changing realisation. They touched me on the arm while we were talking and then apologised for touching me, acknowledging they were a "touchy-feely" person. I said it was okay and asked if they'd like a hug. It was lovely.
Who have you influenced today? Who has influenced you? How will you be different tomorrow?
In leadership conversation I often find myself reminding leaders what lens they use when they look at their people - do they view people with suspicion, expecting them to do a bad job, or do they expect they're all doing their best?
For people with a negative lens this can be very confronting. It can turn the heat up for many people, which usually means some focussed argument back in my direction. I know this and I choose to do it anyway. Moments like today make it worthwhile.
One of the leaders with whom I'd been in conversation for two days told me that idea of expecting people to be doing their best was revolutionary and was going to change everything. This leader had most things worked out but they described to me a sense that there was still something missing. This new lens was the missing piece - their mindset was now aligned to their purpose of wanting to support and develop people. With the wrong mindset, everyone was disappointed.
The leader was energised and excited as they described this revelation and life changing realisation. They touched me on the arm while we were talking and then apologised for touching me, acknowledging they were a "touchy-feely" person. I said it was okay and asked if they'd like a hug. It was lovely.
Who have you influenced today? Who has influenced you? How will you be different tomorrow?
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
We made it to 2013 - the Mayans were wrong.
Imagine that. The world didn't end. Who knows what the Mayans were up to? The world could have been spared numerous B movies, apart from any angst which may have arisen from the looming end of the world.
I like milestones. I like to take the time to think about what's next and get my mindset right for whatever is next. I'm not really a goal setter, but I do like to be purposeful about actions that I take. My experience over the last few years since I finished full time employment for other people in October 2008 is that things work really well for me if I think positively, don't get tense and worried and continue to act on opportunities. I also look for opportunities. They can be sneaky things and can easily be missed if you're not actually looking.
I just checked my New Year post for last year and am very pleased with the alignment I achieved between intention and achievement. I am pleased with what I achieved. I haven't tackled my lace knitting yet, but I have signed up to an online class and have the yarn wound and ready to go. Development as a performer didn't really happen last year, but I'm okay with that. I've been spending a lot of time developing my skills as an improviser and actor in a teaching and assessment setting. It's not performance as such, but I'm still exercising my acting muscles.
The spare room is still a disaster - perhaps smaller and a tiny bit more organised than it was this time last year.
I'm very pleased with how my business is developing. Bookings and interest is very strong right through the first quarter and prospects are already looking very good beyond that. I'm feeling good about 2013.
On a personal level, one of my major achievements in 2012 was quitting sugar! I made it through the eight weeks of having no sugar at all, just in time for Christmas. Over Christmas, I have allowed myself to share a small portion of Christmas pudding and last night at dinner I had a dessert that was far too big and far too rich, given that I'm off sugar. It's interesting that previously I would have been fighting the urge to have seconds, but that doesn't happen anymore. The quit program has worked and my habits and palate have both changed. Congratulations to anyone out there who has achieved the same thing! And if you haven't quite made it yet, keep trying - it's worth it.
My main focus for 2013 is to continue to build my business, using networking and good work as my main advertising tools. On a concrete, practical note, I do want to get my website up and running.
Incorporating volunteering into my life while I'm working freelance is quite challenging. Because I am only paid when I work, I need to prioritise paid work over volunteering. Contributing to my community is very important to me and I'm feeling a little frustrated that I haven't found a way of volunteering regularly in the way my life is currently running. I solved that problem in 2011 by knitting for charity. This worked because it was easy to incorporate into my usual leisure activities and didn't compete for priority with my paid work. In 2012 I started to crochet a granny square a day and these will be turned into a blanket for someone. I will explore further charity avenues for my knitting this year.
Floating around in my mind is the idea of going unplugged for a day a month. I need to think about this idea more and gain clarity about what I mean. At this stage I'm thinking about it in the context of being offline - that is, not dealing with email, social media and using the internet generally. I feel like this would be a good thing to do to clear my mind and make sure days aren't sucked into the web vortex.
On the practical side, the spare room has made it onto the list. I know that I need to be more specific in thinking about this as making a broad statement like "tackle the spare room" really hasn't worked. At this moment I'm thinking "turn the spare room into a useful, welcoming space, so that it is more than a storage room". And of course, I need a timeframe. By 31 August 2013!
I've done fairly well with saving money during 2012, but with no real plan other than to have money to tide me over during the dead period of December and January. I'm going to put a firm aim in place and put aside 10% of all invoices (after I've taken out tax and GST).
And I want to dance more!
My plans for divacultura are to continue to write daily as much as possible. This is no longer a chore and I find that most days the inspiration is readily available and the writing happens fairly easily. If I'm travelling it's often difficult to post each day, but I've decided just to acknowledge that and communicate with my readers. Given my work schedule I may need to cut back to five posts a week, but I'll let you know if that happens. With the development of my website for this year, I need to think about the relationship between my business and my blog and make sure I seize opportunities for cross-pollination.
Here are the top 10 most read posts on divacultura:
1. MYKI: it's your key to bureaucratic frustration
2. Quitting sugar - two weeks down
3. That's how you handle a complaint!
4. Emergency services call - communication failure
5. Missing in action
6. Photo a day June - from a low angle
7. If myki is the solution, what the hell was the problem?
8. I've got the public transport ticketing blues
9. Photo a day - June round up & July list
10. 2 Days in New York - giveaway
Post numbers 2 through to 10 were all written this year. The top post was written in 2011. There's a strong theme of public transport and community service being subjects of these most popular posts. And my photos have also received lots of comments and compliments, both here on the blog and on Instagram and facebook. The one I'm puzzled about is "Missing in action" at number 5...
Phew! That's a great list and I'm excited about what's to come.
What are you thinking about for 2013? What's your intention?
I like milestones. I like to take the time to think about what's next and get my mindset right for whatever is next. I'm not really a goal setter, but I do like to be purposeful about actions that I take. My experience over the last few years since I finished full time employment for other people in October 2008 is that things work really well for me if I think positively, don't get tense and worried and continue to act on opportunities. I also look for opportunities. They can be sneaky things and can easily be missed if you're not actually looking.
I just checked my New Year post for last year and am very pleased with the alignment I achieved between intention and achievement. I am pleased with what I achieved. I haven't tackled my lace knitting yet, but I have signed up to an online class and have the yarn wound and ready to go. Development as a performer didn't really happen last year, but I'm okay with that. I've been spending a lot of time developing my skills as an improviser and actor in a teaching and assessment setting. It's not performance as such, but I'm still exercising my acting muscles.
The spare room is still a disaster - perhaps smaller and a tiny bit more organised than it was this time last year.
I'm very pleased with how my business is developing. Bookings and interest is very strong right through the first quarter and prospects are already looking very good beyond that. I'm feeling good about 2013.
On a personal level, one of my major achievements in 2012 was quitting sugar! I made it through the eight weeks of having no sugar at all, just in time for Christmas. Over Christmas, I have allowed myself to share a small portion of Christmas pudding and last night at dinner I had a dessert that was far too big and far too rich, given that I'm off sugar. It's interesting that previously I would have been fighting the urge to have seconds, but that doesn't happen anymore. The quit program has worked and my habits and palate have both changed. Congratulations to anyone out there who has achieved the same thing! And if you haven't quite made it yet, keep trying - it's worth it.
My main focus for 2013 is to continue to build my business, using networking and good work as my main advertising tools. On a concrete, practical note, I do want to get my website up and running.
Incorporating volunteering into my life while I'm working freelance is quite challenging. Because I am only paid when I work, I need to prioritise paid work over volunteering. Contributing to my community is very important to me and I'm feeling a little frustrated that I haven't found a way of volunteering regularly in the way my life is currently running. I solved that problem in 2011 by knitting for charity. This worked because it was easy to incorporate into my usual leisure activities and didn't compete for priority with my paid work. In 2012 I started to crochet a granny square a day and these will be turned into a blanket for someone. I will explore further charity avenues for my knitting this year.
Floating around in my mind is the idea of going unplugged for a day a month. I need to think about this idea more and gain clarity about what I mean. At this stage I'm thinking about it in the context of being offline - that is, not dealing with email, social media and using the internet generally. I feel like this would be a good thing to do to clear my mind and make sure days aren't sucked into the web vortex.
On the practical side, the spare room has made it onto the list. I know that I need to be more specific in thinking about this as making a broad statement like "tackle the spare room" really hasn't worked. At this moment I'm thinking "turn the spare room into a useful, welcoming space, so that it is more than a storage room". And of course, I need a timeframe. By 31 August 2013!
I've done fairly well with saving money during 2012, but with no real plan other than to have money to tide me over during the dead period of December and January. I'm going to put a firm aim in place and put aside 10% of all invoices (after I've taken out tax and GST).
And I want to dance more!
My plans for divacultura are to continue to write daily as much as possible. This is no longer a chore and I find that most days the inspiration is readily available and the writing happens fairly easily. If I'm travelling it's often difficult to post each day, but I've decided just to acknowledge that and communicate with my readers. Given my work schedule I may need to cut back to five posts a week, but I'll let you know if that happens. With the development of my website for this year, I need to think about the relationship between my business and my blog and make sure I seize opportunities for cross-pollination.
Here are the top 10 most read posts on divacultura:
1. MYKI: it's your key to bureaucratic frustration
2. Quitting sugar - two weeks down
3. That's how you handle a complaint!
4. Emergency services call - communication failure
5. Missing in action
6. Photo a day June - from a low angle
7. If myki is the solution, what the hell was the problem?
8. I've got the public transport ticketing blues
9. Photo a day - June round up & July list
10. 2 Days in New York - giveaway
Post numbers 2 through to 10 were all written this year. The top post was written in 2011. There's a strong theme of public transport and community service being subjects of these most popular posts. And my photos have also received lots of comments and compliments, both here on the blog and on Instagram and facebook. The one I'm puzzled about is "Missing in action" at number 5...
Phew! That's a great list and I'm excited about what's to come.
What are you thinking about for 2013? What's your intention?
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Happy First Birthday - divacultura celebrates!
Today is divacultura's first birthday! On Thursday 28 July 2011, I wrote "Beginnings", the post that outlined my vision for divacultura's incarnation as a blog.
Looking back on that first post, I struggle to remember what my original title choice was. After some hard thinking I remembered. I'm glad that my longed-for title wasn't available. I have the right title!
One of the reasons I started blogging was to create a daily writing habit. I had had one many years ago, but had lost my match fitness. I needed to start exercising my writing muscles regularly; they were a bit flabby. I was also interested to see how my writer's voice developed and whether I could be as compelling on the "page" as on the stage. I'm still exploring that question and I think it depends on the subject matter. I've been delighted to receive feedback from you, my readers, about my written voice. It's fascinating. Also a wonderful reminder that applies to any artistic/creative practice, that one's work takes on a new life the moment it is handed over to the audience.
I've done pretty well establishing my daily writing habit. 366 days after I started I have produced 348 posts. That's roughly 18 days I've missed. I'm counting that as success on meeting my commitment. I've had holidays and been travelling for work where it hasn't been possible to post. When this has been the case, I've flagged it. (I'm still mystified as to why one of these posts is my third most popular post of all time.) I do acknowledge that some posts are purely pictorial and contain no, or not much, writing. That's okay with me. I've started to take photographs again and have noticed myself being more observant and sensitive to the world - ingredients essential for nurturing creativity. More importantly, I now feel the compulsion to write each day - confirmation that I have successfully ingrained a habit.
At the beginning I wasn't sure whether many people outside my immediate circle would read. I thought some of my Twitter followers would come over and read, because divacultura is also my Twitter name, but wasn't sure how long it would last. While I'm always conscious of audience, in the beginning I was largely writing for myself. Now, I write for my audience and am always curious to read comments on the blog and also on facebook. So please, if you feel the urge to say something, I'd love you to act on that impulse!
My other commitment was to produce copy that was error free. I've remembered how hard it is to proofread and sub-edit your own work and from time to time posts do contain typos and other errors. I'm very lucky to have a very diligent and eagle-eyed post production editor - my Mother. Mum reads everything and gives me feedback and reactions. She will also provide feedback on corrections. Sometimes we have an arm-wrestle when I've made a stylistic choice that clashes with formal grammar/usage. I win those ones, but it's always provocative and I appreciate having the opportunity to read my work from a different perspective. My writing is better for it. Thanks Mum!
A year on, I'm taking stock and thinking about how this body of work is relevant to how I position my business. A year on, I've become much more aware of other bloggers and have enjoyed learning from their experience.
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY & YOU GET THE GIFTS!
As I contemplate renewing my commitment to divacultura for another year, I feel excitement and affection. Thank you for sharing some of your time with me. As a thank you gift - and so I can gain a better sense of who's out there - I'll be giving away a pair of my hand knitted socks to two very lucky readers, where ever you are in the world (ie two readers will receive a pair of socks each). To be in the running, leave a comment on this post by Friday 17 August 2012, stating why you like reading divacultura. My favourite responses will receive the prize (my decision is final). Why not take the opportunity to sign up and follow too!
*****
In the meantime, here are some stats:
divacultura's biggest audience is in the US, followed by Australia, Russia, Ireland and the UK.
You can see the top five posts on the home page.
The next five posts which complete the top 10 are:
6. Photo a day - June round up and July list (My interest in the July list waned and I haven't followed through on this one.)
7. Secondhand fumes - ever come across someone chroming on public transport?
8. Challenge accepted - the challenge in question was the first Photo a Day I participated in.
9. Prayers to the Goddess of parking
10. Question Time - who is the Lazy Civil Servant? The launch edition of this regular feature. It was fitting to feature the person who inspired me to start blogging.
And just for fun, here's one of my favourite pieces - The Man on the Steps. A purely creative piece sparked by a glimpse while I was out and about. It highlights the importance of being in the world with my head up and my eyes open and a preparedness to shamelessly eavesdrop!
Looking back on that first post, I struggle to remember what my original title choice was. After some hard thinking I remembered. I'm glad that my longed-for title wasn't available. I have the right title!
One of the reasons I started blogging was to create a daily writing habit. I had had one many years ago, but had lost my match fitness. I needed to start exercising my writing muscles regularly; they were a bit flabby. I was also interested to see how my writer's voice developed and whether I could be as compelling on the "page" as on the stage. I'm still exploring that question and I think it depends on the subject matter. I've been delighted to receive feedback from you, my readers, about my written voice. It's fascinating. Also a wonderful reminder that applies to any artistic/creative practice, that one's work takes on a new life the moment it is handed over to the audience.
I've done pretty well establishing my daily writing habit. 366 days after I started I have produced 348 posts. That's roughly 18 days I've missed. I'm counting that as success on meeting my commitment. I've had holidays and been travelling for work where it hasn't been possible to post. When this has been the case, I've flagged it. (I'm still mystified as to why one of these posts is my third most popular post of all time.) I do acknowledge that some posts are purely pictorial and contain no, or not much, writing. That's okay with me. I've started to take photographs again and have noticed myself being more observant and sensitive to the world - ingredients essential for nurturing creativity. More importantly, I now feel the compulsion to write each day - confirmation that I have successfully ingrained a habit.
At the beginning I wasn't sure whether many people outside my immediate circle would read. I thought some of my Twitter followers would come over and read, because divacultura is also my Twitter name, but wasn't sure how long it would last. While I'm always conscious of audience, in the beginning I was largely writing for myself. Now, I write for my audience and am always curious to read comments on the blog and also on facebook. So please, if you feel the urge to say something, I'd love you to act on that impulse!
My other commitment was to produce copy that was error free. I've remembered how hard it is to proofread and sub-edit your own work and from time to time posts do contain typos and other errors. I'm very lucky to have a very diligent and eagle-eyed post production editor - my Mother. Mum reads everything and gives me feedback and reactions. She will also provide feedback on corrections. Sometimes we have an arm-wrestle when I've made a stylistic choice that clashes with formal grammar/usage. I win those ones, but it's always provocative and I appreciate having the opportunity to read my work from a different perspective. My writing is better for it. Thanks Mum!
A year on, I'm taking stock and thinking about how this body of work is relevant to how I position my business. A year on, I've become much more aware of other bloggers and have enjoyed learning from their experience.
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY & YOU GET THE GIFTS!
As I contemplate renewing my commitment to divacultura for another year, I feel excitement and affection. Thank you for sharing some of your time with me. As a thank you gift - and so I can gain a better sense of who's out there - I'll be giving away a pair of my hand knitted socks to two very lucky readers, where ever you are in the world (ie two readers will receive a pair of socks each). To be in the running, leave a comment on this post by Friday 17 August 2012, stating why you like reading divacultura. My favourite responses will receive the prize (my decision is final). Why not take the opportunity to sign up and follow too!
*****
In the meantime, here are some stats:
divacultura's biggest audience is in the US, followed by Australia, Russia, Ireland and the UK.
You can see the top five posts on the home page.
The next five posts which complete the top 10 are:
6. Photo a day - June round up and July list (My interest in the July list waned and I haven't followed through on this one.)
7. Secondhand fumes - ever come across someone chroming on public transport?
8. Challenge accepted - the challenge in question was the first Photo a Day I participated in.
9. Prayers to the Goddess of parking
10. Question Time - who is the Lazy Civil Servant? The launch edition of this regular feature. It was fitting to feature the person who inspired me to start blogging.
And just for fun, here's one of my favourite pieces - The Man on the Steps. A purely creative piece sparked by a glimpse while I was out and about. It highlights the importance of being in the world with my head up and my eyes open and a preparedness to shamelessly eavesdrop!
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Beginnings
Imagine what it feels like when you've come up with the "perfect" name for your blog, only to discover that someone else is using that name for their blog. Okay, so that's annoying. But then, you go and look at the blog that has "your" name and discover that it's an ultra right wing, conservative blog written by someone who appears to be a religious zealot. That's disturbing. It made me question my very values. I spent hours in conversation with myself: "But what does it mean that I came up with the perfect name and someone with values so far from mine thought the same thing?" You get the drift.
I let it go. Madness may lie that way.
And here I am, posting for the first time on my new blog that is self-titled. Nothing wrong with that. Rock stars do it all the time. If you consider naming something after your Twitter name counts as "self-titled". Hmmm. Looks like I've got something to discuss with myself tomorrow.
What's it about? I am a compulsive observer of life. I'm one of those people who doesn't listen to an iPod on public transport. And I catch public transport everywhere. The reason is that I love to eavesdrop on conversations and discover that most of us seem to speak rubbish a lot of the time. Especially on public transport. Loudly. (Note to self - must write about this.) I have some time on my hands and am hungering to establish the habit of regular writing. (I used to have penpals - remember them? - must write about this.)
So "divacultura", the blog, written by divacultura the Twitter girl, will roam widely and wildly on whatever takes my fancy. I can promise that it will be spelt correctly and apostrophes will be accurately placed. These things matter to me. Additionally my aim is to entertain and provoke my audience daily.
I'd love you to join me.
I let it go. Madness may lie that way.
And here I am, posting for the first time on my new blog that is self-titled. Nothing wrong with that. Rock stars do it all the time. If you consider naming something after your Twitter name counts as "self-titled". Hmmm. Looks like I've got something to discuss with myself tomorrow.
What's it about? I am a compulsive observer of life. I'm one of those people who doesn't listen to an iPod on public transport. And I catch public transport everywhere. The reason is that I love to eavesdrop on conversations and discover that most of us seem to speak rubbish a lot of the time. Especially on public transport. Loudly. (Note to self - must write about this.) I have some time on my hands and am hungering to establish the habit of regular writing. (I used to have penpals - remember them? - must write about this.)
So "divacultura", the blog, written by divacultura the Twitter girl, will roam widely and wildly on whatever takes my fancy. I can promise that it will be spelt correctly and apostrophes will be accurately placed. These things matter to me. Additionally my aim is to entertain and provoke my audience daily.
I'd love you to join me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)