Is that a groove you're in? Or a rut?
Today, I’m thinking about why and how we should be prolific.
Why we should endeavour to be creators, rather than consumers.
This idea came up in Blogtober of 2019 (a self-inflicted challenge to write a blog every day for a month), when I was riffing on the realisation that I am not a disciplined person. I was throwing rocks at the Jim Rohn quote “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret” (which I maintain to this day is utter bullshit).
My blog on the topic prompted a lot of discussion, including an email from my friend Dr Richard Huysmans, who noted that - whilst I may lack discipline - I had developed another access point to prolific creativity/productivity. That was a bit of a lightbulb piece of feedback, and I realised how valuable it was that I had uncovered a strategy that made being prolific work for me.
I reckon one of the most prevalent mistakes people make when living our lives is we fail to “take enough shots” .
In essence, we play life too safe. We rarely take risks, no matter how small they are. We stick in grooves long after they’ve become ruts.
Our brains are wired to abhor failure, which means we reliably miscalculate the cost/benefit relationship of nearly everything we do.
When you’re single, the cost of asking someone out is near-zero (yes, even if they say no), the benefit if they say yes could be utterly life-changing.
When you’re employed, the cost of applying for a promotion or interviewing for another role is comparatively tiny when contrasted with the benefits on offer should your gambit pay off.
When you’re self-employed, the cost of taking a new idea to market is usually smaller on the scale of thousands-to-one compared to the upside, should your idea take off.
If you’re in an industry where personal brand counts for something (which comfortably includes all the peeps I tend to work with; lawyers, accountants, consultants, speakers, authors), the value created by putting your thoughts out into the world (as articles, speeches, etc.) dwarfs the effort required to create it.
Being prolific isn’t just about building a personal brand, or making more money, or being seen to be successful, however, important as those things might be.
It’s about the fulfilment that comes with being a creator in a world of consumers.
It’s about committing to the creative process often enough, for long enough, to build up a body of evidence that reflects back to you a positive vision of who you are, and why you matter.
It might sound silly, but if I’m having a bad day, I can watch a recording of a great speech I’ve given, or even just browse a few pages of the articles section of my website, and completely turn my mental state around.
Your access point to prolific creation might be discipline (a commitment to regular work). It might be play (experiment with games you can play with yourself about creation). It might be enthusiasm (that’s mine - I’m enthusiastic about the ideas I share and I have fun exploring them).
I think hidden inside every human is a prolific creator.
Sadly, in today’s world, that creative energy is often suppressed; by work, by responsibilities, by the never-ending tidal wave of invitations to consume instead.
We need to experiment with our environment, our routines, our tech, our support, until we can become regularly (and effortlessly) prolific.
It makes success (as measured by others) a lot easier.
More importantly, it makes feeling successful (as measured by ourselves) almost certain.
If you want 2023 to be the year you get out of a rut and into a new groove, and you’d like some wise-and-enthusiastic support, get in touch.
I take on ten 1:1 mentoring clients each year, and I have a few spots left.
Please email with the word “COACH” in the title at col@colfink.com and we can set up a conversation to discuss.
Ever wondered how good you are at public speaking?
Curious to know what you do well, and what could be improved?
Keen to grow your public speaking skills, and need guidance to formulate a plan?
You're in the right place! Here you'll find the Speaker Strength Score Diagnostic "Colculator". It's a tool designed to help you explore your strengths and weaknesses as a public speaker.