Inside the mind of a master procrastinator
There are some people who have a big deadline and slowly hack away at the project with plenty of time to review, proof, review again and have a cocktail along the way. Then, there’s the rest of us.
Those of us, as described by this talk by Tim Urban, who will wait for the “panic monster” to hit and then pull the allnighters to get the job done. This sums up my process pretty well, start strong on the project, research, outline, make some headway, then putter out and then kick things up ten notches when the deadline approaches. The talk reframes my notions of puttering out (aka being lazy) to a key part of the ideation process where I am subconsciously working out the puzzle pieces.
So, now instead of kicking myself and promising to be ahead of the game next time, I accept my natural process and try to set myself up for success. As a freelancer, I intentionally set up regular deadlines for myself where I have scheduled meetings to check-in with clients on a weekly/monthly basis to ensure I am accountable and hit my own targets.
Even if you are not a procrastinator and don’t have a panic monster sitting on your shoulder, this is a useful helpful talk to understand the other half of the population and their work style. Whether a family member or team member, this will help you better understand behavior and their approach to work and life.
On Being Wrong
We think we are always right, but how do we know when we are wrong? And when we are wrong, do we admit it to ourselves or continue down the path not wanting to admit any mistakes? Every story about the entrepreneur journey has a moment, if not several, where things go wrong. In this key juncture, do we ignore and stay the course? Or acknowledge, react and pivot?
Where do your online returns go?
4 billion pounds of returned clothing ends up in the landfill. This talk is about all of the clothing that gets thrown out both by the consumer and companies who find it cheaper than reselling.
Looking at the big picture, what is the impact of products that we create? What happens at the end of the product's lifecycle? What role do we play as entrepreneurs, freelancers and as consumers?
What I learned from 100 days of rejection
Most people offer advice that you never know until you ask. Yes, it's true, but.....it's not just that easy for most of us. There are nerves, fear and the unknown that comes with asking something of somebody else. This is one of my favorite talks, taking the 100 day journey with Jia makes the process seem doable, like going to the gym for daily training to build your strength (and fear tolerance) over time.
Should you live for your résumé ... or your eulogy?
The résumé virtues are the ones you put on your résumé, which are the skills you bring to the marketplace. The eulogy virtues are the ones that get mentioned in the eulogy, which are deeper: who are you, in your depth, what is the nature of your relationships, are you bold, loving, dependable, consistency? And most of us, including me, would say that the eulogy virtues are the more important of the virtues. But at least in my case, are they the ones that I think about the most? And the answer is no. . - David Brooks