Dear Leaders, Entrepreneurs, Dreamers, and Creators of Great Things: I write these Love Letters each month with the hope of bringing you a little encouragement, some marketing help, and a few minutes of joy. Whether we are already friends or have yet to meet, I hope you’ll enjoy my stories from the road and some awesomely random takeaways, tools, tips, and updates.
I got a bad haircut last week.
It wasn’t really my stylist’s fault. We were chatting. I told her to “give it a good trim,” and before I knew it… it was way too short and I was silently freaking out. It’s thrown off my routine for the past week. Doing the usual morning thing doesn’t work because there’s not enough hair there to do the things to. It’s a small thing, but all week it’s been forcing me to adjust.
Change is hard. One minute we are fully into a comfortable routine and doing things without thinking about it too much, and then suddenly, those things don’t work anymore. We have to adjust our habits, our way of thinking, and even our tools or systems.
If there is one word I have heard from every single client this year, it’s change. We’re all experiencing it. Some of us are up to our elbows in it. And most of the change-related content out there is about surviving change. Thriving despite it. Getting through it. But what if the best thing to do is to run towards it?
Scientists tell us one of the most effective ways to keep our brains sharp is to introduce them to uncomfortable change intentionally. To drive to the grocery store using a different route. To complete simple tasks with our non-dominant hand. To change up our morning or evening routines and do everyday things in a different order. On purpose.
Now, I know, for some of you this sounds like torture. But getting comfortable being uncomfortable in small, seemingly insignificant ways gets us in the habit of being adaptable. So when the big change comes, (like market shifts, restructuring, or technology advances,) we are far more likely to adapt more quickly than our competition.
One thing is for sure… there are more changes ahead. Our customer’s expectations will continue to change. AI will continue to disrupt. And the market is uncertain.
If I can encourage you to factor one thing into your business plan for the coming year, it’s this: look for ways to disrupt your routine, on purpose. Look for ways to force you to try things that are new and different. You don’t have to get a terrible haircut – but you do need to plan for change. Because it’s coming.
Two tiny reminders that might lead to some big mindset shifts:
Reminder 1:
We’re nearing the end of the year and many of us are making plans and setting goals for the coming year. And some of you are going to be tempted to set big, huge goals. But here’s the thing… you can’t achieve big goals. I know. That sounds terrible, but hear me out. Big goals are…well, big. And the honest truth is, we don’t achieve them. We achieve a hundred tiny goals that make up a big goal.
You don’t learn to fly a plane. You learn a million little routines, one at a time, until all of those routines add up. But you start with a single routine. Want to write a book? That goal feels impossible. You are almost sure to fail. It’s too much to focus on. So is writing 15 chapters. So is writing 60,000 words. But writing for 20 minutes a day? That single habit is totally achievable. (I know this one firsthand!)
Have big audacious goals. Then take that big goal and make it smaller. Then make that goal smaller. Then make it smaller still. Once you can’t get any more specific or go any smaller, that’s where you start.
Reminder 2:
The number one question I get from other speakers is, “How do you make your slides look so good?”
“Canva,” I tell them.
What I don’t say is:
I spent 5 years studying art and design.
I use the color wheel.
I pay attention to what others do and I do it differently.
I have been improving for 20 years.
I read books on learning practices.
I study the way adults learn.
I remove as many words as possible and tell stories with my images.
I pay attention when people take photos of my slides, and I study how to replicate that result.
But most importantly, I make sure that the slides are never more important than the words I say and the connections I make with the humans in the room. The slides are just frosting.
There are two lessons here:
1. We get paid for the things people don’t see, as much as we get paid for the things they do. We should be putting at least as much effort into those unseen things.
2. If you only focus on the frosting, you are more likely to have people question your value because they too will be only focused on the frosting. Bake a freaking fantastic cake. The frosting should always feel like extra.
This is where I share the good stuff.
… the latest websites, books, & tools that are inspiring me, the people who are making me smile, and the stuff I have been writing on sticky notes.
- Looking for a way to give back this season? Consider making a purchase from this list to contribute to my friend Ally’s Hamper Project, providing families in need with a Christmas hamper.
- A quick (but good) read on more vs better.
- If you are committed to telling better stories and making your marketing more meaningful, you need Pixar’s Rules of Storytelling.
- The two questions you should always ask about your customer.
- One of my favorite things to revisit when I am feeling stressed.
Thanks for reading, friends! If you want to get these in your inbox every month, be sure to get on the mailing list. And if you are looking for a speaker who will motivate your organization to get up, get moving, and face change head-on, I would love to chat.
