Stillness

“Stillness allows us to persevere. To succeed.
It is the key that unlocks genius, happiness, meaning.”

Ryan Holiday in The Daily Stoic

Unless we take the time to slow down, smell the flowers, take the scenic route, notice the beauty all around us… how will we have the space to think, reflect, act?

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Blind Spots

“Friendship is just giving each other the same advice back and forth, and no one taking it”, read a meme on my Instagram feed!

That got me thinking… We all have cognitive biases and blind spots, that we may or may not be aware of, and often refuse to acknowledge. Unless we develop an awareness of these, there is no way to overcome their limitations. And, these limitations affect our decision-making in all critical matters.

What are some of my blind spots, and what am I doing about them?

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Wingman

A conversation between two characters in an episode of “Blue Bloods” made me think:

Some folks are great at being a Fixer (problem solver)

Others are great at being a Decider (in the face of difficult choices)

But, sometimes, all you can do in a given situation is be a good Wingman

More often than not, those who excel at being a Decider or Fixer, suck at being a Wingman.
Sometimes, it takes more resolve to not do anything, than to do something!

Note to Self: Be a better wingman, at least when necessary.

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Stories @ Work

At work, your assertions and opinions have limited currency with your listeners vs opinions about you coming from people they trust (like a close friend) vs their own deductions based on the stories you share. (Endowment Bias at work?!)

‘Story Telling’ is what makes the interaction memorable and impactful…

• Back up opinions (and facts) with a personal anecdote or a short story that personifies it
• Build a “story bank” for different situations in advance. Look back on your own experiences, and save stories that can help contextualize your opinions (with tags)
• Times to “actively listen” are not times to narrate a story. Also, don’t respond to close-ended / data-based / agitated questions with a story

Thanks, IC @ StoryWorks