Failure to launch
Seeking tips, tricks and hacks, available in abundance these days, is a poor strategy when what is needed is a shift in how we relate to sharing our work.
Often missed, there’s a difference between learning to write and shipping our work for everyone to see.
The first is a technical challenge. By following a series of steps and using tips and tricks, we can learn and write something in a few moments and see results.
The same applies to learning to code, making online videos or landing a plane. It's not easy, and the quality of the results will vary based on experience, but we can follow the instructions and build the skill.
The second, shipping the work, is an adaptive challenge. It requires getting away from the grip that holds us stuck from getting started, needing to be perfect or pressing that launch button.
The same is true in wanting to be a leader; you can’t just read a book to get there.
Like Ronald A. Heifetz once wrote, a leaders' biggest mistake is seeking technical solutions to solve adaptive problems.
It’s tempting to look for the shortcut that will fast-track us to our goal.
Seeking tips, tricks and hacks, available in abundance these days, is a poor strategy when what is needed is a change of mindset, a transformation of beliefs, and a shift in how we relate to sharing our work, making an impact or leading others.
It's not enough to watch a few videos, read a few posts and take a course to entirely shift our foundation, the identity that kept us safe and rewarded us with our success till today.
Humans are beautiful and complex beings. The new goals we set are often at odds and compete with existing wants and needs, and almost always, what stands in our way is ourselves.
A great way to notice we're stuck trying to solve adaptive problems with technical solutions is whether we've attempted to make sustained progress in a personal or organizational area without much to show for it. We've all been there.
As such, it might be time to stop looking for tips and tricks and reflect deeply on what's truly keeping us from making the change we seek.
I recommend starting with a four-step process to identify limiting beliefs.
In a busy world, tips and tricks have their time and place, but sometimes what we really need are refreshing new ways that challenge us to think and act differently.
[Should you decide to tackle the exercise and would like to discuss what you discover, you can reach me by replying to this email or visiting my website and using the email located at the bottom of the page.]
Miguel,
Sparknotion – Think Differently.