Your Practice
There is a lot of great thought and wisdom in our collective history. You probably see a lot of it in social media: teachers, the Leadership First feed on LinkedIn, philosophers, Simon Sinek, Yoda…
One-Liner Wisdom
When I read a great one-liner, I might get that warm fuzzy feeling, an AHA!, or a bit of peace. But what about later? Do these one-liners just fade away for you immediately like they do for me?
So What?
I like the ultimate test of relevance and benefit, what I call my “So what?” principle. What does that one-liner mean to me? How can I benefit from it? Is it just pretty or is there something deeper in there for me, waiting to be discovered?
Now What?
And then the principle of “Now what?”.
Suppose I read a great one-liner. I've maybe memorized it, rephrased it, or somehow internalized it. What am I going to do with my newly captured wisdom? Does it fade into the ether, or am I going to engage with it skillfully and work with it?
Ask family or friends what they think
Explain your perspective to a rubber duck!
Write down how the idea might shape your actions in new ways
How would you change the one-liner? Does it pass your sniff test?
Give a TED Talk about it in the shower
Practice practice practice
Pick the wisdom you enjoy and set up a practice around it. Try one or more of these things:
Decide on a length of time to practice the idea. A week, a month, something where you can give it attention 5 minutes each day or more.
Write it on a sticky note and put it where you'll see it.
Set a reminder in your calendar or todo app to remind you throughout each day.
Set an alarm on your phone to silently go off, add a memo to remind you what the alarm is for.
Repeat it to yourself when you're walking, or otherwise idle.
Close your eyes for a few minutes and deeply contemplate what it means to practice that idea. How will YOU manifest it in your daily doings?
Realize that this isn't likely to be a goal line to cross, but something you weave into your daily activity or behaviors.
Try to find ways to flex your new muscle to get practice in. A meeting, a conversation, walking to the office.
Dont worry about being wrong or messing it up. I used to tell folks “it isn't IF you fall down, it's WHEN, and then it's HOW YOU GET BACK UP”. A wise man said “Life is just one mistake after another.”. Keep trying!
Watering the Right Seeds
It's about giving the attention to the things you feel are right for you. The right intention is like watering seeds you want to see grow: it takes time and care, but eventually, something will root and sprout.
The cool things you read or hear will inevitably fade, so if you want a sentiment to last longer than a day, consider being deliberate and giving it some practice a little each day.
But even giving your one-liner a few minutes a day will still be watering the right seeds. Just be patient and you might be surprised when it shows up spontaneously in your future.
