004 : HONE
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
Welcome, old and new.
Instead of blasting through the next milestone, I thought it'd be wise to slow down and refine what I've done so far. Very atypical. We'll see if it sticks.
Here's what happened since the last update:
wrote up a sprawling history for Project Echoes
started distributing the NINE Assessment
made the Assessment not manual
What have we learned?
How will we move forward?
Let's see.
Trying something out.
I tend to have many more than just two or three conclusions in between these pieces I'm sending out to you here, but sharing all of them would requiring writing out all of them. Some don't need that much fleshing out, and others could be entire essays. Very uneven. Very exhausting.
Do you like lists?
I like lists.
Lists will always be in vogue.
They're great. They're cool. And they're a little pernicious.
So, I'm going to give you a list of things I learned, figured out, or realized between the previous update and now.
Feeling vulnerable while sharing (specifically, from sharing the Assessment; nothing bad happened yet, but I'm just logging the emotional state because it's interesting).
When you've worked to make your ideas comprehensible (for once), you unlock a whole new mode of vulnerability. Rejection from you confusing them is fine. Fair. Rejection from being understood? The same, but even more so. You're refining their disinterests with great precision.
Avoid deleting your old stuff (so that you can snowball).
If you never delete any of your previous versions, all of which being radically different from each other, you can chain them together and interconnect their parts to make one, towering behemoth. An epic history, rich with texture.
Rushing into the next thing (isn't always a good idea).
Most milestones require reinforcement to springboard you into the next one without you needing to clamor and scramble your way up upon the next platform. Don't set the foundation? The springs buckle and snap off the frame and you're left standing there lookin' reeeal silly.
Playing to win (as the self-conscious, research-driven achiever that you may or may not be).
You've gone through dozens of guides, frameworks, spokespeople, creators, coaches, and mentors; they're all giving you the same message, over and over and ov— stop. Don't read or watch another thing about it. Repeat their tenets in your head. Maybe something will change. Maybe.
Breaking patterns (to break through the crack in the door).
People are wired to recognize patterns. If you throw a wrench into that process, do something slightly atypical, the contrast makes you stand out. Get behind their eyes. What do they see all the time? Don't do the opposite. Just do it a little bit weird. A little bit sideways.
And breaking patterns (by doing the same thing in a completely different way; no, it's not a weird contradiction, but it is definitely a clever play on the previous bullet point, believe me, trust, 100%).
Had this thought queued up for the previous update, but I couldn't it fit it in there. For years, whenever I wanted to tell people about "the fragments" I started from the very beginning. Assembled a conceptual abomination. Big, lumbering, a bit cross-eyed. Wouldn't be so bad if they could actually interact with it instead of it being behind a sound-proof window.
Sure hope it was as fun to read as it was for me writing it.
Because I'm gonna do it again.
And while writing these, it just occurred to me that these are formatted like Twitter posts.
And just like that, I just might be getting back in the game.
Sooner rather than later.
Parting Questions:
What do you do when you feel vulnerable? Do you try to avoid the feeling completely?
Are you cursed with the habit of deleting stuff or are you more so cursed with being an archivist? Do you think there would be some benefit in trying to be the opposite of what you are?
What is your relationship to rest? Do you always seek it out, or do you want it to end so that you get back to it (whatever "it" may be)?
What do you want to do? What do you want at all, deeply, truly? Can this be achieved through your current efforts? Can they be achieved by alternative means? Does it have to be done in the way you're thinking of?
What's something that always makes you go "ugh, this again?" the moment someone does it? Has this reflex ever been proven wrong before? If so, in what way? If not, how much tolerance do you have to attempt to find genuinely interesting exceptions?
Do you think repeating the same approach over and over will eventually led to your success? Has it actually worked for you before? If so, are there ways to make it more consistent?
I made worksheets.
Yes, two weeks ago, but people have been saying good things about them.
No, I don't have proof.
No, I didn't collect testimonials for them.
And then tell me what you think about them.
Yes, this is a lousy way to ask for testimonials.
Yes, I will do it again.
But if that's not up your alley: try the updated NINE Assessment.
Now 1-3 days faster than the original. Sleek, clean, and mostly bug free.
Give it a try. Have a good read.
...
and then come back and tell me what you think about it.
That's all I have for you today.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Next update on the 15th, barring emergencies.
Until then,
👋