After reading 'Linchpin' during the summer holiday, I have become a regular fan of Seth Godin's short and insightful blog posts.
The idea of 'shipping', getting things moving and done, is central in 'Linchpin'. Over the summer, I have hardly shipped anything in this blog. Procrastination, the eternal excuse of being busy with other things, or maybe closer to the truth, a certain disenchantment with my profession in general, and my personal calling as a teacher. Several reasons have contributed to this feeling, and in the end, all inspiration seems to elude me.
This week, Seth Godin's blog post 'Finding inspiration instead of it finding you' was exactly what I needed. As it's so easy for me, as a teacher, to let inspiration fade, how easy is it then for students who feel bored with school!
if you're not inspired, it's not your fault if you don't ship, it's not your fault if you don't do anything remarkable--hey, I don't have any good ideas, you can't expect me to speak up if I don't have any good ideas...I will remember this next time a student hides behind the pretense of 'I don't know' or the 'couldn't care less' shrug. As for myself, I will remember Seth's advice on blogging:
Do it every day for a month, one new, actionable idea each and every day. Within a few weeks, you'll notice the change in the way you find, process and ship ideas.
2 comments:
It seems we've read similar books during the summer. :) I'm also a great fan of Seth Godin, ever since I read "Tribes". Inspiration is something all of us need, and just as you say, we need to be active in seeking it. It feels especially important now as the days start getting shorter and the autumn approaches. Thanks for sharing the good word! :)
Hi Hanna
Nice to hear from you! I haven't read 'Tribes' but will do soon. Autumn is indeed almost here. Maybe the dark evenings and quieter social life will spark blogging inspiration again :)
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