Follow your energy
During my time off, one of my main goals has been to separate myself from what I have been doing for the last decade in order to reflect on how I want to be growing next. I view growth at jobs a lot like getting onto a train. There might be switching stations along a route that take you to slightly different destinations but if you got on a train heading west, you’re probably not going to wind up in New York City without a lot more work.
Most jobs have an expected destination. Career paths provide a clear understanding of how your current skills fit with the broader organization. Once inside you tend to build up a set of skills that aligns with where the organization needs you to grow. It’s very easy to get lost in this structure and get frustrated when the job is taking you to a destination you’re not excited about. That doesn’t mean the train is bad, but you might be on the wrong one for you.
Build an energizing environment
I attended Raleigh Durham Startup Week last month in order to reconnect with some of that community and spend some time with passionate entrepreneurs in this ecosystem. In one of the first sessions, I asked how early stage entrepreneurs should prioritize work, especially with all of the different advice that is bombarded at them. The answer I got from Dan Gonzalez stuck with me, “Follow your energy.”
Systems quickly become dependent on the work we’re willing to do for free. In the early days at ArchiveSocial, I often found myself manually turning systems off and on again. This was annoying when we were small, but untenable as we got larger. However, because I was willing to do the work, the systems around me grew to expect me to provide that manual support. Counter-intuitively, the act of making sacrifices creates systems that require those sacrifices. Then we complain about how the thing that we built needs us to be miserable.
As creators, we can choose to lean into the work that excites us. The systems that build up around us then can be ones that depend on us doing the work that gives us energy. This makes trailblazing and decision making so much easier because at every crossroad you’re just following your energy.
It’s hard to out-compete passion
I was visiting a friend before the solar eclipse last month. Her daughter has a true passion for drawing. As soon as one page of paper was filled she was onto the next one, and the next one, and the next one. This repetition and excitement is what creates great artists and her parents have leaned into this passion by making art supplies readily available. In the right environment, traits that might be considered weaknesses can become strengths. It’s important to find ways to put ourselves in these beneficial environments as often as possible.
There are days where I’ve been deep in a problem or programming where I have lost hours in a flow state before realizing I’ve missed lunch and it’s an hour past when I should have eaten dinner. I think a lot more of us experienced this while sitting on a beach or playing a video game. These moments of losing yourself can be hints of where we can move past the mundane work and toward the things that truly excite us.
Finding energy
I’ve been approaching my own journey by doing a lot of very different things. To start, I’ve been trying to stay away from my known set of strengths and looking for new things that I’m passionate about. Initially, I tackled some yard work, played some video games and went to a concert.
Last month, we saw the eclipse from Dallas, visited family, celebrated friends getting married, had a great week at a startup conference, and found myself taking apart the washing machine. I hear taking apart household appliances is not common but happens to me a lot. I expect I’ll keep finding myself surrounded by deconstructed objects. Each of these experiences provided some hints about what type of environment I want to put myself in next.
I’ve been most excited about having a lot of conversations with people. I’ve found myself talking to startup founders, friends, college students, scientists, and a whole mix of other people. During these conversations I try to listen to what they’re passionate about, and reflect on what topics excite me. It is invigorating to learn about the wide variety of problems they’re tackling. I’m going to keep following that energy by exploring more topics over more coffee. Reach out if you want to talk.