strong offer friday
do you know your optimal work equation?
Over the years, I have determined a healthy balance of work projects for myself, in thirds. When I did more corporate consulting, the balance was 1/3 consulting, 1/3 writing, 1/3 speaking. If I veered too much from that equation, I felt off kilter. Too much consulting left me no time to think about what I was learning. Too much writing led me into a solitude that sometimes wasn’t healthy, and too much speaking meant too much time in planes, away from home. There was a cyclical nature to it, also: The consulting drove what I was writing about, which drove what people hired me to speak about, which led people to hire me for consulting, which led me to writing about what I was learning, and so on.
Now I have a new balance, related to the old one in terms of the way the pieces inform each other: 1/3 teaching drives 1/3 writing, which drives 1/3 speaking, and so on. (If I am working on a big writing project, like a book, that percentage shifts a great deal toward writing). This is similar to my previous equation, but different in that I’ve elected to be a teacher rather than a consultant. On a large diversity training project years ago with PepsiCo, I was very skilled in dealing with the CEO and his team, so I did a lot of work at headquarters with them. He was a smart man, and we spoke truth to each other’s power very well. I was also very good in training employees who worked on the factory floor, so I spent time in hairnets training people who were making pretzels, Cheetos, and Grandma’s cookies (subsidiaries of PepsiCo). I loved both experiences, but given my choice, I would train factory workers, so I’ve chosen to move from consulting to teaching–real life engagement with people.
What is your balance?
Here are my strong offers in those three areas at the moment:
WRITING
Your Daily Rock – I know I wrote this, but it’s been a while since I had that manuscript in hand, so as I open it each morning to see the rock for that day, and the quote, story, and questions, I am really enjoying it anew. A quick dip into mindfulness each day. Join me.
“From My Orange Desk” is a new letter (not newsletter) I am sending out twice a month to subscribers. Handwritten, like letters used to be. From the heart. With a single intention–to explore.
This blog, 37days, is 10 years old now. I’m back to writing here, as follows:
Monday (essay)
Book Stack Tuesday (a report on something I’m reading)
Poetry Wednesday (poetry)
Thinking Thursday (links to things I’m thinking about, articles I’ve read, and more)
Strong Offer Friday (what I’m doing, offering, selling; and strong offers of others I am drawn to).
SPEAKING
Feb 20-21 – Raleigh, NC: The Gathering: The Many Voices of God at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Raleigh NC – “The Voice of Grief and Loss”
April 9 – Verona, NY: Opening Keynote, New York State Association for the Education of Young Children – “Love, Live, Let Go, and Make a Difference: Four Practices for Transforming Your Life and Work”
June 14-19 – Kripalu, Stockbridge, MA: Life is a Verb: Six Practices for Living and Working More Mindfully, a 5-day retreat. Engage your brain, body, and creative spirit through
- Art processes focused on discovery, not product
- Guided discussions on mindfulness and intentional choices
- Ways to see the extraordinary in the ordinary again
- Six practices for mindful living and how to embed them into your life.
TEACHING
Starts Jan 26 – 8-Week Online Class: All New VerbTribe for Writers. You want to write, but you’re not writing. This will get you started–and keep you going. Join the 250+ alumni of VerbTribe. This new class provides personalized feedback, weekly calls, and more. To be a writer, you must write.
37days Book Club – It’s not too late to join my virtual book club! In 2015, we are reading the work of women writers. Once a month (second Wednesday from 8-9pm Eastern), we gather by phone to have a conversation about what we’ve read – like a community book club, except from the comfort of our own homes. Only $1/month to help defray cost of our meeting software. Bring your own snacks and favorite tea, join us in your jammies, and talk about novels, nonfiction, essays, and more.
September 24-27 – Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA: Life is a Verb Camp – This annual gathering focuses on courage, creativity, and community. Here’s what people are saying about Camp!
(Art by Squeak Carnwath, “Lucky Star,” 2004 Jacquard tapestry 68 x 79 in Edition of 8)
