TUB-Thump

Good Enough is Better Than Perfect – TUB-Thump 024

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In those moments when I feel like I’m trying too hard, I have to take a step back.

If I didn’t, I’d fall into perfectionism. And I don’t like how that feels.

If you suffer from those feelings of wanting to make everything spot on…blemish free…without a single flaw…it’s time to burst that perfection bubble.

First off, nobody is perfect. You know that, but that doesn’t always stop us trying.

And, in a way, there’s no harm in trying. But there’s a fine line between doing your best and obsessing over immaculate execution.

Episode 024 of TUB-Thump uses academic grades to point out that a First class mark at 70% may well be 30% off of perfect, but it’s still a First. It’s good enough.

“Here is to making everything as good enough as we possibly can.”

Here are the show notes for the 4-min episode:

  • 01:20 – Perfectionism takes up too much time.
  • 01:40 – You’ll never be perfect for everyone. But how do you get over that?
  • 02:10 – Someone who excels where you don’t will lack in areas where you excel. “We’re all as weak as we are strong.”
  • 02:40 – Think in terms of academic marks. If 70% is a First, you won’t be disappointed when you get 74%. It’s not 100%…It’s not even 80%. And that’s because it doesn’t work that way. A First is, essentially, a long way from perfect. But it’s still a First. It’s definitely good enough.
  • 03:00 – Since nobody can achieve perfection, why does the worry build up? It’s not possible. Good enough, however, is always possible.

Music for TUB-Thump is Life, by Tobu, which is released under a Creative Commons license. Check out more of Tobu’s great sounds on Soundcloud, YouTube, and his official site.

TUB-Thump is part of the Learning Always Network.

Keep being awesome!

How to Change Your Perspective and Why That Change is Good – TUB-Thump 023

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A friend of mine was invited as a guest on a podcast and was so worried about sounding nervous, rambling and unintelligent.

The interview was fine. But regardless of that, many listeners wouldn’t have noticed anyway.

Why not? Because a growing number of us speed up podcast audio as we listen. Some apps also take out some of the gaps in between speech. Even a nervous or slow performance can sound confident and well-paced.

This is an example of how everything we experience requires our perspective.

We don’t simply consume external voices. We use our current internal state of mood and perspective to translate those external events into our own internal experiences.

That means we can shape our mood and perspective to engage with the same content in different ways.

You may already know this, but it’s easy to take for granted. Unless you constantly meditate on the moment and have a deep awareness of your surroundings, life probably happens without you checking in every few minutes. Your perspective feels fixed, even though it’s constantly changing throughout the day.

But it’s good to change your perspective. Familiar things can feel fresh and new. Give it a try.

On episode 023 of TUB-Thump, I talk about this in terms of audio. Try listening to podcasts faster or slower than usual. How does it make you feel? How do you engage with the information, with the personalities, with the setup?

Where will your new perspective take you today?

Here are the show notes for the 7-min episode:

  • 00:40 – What speed do you listen to your audio?
  • 01:40 – People sound far more confident and competent when you hear them at a faster speed.
  • 03:00 – What is your perspective when experiencing at a normal speed versus a faster speed?
  • 04:30 – Can you find new perspectives and viewpoints when you immerse yourself in other things that you are otherwise used to?
  • 05:50 – Find new ways to engage so you can find something new. The content hasn’t changed, but your analysis might.
  • 06:30 – You don’t always need to up your game. Sometimes you just need to change it.

Music for TUB-Thump is Life, by Tobu, which is released under a Creative Commons license. Check out more of Tobu’s great sounds on Soundcloud, YouTube, and his official site.

TUB-Thump is part of the Learning Always Network.

Keep being awesome!

Career Goals Trump Career Roles – TUB-Thump 022

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You’ve probably heard at least one person say that many of today’s jobs won’t necessarily exist in 10 or 20 years, while many jobs in the future simply don’t exist right now. So what’s the point, they argue, in chasing a particular role when it may soon be obsolete?

You could take it further. What if your dream role sticks around? Should you chase that job/career no matter what?

The reality may be to skip thinking about an individual route to a specific job.

In today’s TUB-Thump, I suggest that it’s more important to set career goals than it is to seek specific roles.

No matter what the job market looks like in years to come, you can build tangible, relevant skills right now. As you build your goals and list your growing achievements, you can shape yourself into whatever areas make most sense when the right time comes.

  • Each small career goal is attention to detail. Work on these now and keep taking more steps as you go.
  • Your career path is the bigger picture. Keep the path wide open until it’s time to pounce.

You may not be graduating for a few years. But you can start chasing career goals right now.

Much better than latching on to the possibility of a role that may or may not exist when you do graduate.

Here are the show notes for the 4-min episode:

  • 00:35 – Instead of thinking about your future career roles, think about your future career goals.
  • 01:00 – Roles can change over the years. By looking at goals, you can start right now. Better still, you can adapt as necessary.
  • 01:50 – There are many goals to work on right now. Achieve as much as possible while you’ve got a chance.

Music for TUB-Thump is Life, by Tobu, which is released under a Creative Commons license. Check out more of Tobu’s great sounds on Soundcloud, YouTube, and his official site.

TUB-Thump is part of the Learning Always Network.

Keep being awesome!

Can You Develop Your Academic Writing With a Copywriting Formula? – TUB-Thump 021

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I enjoyed writing academic essays most when I was being creative in the process.

My aim was to guide the reader on a journey of discovery. A couple of times, I was a bit cheeky and argued against an idea that didn’t have much to argue against.

The best way to do that was to build up a compelling story and back it up with as many relevant points as possible.

Since I was writing about fiction on these occasions, I was demonstrating how perspectives aren’t all the same. But in order to do this, I needed to take the reader with me. After all, what’s the point in them getting lost after turning the first corner?

I was being cheeky, yes. But I wasn’t being kamikaze. The aim was to have fun, not lose marks!

It helps to look at different styles of writing, no matter what you’re working on.

For instance, academic coursework uses a particular language and flow. Yet that writing can still be improved by borrowing from fiction, copywriting, and other aspects of the written word.

That’s why today’s TUB-Thump takes a look at Pamela Wilson’s 7-part formula for content marketing.

Marketing may not be your first port of call, but it could help you see your writing from a different perspective, or let you tweak your style in creative ways.

What creative flourishes can you borrow today?

Here are the show notes for the 9-min episode:

  • 00:30 – Copyblogger FM show on making content marketing easier.
  • 01:00 – I introduce Pamela Wilson’s 7-part formula for writing content. See the infographic below for more detail. And if you’re really interested in content marketing, check out her new book, Master Content Marketing.
  • 02:20 – Narrative and flow are important, no matter what you’re writing.
  • 03:05 – Leading the reader in and getting them involved. “Why am I here? What’s this all about? Why should I care? What’s interesting about this?”
  • 04:50 – Pack a punch in your summary/conclusion by reinforcing your ideas and findings.
  • 05:15 – Call to action. Not quite the same with academic essays, but there’s still some scope.
  • 06:40 – Steven Pressfield: Writing the hero into the story, whatever the writing. The hero’s journey gets the reader hooked. “I’ve had my own hero’s journey, and you have too. We’re both still on those journeys.”

Pamela Wilson has helpfully published an infographic with her 7-part formula. Like I say, it’s not an alternative to academic writing, but it may give you an extra creative jolt:

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Like this infographic? Get more content marketing advice that works from Copyblogger.

Music for TUB-Thump is Life, by Tobu, which is released under a Creative Commons license. Check out more of Tobu’s great sounds on Soundcloud, YouTube, and his official site.

TUB-Thump is part of the Learning Always Network.

Keep being awesome!