Quieting the Lizard Brain:
I really enjoyed this discussion from Seth Godin about the small part of our brain that is wired to avoid risks (to have children). And how this part of us often pops up at the end of a project (the last-minute thrashing that ends up costing us a lot, if not everything). When I first started watching this, I thought I fell into this category. For a little while now, I’ve been working hard (or, at least, expending a lot of energy), but have not felt like I’ve really accomplished much. A little later in the presentation though, Seth talks about “thrashing at the beginning.” This is in fact where I fall. I know that once I commit to something, I will see it through to its end. I am the guy that delivers. I will ship, no matter what. This knowledge (now) makes me very cautious as to what I commit myself to. The vast amounts of energy I’m spending these days, I believe, is going towards deliberating about where I want to commit myself. I know that once I have decided I will be (willingly) swept away down that road never to return, so picking the “right” project is extremely important to me now. I used to say “yes” to just about every opportunity that came my way. This works if you are playing the odds and need 10 projects to be able to finish one. Instead, I’d end up working diligently on 10 projects and wearing myself out. I must’ve burned out at some point this last year (I’m not sure exactly when) and am now dealing with the hesitation to commit until I’m overwhelmingly confident. And it IS exhausting work. I’m fortunate to have quite a number of opportunities open to me, so the deliberation can be a bit overwhelming. But knowing that this is, in fact, a healthy trait of progress (in Seth’s opinion anyway) makes me feel more confident that I’m on the right path. This is simply a period of discernment.
