How often have you struggled to explain what your focus is as an individual? What drives you? What are the things that attract your attention and take up your headspace. As you put all of these down, does it seem less like a streamlined box? Or more like a scattering of interests and focuses? Leading you to wonder if you lack direction or worry about "how will I explain what I want to do to the world?" And "Will they get it?". The question you should ask yourself is, "Do you have to?"
Over the last few weeks, I've been reading a fascinating book called "Two beats ahead" by Panos A. Panay and R. Michael Hendrix. It tracks a varied list of insights on innovation and creativity that the world of business, entrepreneurship or anyone in general, can take from Musicians and their process. And there is a line from this that’s so relevant to the feeling I spoke of above,
"Sometimes it feels like everybody wants you to stay right where you are. Everybody's always looking for a definition, a classification, a rule. They want to pin you down so they can understand you. They want you to make it easy for them. They want you to walk in a straight line. I say walk your own line."
- Justin Timberlake
Because let's face it, we are a net sum of our interests. we grow, we evolve, we find ways to find independence (both monetary and otherwise ) through the recipe that comes together to create us. In trying to conform to what the world defines as lanes to walk on or boxes to fit into, we don't just do ourselves a disservice but take away from the world what we can achieve for it by just being us. So don't fit into a lane. Walk your path, and the world will be better for it.
Weekly recommendations
➡️ Kicking off this weeks recommendations with an interesting perspective on why the Late Night TV trend seems to be waning and dying ( I know we dont have that in India but many of us have continued to watch the US ones over the years ) .
➡ Then Zach Ramelan digs into how Creators shouldn’t get into the “Sameness” trap.
➡️Then the genius that is Daniel Schaffer shows some tips on how to create practical effects ( I love watching this kind of videos because I suck at shooting stuff like this)
➡️ Then a fascinating article on Li Jin the Investor Guru for some of the most popular Creators in the world ( if you get stuck behind a paywall try using reader mode)
https://nyti.ms/3BGPhRw
➡️ I’ve been trying to figure out NFT’s for a bit and got a bunch recommendations for stuff to consume on it via the amazing folk on twitter but this article is a good starting point.
https://bit.ly/2WJLFPR
Onto podcasts,
➡️ The first one tapping into “Solutions Journalism” and how it could hold the key to rebalancing Journalism in the public eye
➡️ and then Satya Nadella talks to Reid Hoffman on the concept of Re-founders and why businesses need them
And closing off with two self-plugs ,
➡️ I had a fabulous chat with Sameer Nair on the future of the media space
and I dropped a video on how one question changed how i look at fitness
✌🏽
Finding your focus and the lane to walk on + Weekly recommendations