Top 3 Skills
Its an act of self-reflection to focus on where we thrive. By looking back over the years and learning what we did well, we can strengthen our self-image in a positive direction allowing us to use this positive image to grow to unprecedented heights.
That being said, here are the skills that have positively influenced my life and led me to where I am today.
1. Implementation
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of implementation is reading non-fiction and self-help style books. When reading a new book, I find more satisfaction in the act of getting results than from the actual reading itself. To me, reading is the means through which I improve my life. I find that always opening myself up to new ideas forces me to consider different paths toward a more fulfilled life.
I used this process when I read Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. The first time I read the book I took a few notes on action steps to take based on the insights in the book. Then as I was sifting through my notes I completely forgot why these action steps were important in the first place. So I read the book again, this time spending way more time and focus digging deeper into understanding the central theme. Based on this newfound understanding I’ve embarked on a 30-day technology detox (cutting out all optional technology including social media and Netflix) to implement the ideas in Digital Minimalism and hopefully change my relationship with technology to learn towards more intentional use.
When given a new skill to learn or a new concept to understand I’ll happily take action and implement whatever is necessary to grow. I’ve applied this to minimalism, meditation, marketing, and currently to Praxis. When I’m committed to seeing a project to the end (The Dip), I put forth complete dedication and focus to accomplish the project/skill.
2. Dedication
When I find a skill or topic that I’m passionate about, I put all of my being into learning the ins and outs of what’s required for a deeper understanding of the topic. For example, I first heard about digital marketing a year ago and almost immediately developed a fire within me to understand marketing and learn how to grow a business. I already had the content part of the equation down but was struggling to gain eyeballs to my creations.
Therefore, I took a course about the basics of digital marketing which exposed me to the field and refined my understanding of what it takes to become a digital marketer. Following the course, I started reading articles teaching me how to create an effective landing page and how to write email and ad copy. Thereafter I found myself investing hour after hour into taking more courses and reading more books on marketing. As my interest in marketing has grown I’ve learned google and facebook ads and have read Seth Godin’s more abstract books about marketing.
100 percent dedication is a central theme throughout my life. I’ve been told growing up that I have a single-minded focus of sorts. I’m dedicated to Praxis and marketing at the moment and know for a fact that I’ll bring this dedication into my apprenticeship come march. I’ve realized that I don’t gain much value from constantly thinking about what might come in the future, that’s why I strive to focus intently on whatever is in front. Whether its learning on-site in a marketing/sales/operations role or thinking critically about what I need to learn to thrive in any position, I am confident that when I start I will put 110% into whatever’s in front of me.
3. Critical Thinking
When I reflect on what my perfect day would look like, critical thinking always makes the list. Something about thinking critically and connecting ideas brings me alive and satisfies this deep inner yearning I have for intellectual stimulation.
What I’ve learned is that there isn’t a single piece of information that exists in isolation. One way in which I’ve learned to connect the dots on previously unconnected things is through blogging. I’ve owned a blog for the past 4 or so years and have published hundreds of different pieces of content, mainly my writing. The main topic on almost all of these posts is mindfulness and living in the present moment. What I realized through this process of content creation is that if I wanted to keep talking about mindfulness then I would need to start connecting it with different ideas and not stating the same thing over and over throughout all the posts that I was writing. Therefore I delved into a plethora of books and research and started writing articles on creativity, depression, the power of the unknown, ways to combat stress, etc. and I attribute all of this to continue exercising my critical thinking muscle and developing this skill over time.
I’m confident that critical thinking (plus dedication & implementation) can help me in Praxis or any role I may start in the future. If all that’s required to solve a marketing problem is brute force and time, I’ll dedicate myself to putting in the effort. But if critical thinking presents itself as a viable alternative, I’ll happily start the process of relating different ideas and thinking about other sources that will help solve the problem.
Most of all, I know deep down that I can tackle any problem that presents itself in Praxis or an apprenticeship, because I know I can always fall back on these skills and utilize them to get stuff done.
