Three Cs

“Sustaining work that works for you requires a balance that goes beyond any single factor.”

We make compromises as we make decisions that will get us where we want to go. It’s not always easy, but it should still be enjoyable in the right percentage… all in balance, know what I mean?

Reflecting on having achieved the goals you wanted is very important. How can you learn from what you have done and make the necessary adjustments in your path to work better towards goals.

As much as I LOVE working for any particular organization, I also need to enjoy the actual content I’m working on, as I develop training for that content. In no particular order, when it comes to training, I look for rewards in these three buckets.

1. The Company
2. The Content
3. The Creativity

The Company

What does the company do? What is the nature of their work? What is the culture of the company? What kinds of people are attracted to the company?

The Content

Do you like the actual content of the tasks you are given? Is writing, designing or creating around a specific topic interesting, and does it make you curious to learn about it?

The Creativity

How much of “yourself,” can you bring to the table? This means, how unique can the results be, or has the form of the product already been determined? The amount it has been determined can impact how interesting the process will be—at least in my experience.

In the training environment

This looks different for everyone, but I would especially encourage consultants to reflect on these three Cs when working on projects. With consulting, these three factors will likely change often, but even in the midst of a full-time staff job, the three Cs can be applied. While there may be factors more logistical—like how your 3 hour commute is killing your motivation—these 3 factors are about the work itself—after you immerse yourself in the culture and details of an organization.

As a bit of a generalist, I find I work across many types of projects and skill sets, but I also find that I have my preferences around these three areas—and it may only be revealed during the development of training with a company. Training concepts can be applied to all kinds of companies, and this can almost make the job look completely different—but often it will not look different in the job description, so reflecting on the three Cs early in the process can be advantageous to your overall happiness in the work place.

Reflection is an ongoing process, as you and your projects will most likely change often. Try to walk into your own “hall of mirrors” regularly.

Cheers!

m

What’s in it for me?

Another word for my post this week is intention. Yes, probably something I have already written about, but heck, let’s expand upon it!

As I come out of the doldrums of winter, I am attacking the creative arts with renewed vigor.

Why do we do what we do?

Intention is so important in anything we do, because it gets at the “how” of what we do. Really, I don’t think the “what” is nearly as important (unless perhaps you are a serial killer), because we all enjoy different things at work and at play, and getting at the “how,” will fuel our “what” endeavors.

That said, if we can get to the core of it, we can start to unpack the important stuff: that which drives us… our passions and motivations. Sometimes it’s something really practical, like the need to pay the bills, and other times it’s about what makes us smile, get excited or energizes us. And when life is at it’s best, and aligned with what we might call our “creative source,” it’s all of the above!

And that’s because we are finally getting at the core of it.

In contemplating my intention, I am reminded about why I got into this whole thing in the first place: I loved to draw. I must admit, I do very little drawing these days, and have pinpointed this as something I need to change… look out, I suspect I may be going for a return to the basics—for me, that is newsprint and charcoal, and perhaps some still life or figure drawing. This is but one area I am looking at, as things like music also need some ‘reconstruction and reinvention,’ but that’s another blog post!

Design is a beautiful and exciting business. I have embraced it in my life, but also have come to realize and accept its place in my life. It fuels creative thinking, but not necessarily in the same way as what started me on my path in the arts. It has evolved in some monumental and unexpected ways… and it has changed.

Change is not a bad thing, as I have enjoyed my professional progress in the last 15 years, but I also find the need to reconnect with the spark that set this whole creative explosion off to begin with: drawing.

So perhaps it’s with contemplation, reflection or something else that gets you to remember your intention. Sometimes just “doing it” is the way to go, trying things until something sticks, and sometimes forethought works too. Sometimes, it’s a balance of both.

If you could put your intention in a sentence or two, what would it sound like? It can really help you get back to the basics, reconnect with motivation, and keep you on focus: because that which creates momentum is controlled and created by the alignment of your actions/goals and your core intention.

Just a little test to see who’s reading… ask me about examples, and I’ll see if I can post something from that high school period… you know… the ‘spark’ period…

Ciao4Now!

m