You Should Talk to Someone
I’m trying to remember to slow down, and spend more time talking with people about what I’m doing at work and in my life.
I’m trying to remember to slow down, and spend more time talking with people about what I’m doing at work and in my life.
There are people in my life who are very generous in sharing their time with me. I want to be more mindful of how I use this time. And I want to be more generous of my own time, and how I share my own ideas.
So many unexpected treasures can be found in these moments. If I talk to a grandmother about my work , I might not expect to get great leadership advice. But if I listen carefully, I might get some ideas about how to better relate to people. Maybe that’s what I really needed to hear.
It’s good for me to be in the habit of talking about my problems, even when I’m feeling pensive. I should try seek out collaborators even — maybe especially — when I feel like I want to work alone.
I need to be in the habit of gathering up ideas from all of the available sources, not just focus in on the ones that reinforce my beliefs. I put more effort into considering evidence that supports positions that disagree with my own beliefs.
Talking to someone who is unfamiliar with a problem is a great way to learn something new about it. This is a such a great exercise when you’re stuck on something.
In the programming world, this is called “rubber ducking.” It works in all fields on all topics. It’s the most amazing skill that you can teach a 5 year-old.
Talk to the world about your problems. You’ll often find you know more about them than you think.