![Leveraging Failure: Reflective Summary [Lifestyle Design Year 6]](/wp-content/blogs.dir/5/files/2010/01/stitching-it-together.jpg)
What’s up with that image? Hmm… I just liked it. Maybe we’ll say I’m trying to stitch together a unified theory of lifestyle design. Maybe.
August 27, 2004 was my last day working at a job I didn’t invent. I recently wrote a 4 part series of posts describing a few of the things I’ve been working on since then. While writing it, a few principles became clear(er) to me… Principles I’ve more-or-less lived by for some time, but maybe haven’t consciously contemplated. Since I’m working on year 6 of lifestyle design, that series consists of about five zillion words. I’ve retroactively distilled some of the thoughts here. Some of these things get talked about regularly. Even if I believe something cerebrally, I don’t always believe it until I prove it to myself or see someone else prove it. You’re welcome.
Rules I’ve Opted-Out Of
Education (Formal): Formal education is not necessary. I did not say it is not valuable (in some cases). Yes, it is necessary in some specialized professions, but they are exceptions to the rule. The rule is that you can learn everything you need to know at the library.
Note: Read more books than blogs. The blog world tends to be an echo chamber; bad ideas start to look good when a lot of people repeat them.
Reverence for Position: I spent (wasted) too much time assuming that people who had certain positions were either inherently better than me, or they had acquired a level of specialized skill. After achieving success in creative fields (advertising and writing), sales, management, technical, entrepreneurial, et cetera… I’ve convinced myself that the phrase “anything you can do, I can do better” is true enough. Maybe it isn’t literally true, but it’s true e.n.o.u.g.h.
Experience (Needing It): Sometimes general intelligence and the ability to learn (and figure things out) trumps having already done something.
Experience (Trusting Others’): Beware the conflation of experience and expertise. Practice does not make perfect. Incompetent people can amass years… decades… of experience being average or inferior. The rub: Others will naturally assume they are good. Resist this assumption.
Only Talking About Accomplishments: There are a lot of overachiever types out there saying you shouldn’t talk about things you want or plan to do, but only things you have actually done. I’ve found that publicizing things I have yet to do makes me more likely to do them. People generally seek congruence between their words and actions.
Comfort and Dignity: I’m kind of a snob. I like designer furniture. I like owning art. I’ve been known to equate kitchen stores to porn (in a good way). I like to surround myself with particular things. I have slept on a tile floor for months only to wake up with a stupid grin on my face every day.
Job Descriptions: Don’t limit yourself to the list of tasks ascribed to your position within a company. When I was an Internet Marketing Director and didn’t want to come to the office every day, I found the manual to the company’s phone system and reprogrammed it to allow my calls to be routed elsewhere. I also fixed some problems that were nagging other employees. It’s hard to look bad when you take initiative and make improvements without being required to. Also, people tend to forgive you faster when you stop coming into the office everyday.
The Most Powerful Two-Word Combo
“My Business”. Seriously, these two words have magical power. People treat you differently when you approach them as a business owner. This is nearly universal. I’ve personally experienced it withh immigration officials, businesses, potential employers, potential business partners, women, potential employees, and complete strangers.
I chose those two words for a reason. “Freelance” does not work the same way. “Self-employed” does not work the same way. You are not employed, you are the employer. “My own boss” is just lame. Having a boss lowers your value (in a relative/subjugated manner) so much that it sounds bad even when you use it self-reflexively. What’s the use of becoming an entrepreneur if you’re going to maintain the employee mindset?
Instead of Looking for a Job…
Make one up. I’m not even talking about starting your own business (for once).
Rather than combing through ads and applying for jobs with tons of competition, figure out what you want to do, what you’re capable of, and who needs you. There’s no rule that says you can’t pitch jobs that don’t exist to companies that stand to benefit from whatever it is that you do. I’ve done it successfully… twice.
Reversal
Despite occasional appearances, I am not a minimalist. Do not confuse willingness to make great sacrifices for an ism. Consumerist consumption is an enemy, but there are things I like.
If You Don’t Have a Compelling Story
Get one. Go. Now.
Similar Posts:
- Leveraging Failure (Part 4 of 4)
- How Using an Industry Standard Fee Structure Is Stealing Your Cash and Your Time
- 5 Tips for Being a Bad Entrepreneur
- Rule Ignored: Experience
- Are You Languishing in Solo Entrepreneur Purgatory?
Anthony Feint
2 months ago
I think my job is fairly made up – although I run a startup just like thousands of other founders, the way I do it I think is unique to me and defininately makes it enjoyable for me.
Andrew
2 months ago
Running a startup is as made up as you can get. What do you mean by "the way I do it… is unique"?
@dvdwlsh
2 months ago
I started a recent Muselife post with a Jay-Z line, and I'm repeating it here: "I'm not a business man – I'm a business, man!". Simple as that. You're dead on – everyone reacts positively differently when you frame yourself as anything but an employee/freelancer.
Even though I think my last statement is the definition of reinforcing a blog echo chamber, I love your line saying "Read more books than blogs. The blog world tends to be an echo chamber; bad ideas start to look good when a lot of people repeat them." So true. Good post.
Andrew
2 months ago
That Jay-Z line is a good perspective. He's into a lot of different things at this point, but it's especially interesting to me to apply that to people who are "only" things like musicians. "I'm in the music business" vs. "I have a music business". It has the potential to legitimize almost anything that's typically talked about more in terms of a skill or function… brewer… consultant… baker… et cetera. I recently started thinking about my sailing expedition as a business in more deliberate terms and it even feels more real in my own head.
Yeah, I totally start going nuts if I only read blogs. It eventually feels like a huge circular argument with no frame of reference. I've learned a ton from blogs, but the time it takes to sort through the recycled pap tends to make books with a 4.7 star rating on Amazon a more reliable time investment.
Colin Wright
2 months ago
I couldn't agree more about the power of being able to say 'My Business.' As soon as I did it once, I was hooked for life.
Andrew
2 months ago
The first time I actually felt the power was dealing with an immigration official. Coming back the next day with proof of my business put the (same) person into a completely different behavior pattern and got me a nice visa extension rather than being forced into a border crossing.
James NomadRip
2 months ago
There are some good rules and observations there. Many of those continue to get reinforced the older I get and the more I learn.
My recent post Crush It! Work Your Face Off with Gary Vaynerchuk
Andrew
2 months ago
At some point it almost starts to feel like wisdom rather than just knowledge. Wait… I can't be that old.
Earl
2 months ago
I've always despised the term 'freelance' myself but never really found an alternative I felt comfortable with or that energized me enough. "My Business" feels perfect. Thanks for that. I'm not sure why that never really popped in my head before, but I'm happy to discover it today.
Also, your thoughts on 'job description' offer some sturdy advice. Taking such initiative puts you in a better position in both work and non-work related circles, as such forward-thinking is both appreciated and valued to a degree that makes others want to connect and work with you. It is an excellent tool for creating a reliable network of contacts.
My recent post A Decade of Wandering Ends, Another One Begins (Part 2)
Andrew
2 months ago
In my business (see how I just did that
), I regularly deal with people who could refer to themselves as "freelancers". For some reason, it feels more like a collaboration or partnership and less like hiring a temp when working with people who have a "design firm" or "studio" instead of a "freelancer" or "contractor". I <3 linguistics.
Howard Gossage (my favorite adman of all time), and David Ogilvy (probably the most famous adman of all time) both recommended that new and/or unrecognized employees find the most ignored account in the agency and making it over. There's probably some sort of mathematical proof equating what you and I said about "job descriptions" to their advice… Something about the path of least resistance or lack of competition or change deltas. I'd totally write a thesis on it if I didn't commit to ignoring formal education up at the top of the page.
Andrew
2 months ago
Great one mate, funnily enough I read your 4 part 'history' yesterday afternoon. 2010 = Reading more books than blogs. eBooks count as a blog too, figured out that there's a reason books actually get the nod to get published in the first place, as opposed to someone clicking 'print to PDF' in word.
Any suggestions for someone who's just discovered the joys of a library? Currently reading a bit of Alain de Botton.
My recent post The Free World: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Andrew
2 months ago
What!? I'm still waiting for your recommended list of trading books!
For something that's widely applicable to a range of businesses in a general sense, I'd recommend reading some Alan Weiss. He writes for consultants, but it would be a mistake to limit the application of his work to consulting. My two favorites of his are "Value Based Fees" and "Million Dollar Consulting"… In that order.
I gotta say… I'm a fan of eBooks. While you're spot on about publishers acting as a filter/barrier to getting some crap published, it works the other way too. Tons of good stuff doesn't make it through the filter and a lot of ultra-niche specific stuff is weeded out. While not always true, I still operate on the assumption that authors put more time and effort into an officially released eBook. There are always exceptions. Uh oh… I may just have gone a little "Manufacturing Consent" on you. Chomsky is so adorable.
Corbett Barr
2 months ago
Great stuff, Andrew. I especially like what you said about referring to your business as a business instead of simply being a freelancer or self-employed. A change in mindset can go a long ways towards improving your chances.
My recent post 10 Simple Ways to Feel Alive
Andrew
2 months ago
Totally… Others' perception of you is improved by changing the language, your own mindset improves, others' perception of you improves by the external reflection of your improved mindset, which improves your mindset, which improves…
Whoa! I almost got stuck in an endless loop there for a second.
Great to hear from you!
Andrew
2 months ago
We all use appearance as an indicator to some extent. There's a part of me that thinks people who confuse expertise and wardrobe choice kind of deserve what they get. That said, there's a difference between being motivated/influenced by perceived requirements instead of trickery.
Have you studied semiotics at all? I haven't really, but I'd like to look at in service of examining how we (humans) are affected by "signs". I'm guessing the education/expertise, position/expertise, and even appearance/expertise relationships are all dealt with somehow.
NomadicNeil
2 months ago
I probably did as part of a course I took in the first year: 'Language in Communication'. But obviously mostly from a linguistic angle.
The only name I can remember is Saussure who wrote about the 'signifier' and the 'signified' and how the signifier can be arbitrary and bear no relationship to the signified.
My recent post New Year’s Values
Leigh Shulman
2 months ago
I love this post! Yep, all true.
We are the way we present ourselves. For years I resisted calling myself a writer because I hadn't yet published. Funny thing, the minute I started telling people I'm a writer, people began asking me to write for them. Funny little catch-22 there.
As for education. That's a tough one for me. I consider myself the eternal student and am also an educator (note: not a teacher). I have never fit well in the American education system, because I do things differently. I tend to approach the classroom as a give and take. Students have as much to teach as instructors, and that giving a person the tools to learn for themselves is the greatest gift you can give.
I also very much appreciate your advice to look beyond the surface before deciding who to trust for advice and information. It is easy to fall back on standards such as position, title and supposed-experience as guidelines. Instead, you encourage people to think for themselves.
As it should be! Thanks for another great post, Andrew.
Andrew
2 months ago
Yes! Writing is a great example. I kick myself every time I accidentally refer to myself as a blogger.
One big indicator of the problems with the formal education system is that even the teachers hate it. I'm not even talking about the income level part of it. Teachers tend to be very critical of the methods they're required to employ. When there's recognition of failures that early in the process, how can the results be anything but compromised?
Nate
2 months ago
Andrew – My favorite part of this post was the 'echo-chamber' comment. It could also be characterized as group think, couldn't it? There is a huge proliferation of self-help, lifestyle design blogs out there and it seems that everyone reads and comments and twitters on everyone else's stuff. Now, first, let me say that it's not a problem to do that…however, I think we would all do good not to get so caught up in what we are saying and think it's the right way.
When we're only exposing ourselves to the same ideas regurgitated in different ways and reading that day after day we become convinced that it's 'true reality.' This can cause great problems, in my opinion. So, as you recommend, get out there and read other stuff. Disconnect for awhile or maybe read stuff that has nothing to do with the niche you're in, but you're interested in. And of course, always question your motives. Are you doing something because you really want to truly do it or is it coming from some un-authentic place?
My recent post Why Are We So Miserable With Our Jobs?
Nate
2 months ago
Andrew – My favorite part of this post was the 'echo-chamber' comment. It could also be characterized as group think, couldn't it? There is a huge proliferation of self-help, lifestyle design blogs out there and it seems that everyone reads and comments and twitters on everyone else's stuff. Now, first, let me say that it's not a problem to do that…however, I think we would all do good not to get so caught up in what we are saying and think it's the right way.
When we're only exposing ourselves to the same ideas regurgitated in different ways and reading that day after day we become convinced that it's 'true reality.' This can cause great problems, in my opinion. So, as you recommend, get out there and read other stuff. Disconnect for awhile or maybe read stuff that has nothing to do with the niche you're in, but you're interested in. And of course, always question your motives. Are you doing something because you really want to truly do it or is it coming from some un-authentic place?
My recent post Why Are We So Miserable With Our Jobs?
Andrew
2 months ago
I almost tweeted "If your blog subscription drops by 1, that's probably me unsubscribing" for New Years. I unsub'd from more than half of the blogs I was following. Fortunately, everyone who has commented on this post has a great blog.
The point you make about commenting and twitterizing things not itself being the problem is important. I wrote some of my sort-of-related thoughts on that in Blogging Is a Ponzi Scheme. I love the information and tools that are available. There's some great stuff out there. But… yeah… certain motives result in the propagation of less than stellar content.
Maybe I'm just propagating the idea of bringing in new ideas from books because I don't have the bandwidth to process all that info. …then hoping I'll find it on your blogs. Oooh! Stealth outsourcing via propaganda model. Get content you want to read generated by encouraging others to generate better content… Crowdoutsourcing? Trademarked.
Scott
2 months ago
Andrew, next time you come through Portland, my Gossage book is yours, unless you already purchased a copy for yourself.
Re: "My Business" After reading this post I will start using that. I'm still trying to reprogram my mind after six years of being an employee/freelancer/contrater
Oh, and my business gave its first pitch yesterday. Killed it.
Andrew
2 months ago
Thanks! You know I'd be happy to give it a good home. I haven't purchased a copy of The Book of Gossage<img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=satotr-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1887229280" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> yet. It's one of those weird ones that's $50 new, but $70 used on Amazon. Did you ever get around to reading it? I commented on an AdAge blog post a while back that Goodby wrote. It was not a flattering comment. I did respect him a little more after discovering that he wrote a chapter in Gossage.
Congrats on the pitch success! I love that you've joined the entrepreneur world.
How Industry Standard Fees Are Stealing Your Cash | Rules Optional
1 month ago
[...] of all, as I’ve written before, stop calling yourself a freelancer or contractor. Freelance is a concept, not a title. [...]
Ash
2 months ago
This is interesting, and oddly hypocritical of us all because:
1) I agree with you. People are full of shit, and other people will take their shit if they're simply wearing a suit & tie.
2) Even though the above is framed as negative, both in your comment and mine, isn't that exactly what Andrew just recommended doing (and also what I would support as well?):
"Instead of Looking for a Job…Make one up……
Rather than combing through ads and applying for jobs with tons of competition, figure out what you want to do, what you’re capable of, and who needs you. There’s no rule that says you can’t pitch jobs that don’t exist to companies that stand to benefit from whatever it is that you do. I’ve done it successfully… twice."
Although, I would hope that, if anything, the difference would be that we actually have something to offer–even if it isn't spelled out precisely in resume-acceptable terminology–and the other guys are just wearing suits with nothing to back them with. Fools!
My recent post You’re Not Drunk, But Your Vision Is Still Blurred – One Reason Why Religion, Marriage & Even Education Sucks