Tag: dolecturesaus

A life of purpose, learning and work for change is rarely a straight line.

As the speakers at Do Lectures Australia told their stories, I went looking for patterns. The journeys were as diverse as the achievements of these remarkable people. However one shape kept recurring in the patterns of my notes of the talks:

The Zig Zag

The Do Lecture speakers shared their stories with openness and vulnerability. They laid out their doubts and setbacks. We heard stories to make you cry and to lift your heart. The speakers had dealt with dreams that can’t be achieved, success that turns to heartbreak and the need to balance inner demons.

As a result, there were many stories of zigzags. These major changes of direction were as a result of:

• new events ranging from surprise opportunities to devastating loss
• new purpose whether the sudden insight or the gradual dawning of meaning
• new people from meeting complete strangers in the remotest corners of the earth to rediscovering yourself with the help of others.

We often think of successful careers and lives as an elevator straight up to success. Sudden rapid elevation is usually a feature of only small periods of time. Only the truly lucky progress without experiencing the doubts, effort, setbacks and changes of direction.

Instead it is far more common to see people zig zag as they learn, improve and find greater purpose. The travels of the story are not a random walk. All the paths lead back to purpose repeatedly and each return is informed by hard won learning. All the paths took sustained effort and emotional toil but the learning and work was its own reward.

So next time you start to despair at the mess of the ongoing changes in your life, remind yourself that learning and change are a part of growth. As hard as it may be to make change, those who take new directions learn and do more.

Waiting your life for an elevator will lead to far more disappointment. Those who follow the zigzags that life offers learn that the work itself provides the rewards.

The Formula for Awesome

(A greater purpose + Urgency to act +

Humility to learn + Generosity to share openly)

x

(Persistence + Collaboration in Community)

=

Awesome

The theme of Do Lectures Australia was the many emotional reactions to the stories of the speakers. Over and over I was touched personally by the stories of the changes that people made happen. The power of the personal impact was played out in the elements of the formula above

Get Started

Purpose: Nobody starts working on change without a reason why.  The stronger the purpose the more powerful the story.

Urgency to Act: Again and again stories began with a simple decision to do something. Now. They continued when people decided to do something. Again.

Improve Effectiveness

Humility to Learn: Nobody is perfect. Nobody knows everything. Everybody makes mistakes. An openness and a humility to learn and to take advice matters to effectiveness and influence.

Generosity: Every Doer gives of themselves in creating their work. Many give generously beyond that as well. The more people shared and gave of themselves the greater the power.

Multiply the Power of Action by Sustaining the Work

Persistence: Things don’t go right. Opposition is eternal. Things take time. The more effort over time the greater the power of all the work.

Collaboration in Community: Nobody is an island. Being engaged with and supported by a community is critical to ensuring the work matters and that it benefits from the exponential potential of a network.

Towards the end of the handful of days I spent at the Do Lectures Australia, I was feeling a little anxious. Attending Do Lectures was for me an important part of my transition to working more effectively in creating change.

Do Lectures had more than met my goal. I had seen great talks that will be shared with others online. I learned a lot that I will share in coming weeks. I had met an extraordinary community of change makers and collaborators. I had found new inspiration to share and many little things to do. I had new perspectives and new energy to make change happen.  

But I didn’t have a defining action. My one Big Do wasn’t clear in my own head.  I know the purpose of that Big Do, but I didn’t have a clear plan.

The anxiety welled that faces everyone who wants to start making change. With anxiety came questions: What if I can’t? What if this is the wrong step? What if…

What if kills action.

I cleared my head of what ifs. I reflected on the weekend. A clear mind always manages to supply the needed inspiration. An image came to me of the 1000 origami paper cranes that one of Carly Heaton’s team had made as a project. It was a tiny story shared almost in passing in a much greater story of encouraging people to have fun, enjoy work, enjoy life and do more.

1000 Cranes. Each a small but mindful gesture. Repeated. To fulfil a wish. To bring peace to the world.

In that moment, I knew I could release a little pressure on myself to go big now.  The big Do will come. The real pressure needed to be the pressure to act. While I refine the Big Do. I will start on small mindful acts of change. Each one a little Do.

1000 little Dos. Each a small but mindful gesture. Repeated. To bring change to the world.

I don’t have to do all this work alone because I am connected. These 1000 little Dos are magnified by a 1000 connections. These connections have begin with the extraordinary community of passionate people that I met at the event and reaches out to all those that they touch.

I am simply adding my little Dos to the flow of activity. Another paper crane added to the chain.

You didn’t need to be at any one event to lead change. You simply need to remind yourself of the change you want to make. Release yourself from what ifs. Find a little Do. Connect. Repeat.

So what is your little Do today?

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My opportunity to attend the first Do Lectures Australia was provided by Yammer. I want to thank them again for their support.