It’s time that we face the danger of too many options and unlimited time.
This might be the first day on your independent journey of self-employment. Or maybe you’re figuring out how to schedule your side hustle around your day job. Well, you’re here, so the term multi-disciplinary must trigger some fireworks in your brain. And that my friend, is most excellent.
The romanticized joy of entrepreneurship. Combine it with the unrestrained creative or business mind… pure bliss, right?
At first, maybe. But if you have ever stared into a white canvas with a paintbrush, you know the absolute terror of starting. And if you have a palette of colors the size of a…
REMOTE WORK
Learning to be home from work, even when you work from home.
Picture a scene from Mad Men, set in the American 1960s. Or one of those wholesome moments A Christmas Story, if you want to head back to the late ’30s and ’40s. We’re familiar with those scenes of parents coming home after a long day’s work. Their briefcase full of… whatever, left by the door. Their office and coworkers left behind, far from the eclectically wallpapered rooms of the house.
“If your time to you is worth savin’ And you better start swimmin’ Or you’ll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin’”
— Bob Dylan
Putting aside…
SOCIAL MEDIA
It’s not about your metrics either, it’s about you.
How many times have you flipped through Instagram for a quick dopamine hit, only to leave less inspired than you began? Swap that for Medium, Twitter, or any other of the apps wanting your attention.
The psychological impact of social media is pretty well cataloged at this point. The Social Dilemma on Netflix is a fantastic documentary that pulls back the curtain. Experts and insiders all confirm exactly what we suspect. It’s all built to turn us into the product. You’ve heard the quote.
“If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.”
TECHNOLOGY
Advancement is fantastic until it isn’t.
When you hear the word “vinyl,” what comes to mind? Do you imagine the worn driver’s seat cover from your first car? Or does the scratch of a needle and Queen’s live performance of “Radio Ga Ga” at Live Aid in ’85 explode into your psyche?
If you’re an audiophile, the latter is more likely the case. Despite music formats changing since their day, vinyl records are enjoying a return to the spotlight.
But this begs the question, can or will other retired mediums find their way back into our lives?
If history is any guide, the overwhelming answer is…
SOCIAL SKILLS
Start being curious about who they are as people.
You’re staring at your glass of wine, wondering if you did the little swirl before tasting the right way. You don’t dare spill this glass of 2003… whatever it is, on the white carpet. Who deliberately chooses white carpet anyway?
Before you can feign interest in a nearby conversation, the husband of the host sits down across from you. There’s no avoiding it. The eye contact makes it clear — this is going to be one of those cookie-cutter intro dialogues.
“So what do you do?”
Now replace the red wine with a frosty can of Bud Light. Swap the…
REMOTE WORK
Or: Why my dog thinks I should get out more.
I remember the first time I watched Tom Hanks talk to a beach ball, while stranded on a deserted island. Up until that point in Cast Away, aside from the whole flight malfunction thing, the idea of kicking back on an island to myself would be nice.
No loud trash trucks clanging around at 5:00 am. A considerable lack of judgment if you stayed in the sun too long. And the inability to doomscrool on Twitter.
But the reality is that working remotely, combined with social isolation during the start of The Roaring Twenties 2.0, leads to some serious isolation.
…
2020 Retrospective
Three key takeaways from the longest year of our lives.
It’s going to be very tempting to put 2020 in our rearview mirror and never look back. There are endless memes and quotes floating around the internet celebrating the end of the longest year in recent memory.
Yet, there might be some reasons to hold off tying a brick to that 2020 balloon and tossing it into the ocean. At least some parts. Let me explain.
Learning to Sit in Silence
Isolating from our friends, family, and coworkers wasn’t by choice. And some did not even have that opportunity when they needed it. …
2020 Retrospective
A simple silver lining to a difficult year.
Imagine yourself in a crowded restaurant. You’re sitting at one of those round high tops with the uncomfortable stools. You know, the trendy metal ones that look great from afar, but are pure agony after five minutes of sitting. Your friend across the table is sharing some amazing news with you. Yet, it’s impossible to get into the story. There are so many voices, conversations, and ambient noise crowding the room.
You want to hear the story. It’s not even a matter of choosing to focus on everything else. The constant background noise makes it impossible to be 100% present.
…
PERSONAL GROWTH
Turn the map upside down. Now let’s continue the journey.
Imagine you’re on a road trip through the middle of the United States. Your goal is to reach the coast, and beyond that, it’s a bit of a blank canvas. But that’s alright with you; the general plan and goal is in place.
Your route? West. That’s it.
The route you’re currently on heads in that general direction. Everything seems great. As you’re cruising along, you find yourself at a crossroads with some options. Kind of like Tom Hanks at the end of Cast Away.
What if you change direction? Your end goal is the same, after all, but you…
LIFE LESSONS
And you only need to be great at one.
I want you to think about someone you’ve worked with during the past year. Coworker, client; it doesn’t matter. As long as you’ve had to rely upon them for something.
Do you have the person in mind?
Now think about the first thing you would say if someone asked about working with them. Would it be a gleaming review? Throwing shade?
I’m willing to bet that the first thought reflects how you’ve felt when working with them. More about the kind of person they are and less about the work you’ve done together.
This is not uncommon. We commonly list…
Michael LaNasa
Exploring how to thrive as a multi-disciplinary entrepreneur, one existential crisis at a time. ✖ Writing about the journey and the lessons that come with it.
