[*This picture of Sean Connery as James Bond references something about which I am passionate…]
A mate of mine sent me a message on WhatsApp yesterday.
“One day, when you have some time, I’d love you to give me an insight into the art of the productive man,” he wrote. “I.e. tell me how to work hard consistently.”
Flattered, I video chatted him, and we mused on all this for a bit. The first thing we mused on was how I’m actually not very productive at all. People have been praising the actor Tom Hollander for his “Life In The Day” piece in last week’s Sunday Times. It’s honest. Particularly about not being productive! You need plenty of downtime to balance your uptime.
The second thing was: Passion. It’s the most important thing to me in a job. More than compensation, although that comes second. More than working style, practical considerations, or even the people I’m working with. And they do matter to me.
But passion is the most important thing. That rare commodity. Inspiration.
When we’re telling stories to engage an audience, we need to believe in them. We need to have energy. We need to have presence. It’s a valuable commodity, particularly in a world where often, many of us have funders to please. And targets to meet. And of course, meetings to attend.
How do you stay inspired amidst all this? How do you stay passionate about what you’re doing? Here’s my list:
- I listen to the Beatles. How can they still be so good after all these years?
- I read good fiction with joy. This week it’s Molly Prentiss, “Tuesday Nights in 1980,” which a friend recommended.
- I look at art. And yes, there is art on instagram. It includes comics.
- I cook a lot. I’ve got all our cookbooks cataloged at eatyourbooks.com. It helps with the “what am I going to do with this” anxiety when the Catskills CSA delivers on Tuesdays.
- I have a cup of tea with my wife. She often has very inspiring things to say.
- I take care of my mental health. I meditate with Headspace.com. I do cognitive behavioral therapy journaling.
- I exercise. I do yoga and I teach yoga. I play squash at the Manhattan Community Squash Center.
- I watch an awful lot of James Bond films. See above.
- I invest in nourishing friendships with people who value me. I particularly enjoy a weekly lunchtime meetup on Fridays with some friends from Civic Hall.
- I’ve learned—and it’s taken 41 years—to draw healthy boundaries around situations that drain my passion. I’ve gotten better at trusting my gut when it says “this isn’t going to be a situation that’s going to work out nourishingly, for you,” and I draw the line earlier than I used to.
And that’s all before I’ve sat down with a client and drawn inspiration from their story!
How do you stay passionate? I’m genuinely curious.
