Wabi Sabi: The Art (& Bummer) of Imperfection

April 16, 2010 By 3 Comments

I just found a pretty obvious error in my main self-study program guidebook. It’s an error I should have seen. I know it wasn’t there in previous iterations that came from the interior book designer. I know because I looked those ones over really detailed-like. But those last few revisions, I was just checking the essentials – were the errors I mentioned fixed? That kind of thing. So, I missed it. And that seriously bums me out.

Primarily, I am bummed out because I had a bunch of those guidebooks printed so I could send and hand them to those who pre-ordered the program. I had extras printed for some speaking events I had planned. I had more extras printed to ship out as orders come in. So there they sit, that crazy one page in the appendix where you can’t read anything because it is actually two pages of text piled onto one page. Oh, and of course there are those copies that I already shipped before I even noticed the error. Argh – the embarrassment!

So, after I calmed down from freak-out mode, I realized I had two options: 1. toss out (recycle) the 30 or so copies I have sitting here in my office that haven’t shipped yet (that’s 6420 sheets of paper plus covers that would require significant natural resources to process through recycling, all for one page error that (as you’ll see in a minute) really isn’t a big deal from a practical perspective at all, or 2. use the books I have on hand and explain this embarrassing error to each person to whom I send a guidebook.

First let me tell you, I have perfectionistic tendencies only about a few things. One of them is the work I create in the world. (The other is interpersonal communication, which is a ridiculous thing to be perfectionistic about and, frankly, causes way more stress and instant replay of conversations than makes any sense whatsoever.) So, all of my cells in my body were fighting for the option to obliterate any evidence of this error by getting rid of these otherwise beautiful books. But my commitment to our lovely Earth won out. I just cannot get myself to recycle these books for the sole reason of protecting my ego.

Especially since the page that is ruined is even better as a handout-style insert. It’s the Outlining Skeleton for the section on how to Champion Your Business through expert presentations and everyone who uses that outline would most certainly make a copy of it (or download it from the Vision Into Action web page) and fill it out with information for the particular speech they are preparing. So, really, nothing is lost from a users perspective at all.

This reminds me (strangely) of the time I was teaching three public speaking classes at a new college and had to create a totally new syllabus for that quarter. Somehow, in my frenzy to get all of the required “course outcomes” language on the syllabus, I left the “cl” off of the word “class” on all 100 copies of the syllabus. As I stood there at the front of the room establishing both my authority and my witty, fun-teacher status with a roomful of students focused on whether they would get to leave class extra early this first day of school, I noticed that the word “class” had unfortunately become the word “ass.” There are a lot of other words on that syllabus I could have left letters off of and none of them would have created nearly the snickers and red-faces (okay, maybe it was just my face that was red) as that one.

But no. It was “ass” – right there. As you might imagine, my students loved it. Me, not so much.

So, I had to be cool about it. After all, I’m that fabulous mix of “authority, witty, fun-teacher”… (ahem.) Which means I surely said something hilarious (read: lame.) Then, I got to pass that syllabus out to 100 students and know that, while they may have heard little else in that first class we shared of the term, there was a really good chance that they attended to the part where I put “ass” in the syllabus – and told their friends in the hall afterward.

I’m not sure exactly how the two lessons interplay (except I guess the part about proofreading more carefully), but here’s what I do know. I put my heart and soul into those classes I taught – and I did the same with Vision Into Action. I wish I was perfect (I think I wish that… though it does feel kind of constricting in my chest area when I write it…) but it seems I’m not.

So I land on one of my favorite concepts from Japanese culture, wabi-sabi. Beauty in imperfection. “Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.” (thanks Wikipedia)

And I remind myself that Contribution is what matters in this life – making a real difference in the lives of other from my own gifts and strengths. Then I feel mostly better about things. (Well, that, and I have included a beautiful insert in Vision Into Action that replaces those pages, of course – and future runs of the guidebook will be fixed.)

I wonder – has anything like this ever happened to you? (Don’t just make something up because you feel bad for me, either.)

Thank you laverrue for the gorgeous, wish-I-was-there-in-real-life image of the wabi-sabi barn.

Filed Under: Contribution, entrepeneurialism, products, story, Vision Into Action

How to Accept and Use Feedback From Others

February 24, 2010 By 1 Comment

As I’ve mentioned (kind of a lot now), I’ve just finished writing and producing this Vision Into Action program. As I’ve also mentioned, this is a much more intense project than I expected (though I am thrilled with the outcome, mind you.)  There are multiple moving parts and the expertise and input of many smart people is needed to really hit this kind of project out of the park.

A truly great information product has all of the same elements that any other exceptional product has:

  • Great design
  • Ease of Use
  • Provides a fabulous experience
  • Solves the problem or Meets the desire that inspired its purchase

As the Author, It’s Hard to Know If You’re Getting It Right

The thing is, when you are the author and producer of said Great Information Product, it’s really hard to be sure you have hit all of these elements brilliantly. For me, having written every single sentence of the 30,000+ word guide that goes with Vision Into Action, there came a time when I simply could no longer hear the content as I read it to myself. I had lived, breathed, and relived every sentence so many times that I had no idea how to determine if, as a whole, the concept was being shared in the most useful way.

Ask for Feedback.

So, I had to ask for feedback. And I asked for it from quite a few people – busy, smart people who are in high demand in many areas of their lives. This is beyond the expertise that I hired people for such as the manuscript review, editing and design. This is the kind of feedback that you request for free.

Think Hard About Who You Ask for Feedback.

It’s a really big favor to ask – reading a book for someone before it is finished baking and asking for specific thoughts and ideas to make it better. You want to think hard about who you ask and how you ask them – then what you will do with the information when you get it. I learned a lot in the process of gathering feedback. I thought you might find it handy for your next creative endeavor requiring insight from others.

Here’s what I learned during my feedback gathering process:

1. Other people have really amazing ideas.

2. Some amazing ideas just don’t fit in this project.

3. Not everyone is going to get it. It matters that the Right people get it.

4. People can help you way better when you tell them exactly what will help the most.

5. A heartfelt thanks and an offer to reciprocate help works wonders.

Feedback Brings Amazing Ideas:

My feedback crew on Vision Into Action brought me some amazing ideas that I couldn’t possibly have thought of I hadn’t asked for their input.  At least three of the most useful online tools I added to the exclusive web page that go with Vision Into Action were specific suggestions from the feedback crew. I am including an audio version of the DVD interview on the CD based on the insight from one feedback partner that some people will enjoy listening to the CD in their car. All of this, plus literally hundreds of text, storytelling and editing suggestions made this information product so much better than it would have been without their collaboration.

Some Ideas Simply Don’t Fit.

While the vast majority of ideas I got were integrated in some way into the product, there were suggestions that simply didn’t fit with the overall goal of the program. I had to remind myself regularly that, while my feedback partners are really smart people with fabulous ideas, I am the one who hold the Vision for this product. I need to stay clear and true to that Vision so as not to dilute it with the many different ideas and directions that creativity can take me and others involved.

Your Feedback Collaborators Really Need to Get It.

There were times during the process when I really lost my excitement for the whole thing. Fear would take over as I realized how much time, energy and resources I was expending to create this product. Intellectually, I know this is a normal part of creativity because I’ve experienced it before during my own projects and by watching clients go through this during consulting gigs with them. And yet – couple this low-point with feedback from someone who just doesn’t understand what you are trying to do and you can get sent reeling into Doubtville. This happened once to me. Luckily, the experience was unknowingly followed up by another smart person who totally got what I was trying to do and the energy of that collaboration pulled me up from the depths. Surround yourself with people who get what you are doing (note: this doesn’t mean they have to agree with everything you say and do – that’s not helpful – but they really should get the value you are adding and be a fan of it.)

Be Specific In Your Feedback Requests.

As I went through the feedback gathering process, I got way better at asking for specifically what I wanted from my collaborators. This helped my collaborators expend energy where it was most needed, instead of feeling responsible for finding every misspelling in the document (which was being handled by my brilliant copy-editor/husband.)

Give Genuine Thanks and Offer to Reciprocate.

I worried a lot about the huge favor I was asking of my friends and colleagues on this relatively large project. I knew the amount of work it entailed because I have been involved in feedback and editing of books for friends and colleagues. It’s not small commitment. But then I remembered how I felt, being invited into these really cool projects by people I liked and respected. It felt good – I felt valued and smart. I felt like I made a difference in a meaningful project for someone I cared about. Then I realized that my genuine thanks and offer to provide help on their next project was probably enough.

Every single time I invite others’ brilliance into a project, the outcome is beautifully enhanced. I wish that for you in your next creative adventure. I hope this helps you make the most of the collaborative opportunity.
Thank you, JacobB0tter, for the collaboration image.

Filed Under: Collaboration, Contribution, products, Vision Into Action, writing

Work Retreat Planning, Post #1

February 12, 2010 By 5 Comments

Sunset view from the beach house deck

So, you know I just (almost) finished this Vision Into Action program because I sent that post two days ago. What I haven’t talked about before now is how intense writing and producing this program was for me.

Man.

There’s some chance you’ve read some of the many blog posts out there on how easy it is to create information products. I’ve read a zillion of those articles, too. And you know what ? I bet you can create information products that way. You might even be able to sell them for a while (after all, no one knows exactly what they are buying in many cases.) But if you want to create a really useful information product – one that will truly add value and engage the reader – it is not a simple process. It’s just not.

But it’s totally doable – and it can be done quickly and with high-quality output. Like all creative endeavors, you just need the time, space and focus to really hunker down into it and let the goodness flow. I’ve got a secret to getting all of that – uber style.

Working Retreats.

On three separate occasions during the writing and production of Vision Into Action, I packed my bags and settled into a totally new and strange (and amazing) environment and worked my fanny off. Here’s where I went: October – the beach house, November – the lake lodge, January – the local inn.

This is the part where you assume I must be really wealthy. And you’d be wrong. You might assume I have a bunch of family nearby who takes care of my kids when I am gone. Wrong again.

It takes Planning & Creativity – and for some of us, Partnership. But a Working Retreat is way worth the effort.

It takes creativity and commitment to make a work retreat work, especially if you’ve got many responsibilities outside of your work. Like the three kids 5 years old and under that I have. Or the mother-in-law for whom you are the primary caregiver. Or the daytime job you hold while you build your dream business in your off-hours. To add to the complexity, I’m going to assume that you don’t have a ton of expendable income here, so then there’s that expense thing to work out. That matters to me, too – expense.

So, see – I get it about complexity and the issues involved in up and leaving your responsibilities for days at a time. Yet, I am absolutely certain that these retreats are a primary reason that I am able to get these big creative projects handled in weeks when other people I know who have similar circumstances take years to do similar ones.

I’ll give you my strategies. Maybe they’ll work for you. This first post will be about how to find a retreat spot and prepare for the retreat. I’ll write a follow-up post about the actual details of the work retreat.

So, how to get a retreat spot…

1. House Swap: I love house swapping! House swapping is the bomb. Seriously – pick your dream spot and go stay in a warm cozy home there, in the midst of real-life in that area. With a kitchen, backyard, or – dare I even say it – a stunning view of the Oregon Coast. Yep – that’s the house-swapping experience. And it can be yours, too. Check out Craigslist or any of the online house swapping services. Now, if you have others in your house who need to stay home during your working retreat then you have to find a swap that works at off-times, when they can come to your house at another date. Plan your Summer family camping trip accordingly.

2. Seek off-season deals on lodging – My lake lodge writing retreat was in November, when the snow was beginning but not heavy enough to draw the skiing crowd. I got my beautiful lakeview room for HALF off the regular price, plus I had the whole lodge to myself for contemplative walks and fireside writing in the main area during the wine and cheese “social” (more wine and cheese for me!) Note: I paid way less than the amount listed here on this website for that lakeside room. The same is true of the local inn I stayed in for my final working retreat on the Vision Into Action program. Call to ask about rates and you may be very pleasantly surprised by unadvertised deals they’ve got during the off-season.

How to make a retreat work inside of your busy life…

3. Call on Your Partnership. If you have kids or others counting on your care and you already share kid, career and home responsibilities pretty evenly then one of you being away doesn’t require this huge download of information around school schedules, aging parent visits and food preferences. But it still requires that your partner step up and do all of the tasks for a few days. Promise her or him that you will do the same for them sometime soon. Just the thought of it usually makes this an easy promise as they launch into fantasies of their solo getaway.

4. Prepare Stuff at Home So You Can Let It Go. If responsibilities at home are more individualized, then more planning will be required. Do whatever needs to be done so that you can leave with great confidence. Cook a meal or two and freeze it. List out favorite lunch items. Write a note with details of normal visits to your parents or regular after-school activities. Ask your caregiver to arrive early and stay late just for the two days you will be gone. The important thing is that you leave with total confidence that things at home can be handled without you. Your mind is freed up for this retreat.

5. Let It Get Handled Without You. Then trust that everything will be fine while you are away. It’s that simple. You’ve got some brilliant work to do – that’s your job for the next 36 to 48ish hours. (depending on your retreat deal.)

I cannot tell you how much work I get done on a work retreat. Some of that is because I don’t have to interrupt my work to help with meals and bedtime routine with the girls – but a good portion of that is unrelated to parenting. There is something totally inspiring about unstructured time for creativity, exploration and head-down get-it-done focus. (In case you’re wondering if I miss my girls – yes, I do. But that usually kicks in right about the time I am packing to head home so it’s perfect. I’m thrilled to see them – but I didn’t spend my whole time away pining for them.)

In the next day or two, I’ll share ideas for how to structure your time and activities during your working retreat (though I use the word structure incredibly loosely here) to get the maximum out of the experience.

Filed Under: entrepeneurialism, parenting, products, Vision Into Action, writing

No More Excuses: Take Your Vision Into Real Action

February 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I believe wholeheartedly in bringing your brilliance. I actually believe it is our responsibility. It’s part of the way this whole Universe works. You bring your brilliance, which is different than mine. Your neighbor brings his. My aunt brings hers. Together, we have this finely crafted gorgeous Whole offering, this giant Mosaic (I’ve got a whole mosaic analogy I’ll tell you about sometime.)  If all goes right, I know to go to your neighbor for his brilliance and your neighbor knows to go to my aunt for hers (that’s the marketing part.)

This whole Brazen Soul thing is about bringing your brilliance. It’s a manifesto, really. I want your big, bold, courageous outward expression of your soul’s greatness. I want your neighbor’s, too.

I get to work with people one-on-one on building their brilliance into a very cool business and then getting the word out about it. I love that I get to be a part of this divine process. It’s heady, exciting. Seeing the energy and fire that arises as a person builds their dream business is immensely inspiring.

But not everyone can afford to partner one-on-one toward their dream business.  I certainly couldn’t at first. That’s why I am creating The Brazen Soul Program: Vision Into Action. I genuinely want you to have the support you need to bring your brilliance. I need your brilliance – and so does my aunt. And your neighbor. You get what I mean.

So, I decided to take the one-on-one Vision Into Action Partnering Program and make it into a self-study program. I mean, every single little thing I could think to say, ask, or suggest is in this thing. Plus, I built a bunch of additional tools to help you process things further (after all, you are doing this by yourself… you’ll need some help traversing the “what am I trying to say here” terrain). There’s a special exclusive web page with all kinds of additional customizable downloads.

Right now, the program is at the editor. Then it will go to the designer. I’m not kidding about this thing. This is not one of those printed out transcripts from a teleseminar being called a “program.” This was written and crafted entirely for the purpose of guiding you from Vision to Magnetic Messaging to Action.  That’s it. I just really, really want you to build the business of your dreams. For real.

Anyway, it’s not done yet. I expect it to be done the first week in March. But I’m too excited to keep waiting for it to be done to tell you about it. So, I’m telling you about it now. And if you are at all excited about this news, then you can go get the program for a way cheaper pre-order price right now. I hope you do. And tell your neighbor about it, too. Because I’ve been looking for him to do for me that thing he is so brilliant at doing. He needs to get it out there.

Filed Under: business planning, Contribution, entrepeneurialism, launch, products, self-study, Vision Into Action Tagged With: , , , ,