Focus - Leo Babauta [52]
Think now of five of your heroes, and write down their names. Don't be afraid to stretch beyond the "people only" category -- you'll see what I mean when you seem my list below. Next to each one, write down three or four characteristics that you admire in each of these heroes.
Here are four of mine:
Buzz Lightyear (a character from Toy Story): optimistic, explores the edges, relentlessly resourceful, a good friend
My dad, Robin (a real person): gentle, full of integrity, puts important people first
Cirque du Soleil (a brand): creative, restless, breaks the rules, creates wonder
My friend, Ric (a real person): rock solid, a host and a hub of his community, willing to start things afresh
You might be able to see a pattern emerging that I can start shaping as my values.
resourceful / creative / create wonder
a good friend / puts people first / hub of a community
explores the edges, restless
You'll see a similar pattern emerge for you when you do the exercise. Words which make sense when clustered together point you towards some of your core values, and help you better recognize and judge the opportunities around you.
shift your gaze
Focusing on who you are and what matters to you is the right place to start. But don't stop.
It's now time to shift your gaze and to lengthen your focus. Lift up your eyes and look around you. In your current life, there are already the seeds of your future Great Work. They're waiting for you to give them the loving care they need so they can truly blossom.
So where do you find them? Well there are two immediate places to grab your attention. The first is, the bleedingly obvious project you've been wanting to do forever, but haven't yet given yourself permission to wholeheartedly begin.
Consider permission granted.
The second is those parts of your life that have moved from tolerable to intolerable. It might be in your home life, your work life, your community, your country or your planet. But something's causing you pain, and it may be your Great Work to right that wrong.
But there's a third place to explore, one often overlooked. It's at the Good Work you're currently doing.
Because we're so busy, we often find ourselves doing most things at about the same standard. Good Work? Done well enough. Bad Work? Done well enough. Great Work? Done well enough.
But as you scan your current Great Work, you'll see opportunities there that you wish you weren't doing just "well enough". These are things that could be Great Work for you. It might be a project at work, an entrepreneurial side project, an opportunity to engage a group of people, a key relationship.
No matter what it is, ask yourself this: What would I do differently if I committed to this as my Great Work Project? Really stepped up to the challenge. How would I behave differently? What time, money, effort and resources would I commit to it differently? Who else would I invite in to share and to help?
Great Work doesn't haven't to be the new and the shiny. Often it's taking what's already there and burnishing it until it begins to shine.
unfocus
My final point is this. Don't make it all about the focusing. Great Work comes to life in the doing and not in the viewing.
Let's take a random example -- Leo. Do you think he imagined the Empire of Minimalism known as Zen Habits when he wrote his first blog post? I think not. In fact, he put it like this just one year after beginning Zen Habits -- and it's a moment of clarity and joy that I wish for you and for us all: "Through this blog, I've found my passion, and I think my calling."
Michael Bungay Stanier is the author of "Find Your Great Work: Stop the busywork, and start the work that matters," which can be found at http://www.domoregreatwork.com.