Today I'm going to tell you about...
The Becoming Loop
On Friday I gave a talk as part of the personal development program I run. The title of this one was How To Prototype Your Life. My idea was to talk about how I apply techniques from continuous improvement and design thinking to life goals.
I sometimes underestimate how fortunate I am to have trained in things like this, because I naturally (with practice) have learned to value progress over perfection. As a result, I get a lot done over time and achieve a high percentage of my big goals. I tend to do it slowly, but hey, the tortoise always wins the longer races.
When I was developing this talk, I found myself describing it in a new way. And I called it "The Becoming Loop". Here's a version of the talk, reproduced. I'd love to know what you think:
The Trap
We treat life design like engineering.
There's a right answer out there, and if we think hard enough, plan carefully enough, we'll find it. So we wait. We overthink. We naval-gaze.
The problem isn't lack of information.
It's the wrong model.
A Better Model
In design thinking, you build something small and imperfect in order to learn.
The prototype is supposed to be wrong. That's the point.
What if that's how you approached your life?
Being a Becoming
You are a becoming: something still in motion. This isn't a problem. It's the nature of being human.
The program isn't pointing you toward a destination. It's helping you navigate a journey that doesn't end.
The provisional, experimental life isn't a lesser version of living. It is the living.
In the HeRO Program, we use goals differently.
The purpose is never to arrive. It is to travel.
But to do that towards a destination that will teach you. And teach you again. And again.
Becoming Loop: Imagine - Experiment - Reflect - Adjust
- Imagine the self: Not what do I want to do, but who would I be if this were already true? Start with identity. I am someone who...
- Run one small experiment: The smallest move that puts you in contact with that version of yourself. Not a plan. A test.
- Reflect honestly: Not did it work, but what did I learn about myself? Where did resistance show up?
- Adjust the compass: You're not scoring yourself. You're updating your direction.
Then the loop begins again. Imagine the self…
Prototype Your Life: Summary
This is how change actually happens. Not in one great leap. In small cycles, each one making you slightly more yourself.
The HeRO Program gives you the map* The Becoming Loop is how you walk it.
Where in the loop are you right now?
* What I mean by the map is that the program has a structure to follow. If you want to know how this could help you, book a call.
A Quote I Love
"If it is not life threatening, then it is only ego threatening."
Peter Crone, The Mind Architect.
My Cultural Life
Why did I wait so long to watch series 4 of The Bear? This is one of my favourite TV shows of the last few years. If you haven't seen it, it is about a family, a restaurant and all the chaos that happens trying to keep both of those running. It's brilliantly written, beautifully shot, the soundtrack is amazing and the acting is incredible.
There's another reason why I love it. Quite a lot of it is based on the ideas of Will Guidara who helped to create one of the best restaurants in the world by focussing on hospitality as the key differentiator. His book, Unreasonable Hospitality should be a must read for anyone running a service (business or public).
What I'm Working On
This week I am in one of my favourite parts of the cycle of growing a business. I just call it building. Practically speaking this means putting the finishing touches to my new leadership course/program and adjusting all of the systems and processes that support that. I'm hopeful I can tell you all about this next week.
On the leadership side, I have a handful of 1:1 coaching sessions scheduled and I am preparing for next week when I am running a leadership day for a team in Norwich. Really looking forward to that.
Hope your week is productive and enjoyable.
Interested in executive, leadership, team or personal coaching?
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