#150 - The Profound Concept You Need to Build Better Stories

The only way to go fast on projects

This is Adventures in Storytelling your weekly note with resources, insights, and actionable tools for better communication through storytelling. Enjoy. (You still have one last chance tomorrow to attend the free time management training I shared last week)

It’s actually a short one this week despite the promise of profundity. Because the concept is profound but simple.

Some background: I’ve been in my head A LOT lately. Too much perhaps, but I am a Virgo with OCD so... I’ve also got several projects on the go (all fun and challenging strategically in the best ways) which has also meant I’ve been very focused on doing and ticking off items on my to do list.

Yesterday evening around seven I was forced to go for a walk (my place was being shown as I look for a subletter for my six months in Mexico City). I left my apartment with no plan and no headphones. And just walked. I thought about life and work and my neighbourhood. No agenda and nothing to get back to. I just let my mind wander along with me.

The crisp autumn air cleared my head of the clutter that had accumulated over the past few weeks of heads down work and suddenly I had IDEAS for all my different project. And energy. It was great and exciting and only a little unexpected.

I got a little bored and was better for it. And that simple concept? Simply taking time to step away from the doing and give yourself space just to daydream, imagine, and wonder. Get bored a little. The energy you create, the clarity it breeds is part of the creative process, but we sometimes forget or don’t allow for that space that breeds inspiration and new creative paths. It’s part of James Webb Young’s Technique for Producing Ideas.

The walk reminded me of one of the most important lessons and discoveries of my burnout experience: sometimes you need to slow down in order to go fast. So, the next time you find yourself overloaded by projects and life, find some time to go outside for a walk or do whatever activity helps you clear the cobwebs. It’s a simple way to get new ideas and make your stories even better than they might have been.

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A Story Well Told

I finally finished Ted Lasso’s final season on the weekend. It was the most satisfying, delicious bit of storytelling I’ve consumed in awhile. It left me feeling content and grateful and just glad for great characters put into interesting situations and given room to grow. What a gift, what a treat. I aspire to that kind of storytelling. The simple, friendly, yet profound and warm. I feel lucky to be a fan. If you need something to just shift your mood and delight you a little, I highly recommend watching all three seasons. Binge watching even.

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