Blog Post
3 minutes
Life changing moments typically come in unlikely places. I had one in the gym of all places a few years back. I was doing my regularly lift routine (working on my amazing triceps) when a friend/mentor of mine came over and asked what I was doing?
“Well, isn’t it obvious? I’m lifting weights,” I replied.
“No, what’s your goal with this little routine you’re doing?” he said.
Annoyed by the obvious question, I gave an obvious response… “To do 3 sets of 10.”
“Really? That’s your goal?” he said as if I was a moron.
Then it hit me. It was simple. And I was missing it. I had been rushing my entire workout routine for – who knows how long – to simply get it done. In numerous ways, I was wasting my time. Why take an hour out of my day if I was not going to actually make use of it? I left the gym that day with one word on my mind…
Intentionality. A phrase (and story) that makes it way into my mind at least once a day.
Fast forward to today. My commute each morning is 30 minutes. And to be honest, when I first started the daily venture, I was quite annoyed. I had just given up a 2 and a half minute commute (on my scooter) to join the Rule29 team 20 something miles away, and now, was dealing with more gas, more traffic, more stoplights, weather, trains, and well… more time.
But it was the latter that got me thinking… Why does a longer commute automatically equate as something negative? What could I do with this time to bring a little joy, sanity, and benefit to my life? What would it mean to be intentional?
As suggested in my previous post, storytelling is a vital aspect to our work. It’s what we do. We not only strive to understand who are client’s are, but we work dilegent at telling their story via the most effective means available. So, why not spend some (intentional) time working on the craft?
So, here’s my thought.
Rather than waste away hours on a commute/trip/run to a mindless drift, let’s be intentional with the time. Better yet, let’s be intentional with listening. Take the precious moments we are provided and learn from the great storytellers of our day. There are numerous ways this could be accomplished, of course, but here are a few of my favorite (car-friendly) mediums that can both inspire and encourage great storytelling – not to mention simply help pass the time. Enjoy.
10 (Story-Driven) Podcasts Worth Subscribing To:
#2. The Moth
#3. The Story
#4. WNYC’s RadioLab
#5. TED
#6: StoryCorps
#7: 2nd Story
#10: This I Believe
All podcasts are available here.
