Being Nimble in Life, Work, and Writing (Middlesode 038)

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In this middlesode, Nicole reflects on her 2020 theme word, “Nimble,” and what it means in three areas: personal life, professional, and writing. Read the full post here.

In my personal life, staying nimble means to:

• Avoid inflexible expectations of myself and others, to see expectations as constantly evolving the more information I learn;
• Seek a middle ground between the extremes of rigidity (trying to force life/people/situations to conform to my plans) and resignation (assuming I’m powerless in the face of life’s chaos);
• Expect situations to change and develop; view this as an opportunity to be nimble and responsive rather than regretful or fearful;
• Be able to change plans without changing priorities;
• Be able to shift between different priorities and areas of my life/daily routine more easily rather than hyper-focusing on one area or another;
• Continue moving forward without dwelling on the past;
• See all things, situations, and people as my teacher–my job is to grow, learn, and respond, not to be always in control or ensuring things never change.

In work and business, staying nimble means to:

• Be quick to see, notice, and respond to needs and opportunities;
• Be responsive (rather than avoidant or hasty) even when that means saying no, asking for extensions, or being honest about my limitations;
• Keep a lean business model but don’t shy away from innovation or meaningful risks;
• Be ready to acquire new skills, such as SEO keyword research skills, professional development, e-course development, etc.
• Be guided by intention and well honed sense of direction rather than doing things to maintain a status quo;
• Stay current with trends and needs among other creative entrepreneurs;
• Be open to change, innovation, and transformation;
• Work toward multiple goals/targets at once, but in a purposeful and well-monitored way;
• Stay curious;
• Be willing to step away (or take a break) from what’s not working;
• Hustle gracefully.

In my writing, staying nimble means to:

• Be “light on my feet” in my prose: tighter, faster-moving prose that doesn’t get bogged down in over-explaining things;
• Continue strengthening executive functioning skills that guard against hyperfocus and “getting lost in the trees”;
• Staying responsive to people my writing connects me with;
• Expose myself to new trends, books, and influencers in my genres and areas of knowledge;
• Allow myself, my writing, and my understanding of my audiences to be always growing and evolving;
• Be clear on my topic(s) and boundaries, but be open to new approaches and ideas within those parameters.

Join the conversation in the Writing on Wednesdays Facebook Group! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/WritingonWednesdays/) 

Until next week,

Nicole Roccas – www.nicoleroccas.com

Sarah Bereza – www.sarah-bereza.com