Is this how you try to “put the ball in the hole?”
One of the beautiful challenges with any form of writing is to ensure that what you are putting out is truly authentic, and not something that is contrived to support a secondary purpose or motive. When you think about it, this approach goes beyond writing and really is applicable to anything that you do – is your intention for doing ____ based upon a natural interest or ability in the subject itself, or is it the outcome you are after? Ironically, I find that whatever you do – from developing a product to engaging your customers to writing an editorial to designing an ad campaign – if you do it for the wrong reasons, and your inspiration comes from a source other than pure authenticity…it will show, and people will take the wrong kind of notice.
That brings me to a question I feel many of us need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves more often – where do you find your inspiration? Whether it’s your job, your life, a new hobby – how do you get motivated, how do you find that spark?
I think the answer is something we often overlook when we get wrapped up in our day to day scramble. Something simpler than an HBR “how-to” article. My best ideas come to me when I’m doing something I truly enjoy. When you are in that state of mind where external factors aren’t influencing your thinking – when your thought process is healthy and free. When you can allow your mind wander to it’s natural area of inspiration and determination to do the right thing – that’s when the magic happens.
Meet Nick Thomas 