"The shorter the better," my internal writing voice tells me.
Last week, a LinkedIn exchange with my business coach reminded me that by being brief, I might be selling myself and my readers … uh, short. (Pun not
intended, but it works, right?)
I wrote a spur-of-the-moment LinkedIn post that said, "Thought for the day: Show up."
Everybody knows what that means, right? Haven’t we all heard something like "half the battle is showing up" or some similar trope about work ethic?
The Socratic Approach
My coach, Rob, being a
good coach, was compelled to prod. "Question for the day," he replied. "What helps you show up?"
Crap. Now I had to think. Exactly how and why do I show up? Here’s an expanded version of my response.
First, for me, "showing up" is a habit. I show up to work in my home office around 9ish Monday through Friday and call it quits around 6ish. I’m not going to pretend that I’m head-down working that whole time, but I’m in the place I need to be. I was trained that way from elementary school all the way through the days when I needed to drive daily to an office.
When those days ended 14 years ago, I made a space for work at home and kept the habit.
You Can’t Quit
Second, there’s a layer of commitment atop the habit. It probably goes back to childhood, when my parents refused to let me quit something once I started. Little League, school band, and those awful formal dance classes come to mind.
So when I make an appointment, join a
networking group or volunteer for a committee, I show up at the appointed hour. My commitment to publishing this newsletter every other week is another way I show up.
Third, honestly, showing up is kind of easy. When it’s part of the daily plan to get to a networking meeting by 8, have a weekly catch-up call with a client at 10, and do a Zoom sales presentation at 2, it’s simple to follow the schedule.
An Ulterior Motive
Fourth, which I did not mention on LinkedIn, I
have a motive for showing up. I want others to see me as reliable, consistent and dependable. I think showing up helps demonstrate that.
My last point: good things can happen when you show up. You might learn something. Make a friend. Share some laughs. Meet a potential client.
Now that you know what helps me to show up, let's circle back to the brevity thing. My coach’s question gave me a chance to reinforce my own habit. It also made me question my assumption that everybody knows what it means to show up.
Maybe, just maybe, my own experience of showing up can add value for a reader. My way is not better than anyone else’s, and I’ve never received a perfect attendance award for anything.
But describing what helps me show up might help somebody who asks, "Well, how do I do that?"
The next newsletter arrives Jan. 2. The new year will bring lots of challenges and opportunities. (How’s that for a bold prediction?)
Be grateful. Be generous. Be patient. Love.
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Thanks for spending some of your time with me,. I appreciate you.
Mark
P.S. - This newsletter was created entirely by me, a human. If any parts of my newsletters are generated by artificial intelligence, I’ll disclose it here.
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