Why not?
If you don't have a why not, then now.
Welcome to the 8 new faces who signed up for The Change in the past week. We now have over 800 subscribers embracing change. It’s an exciting time.
Estimated read time of today’s letter: 3 mins
I had lunch this week with my friend Jeff. We both participated in the Leadership South Dakota program a few years ago. Jeff is a subscriber of The Change and reached out to have lunch after reading this letter. He had some great perspective to share about this transition phase of my life, but also shared one particular insight that I want to share with you all.
Jeff and his wife and family have core values (I love this so much), and one of those values is Why Not? Whenever an opportunity, event, or decision comes up in their family, Jeff looks at his wife and asks, “Do you have a Why Not?” Essentially, “Do we have a reason NOT to do this?” If so, cool, no problem, simply say no. But if not, then the answer immediately becomes “Yes” and “Right now.”
For example…
Do you guys want to go camping with us this weekend? No Why Not? Let’s go.
Do you want to take this online course with me? No Why Not? I’m in.
Do you want to run a half-marathon together? No Why Not? Let’s start training today.
I love this concept as a filter for making decisions. We often have Why Nots, and that’s just fine. But I love that if you don’t have a Why Not, then you immediately say yes.
We’re often paralyzed by decision-making and diverging paths. We worry about all the potential outcomes (most of which will never come true), and that analysis paralysis leads us to not make a decision.
So, the next time you have a decision to make, check to see if you have any good Why Nots. And, if the answer is no, jump.
John
The Listen (and Learn)
If you’ve read any of the first three editions of The Change, you know that I’m interested in crypto, DeFi, and the rise of Web3. I’m also very aware that I’m just scratching the surface of understanding this technology and trend. I need to learn more. So, I’m planning on signing up for this class taught by Nat Eliason (a great Twitter follow) called DeFi Orientation.
In the spirit of Why Not, if you want to join me and take this class together, we can be accountability buddies. It’s only $49. Why not?
The Tool
This week, I created a Notion doc to serve as the Leadmore Podcast Directory. A quick, easy-to-sort directory of all the guests we’ve had on the Leadmore Podcast. I’m a big believer in building a body of work; showing, not telling; keep creating and good things will happen. I love seeing all the faces of some amazing leaders who I admire and have learned so much from. Take a look!
The Tweet
Are you following the Olympics? Paige and I watch it every night after we get the girls to bed (we especially enjoy the swimming events). This week, while watching Simone Biles’ return to the gymnastics competition, NBC ran this promo. After a few seconds, Paige and I looked at each other and said, “Is that Taylor Swift?”
This is a powerful montage paired perfectly with Swift’s song and voiceover. It strikes a chord with the more important Olympics storyline this year about Biles’ openness around her mental health. Watch it 👇
That’s all for this week. TGIF! Tell your friends to subscribe and follow the journey.