Corey Dion Lewis is a health equity advocate and experienced podcaster. Together, we talk about activating heartfelt health care outside of the clinic. We also chat about the localized value of bringing people together through events like My City My Health.
After the break, we shift gears and dive into the art of podcasting. Have you thought about starting a podcast? Here’s how this podcast was produced and this episode is for you.
BONUS: Ben was on The Healthy Podcast!
Jessi McQuerrey activates leaders. She been connecting dots through Iowa ABI programs like Business Horizons for high school students and Leadership Iowa for business and community leaders. Together, we chat about how real skills open side doors to innovative opportunities. We also talk about event management and the mental weight of such intrinsic work.
Taking a break can nourish an artist and the seasonality of the art they’re creating. A hiatus can refocus teams or provide space for a community to recharge as well, but misplaced interruptions can also become an excuse to stifle progress.
Let’s look at short breaks. For example, a moment to refill your mug, eat lunch, catch the latest episode of YDNTP, or get some sleep. When you’ve achieved flow, time away can feel like a waste of time. If a hiatus is only an excuse to avoid the work, then yes, worthless wandering is a trap and can actually devolve into a dangerous habit. When paralyzing progress is normalized, it will impact other things you actually want to accomplish. This means that even short breaks should be used to recharge your return.
What about a more extended hiatus? This could be time away, setting a project aside, or even taking breaks in a relationship. When things get tough or positive momentum starts to fade, it’s tempting to avoid reality by pushing pause. This may keep things afloat, but it’s often a lackadaisical move to avoid reality, which may include the challenges of calling it quits. If an extended hiatus is truly strategic, the time should feel restful and build confidence as rearranged resources add fresh motivation. If this time away is wasted however, a false restart can be hard to recover from and will further expose what always needed to change. If a hiatus ever feels like an excuse to dodge blame, instead of being fainthearted, perhaps the illusion of an endless break should be replaced by a determined effort to make the bigger decision.
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With limitless ways to spend our time, it’s easy to take on more than we should. Be careful taking breaks when you’ve overextended your own personal bandwidth.
The length of any hiatus is relevant and so are the people who decide to take the break. Lone wolves can make these decisions easier, but they may struggle to understand the whole equation without feedback from customers, mentors, and fellow community members. When more people are involved, deciding what/when/how to take a break becomes more complex. For example, if a few people decide a break is good for a larger group, this decision may come from an individual’s lack of interest or bandwidth instead of what’s best for the group.
When we feel significant, promises are kept and more people are set free to lead together. When we lead together, the limitations of some are less likely to compromise the well-being of many. This agency supports enrollment, trust, creativity, and honesty between more linchpins who collectively decide when the right type of intermissions will be most invigorating.
Jay Byers is a legendary leader. Tune into this fun episode of YDNTP, as Jay shares stories from 18 years as CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership and looks ahead to his new role as President of Simpson College!
We also talk economic development, evolving entrepreneurial ecosystems, the magic of music, and the value of modern education. This epic episode of #YDNTP was brewed in the Pour Over Publishing studio and features timely, but also timeless insight you won’t hear anywhere else. Special thanks for all Jay Byers has done for so many and remember, the best way to predict the future is to create it.
Create a library of written works.
It can unfold into a timeless asset.
Imagine if you had already started writing. With no index cards required, welcome to your very own collection of organized, articulated thoughts, eh!
You will have embraced the moments of your own thoughts. You will also have felt the nourishment of released energy that awaits within the art of writing. Even more, you also moved past the fear and began “shipping your art” by sharing it within a community as well.
With your library of writings in place, even if traffic is low, your future self can become a real-time index. Available any time, from any device, and you’ll remember them all because you created them!
This treasure trove becomes super handy and very valuable! You can effectively add thickness to any interaction. What a timeless gift to yourself and to those you seek to serve, beyond so many beautiful, but brief sparks in time.
Quick temperature check. The world is experiencing a mainstream surge in AI, but don’t let that become an excuse. Anyone can now unleash AI and #ChatUX is so sweet, but those who show ingenuity will never be out created. Along with helping us all maintain intensity, your own writings can represent a honest heart connected to different topic you’re also talking about… maybe even building realities around as well!
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“Reading helps us understand the world.
Writing helps us understand ourselves.”
– Ben McDougal, Roasted Reflections
Does writing take serious time? Yes. Does publishing your writing online spark hesitations? Yes. Will writing welcome a creative release and potentially deliver more art for you to ship? Also yes.
Start writing my friend, then get generous by sharing it with us.