Listen to the episode here: https://specific.substack.com/p/how-weve-always-done-things-with?r=n6j6&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=copy
I’ve been paying much more attention to my routine as a result of writer’s block that I suffered in the middle of all this pandemic craziness. For the first two months, I kept most of my routine as similar as possible, with the exception of leaving my house. Exercise, diet, sleep, work, family. I tried to keep them all similar until I got sick. I still don’t have confirmation of what I was sick with. Coming out of that, my routine was shot. I had no appetite or energy to exercise. Sleep was not a problem. But I couldn’t write or create anything either. And that was new for me. I’ve always been fortunate to be able to sit down and produce words or work on command.
I tried a variety of new stimuli over a period of few months. Finally, in August, the block broke, partially as a result of a presentation I created about (ironically) how to break writer’s block. Productivity is back. I’ve written a draft of a novel (my first). I’m feeling great. I’ve been charting the changes to my routine and the impact I think they’ve had, and it’s been eye opening for me. I’m currently weighing whether my improved outlook and productivity are a result of the changes I’ve made or whether improved productivity is powering my outlook and ability to keep up with the changes.
During all of this, I reached out to the incredible Aisea Laungaue, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Anomaly LA. I read something he shared about always getting to the same place in terms of the same types of leadership in advertising agencies as a result of the same inputs for recruiting. His unstated question: If we don’t change the stimuli, how do we hope to expect a different result?
I very much enjoyed this conversation, and a chance to reflect on my own experience inside agencies and a part of recruiting talent. I think you will too.