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In these busy, noisy times, it can feel like every second of every minute of every hour needs to be filled with action or considered wasted.
As we become used to being pushed forward by the force of our hectic lives, we may begin to understand our worth in terms of productivity alone.
Continuously ticking away.
Keeping everything moving forward, towards some imaginary finish line.
Like productive task-doing machines, we expect instant results, swift and obvious progress, tangible outcomes in our daily interactions.
Immediate feedback that tells us we’re on the right track.
Anything that gets in the way of us moving as quickly as possible feels like an obstacle designed to slow us down.
It can be frustrating when we don’t move at the pace we’d like.
But some things take time. And the most important ones involve bringing others with us.
And for that to happen, they need to see the value in joining us.
More often than not, and especially at work, giving direction can be a more subtle act than giving instructions.
It involves sowing seeds with care, attention and intentionality, with the hope and conviction that we’ll see them take root and flourish when the time is right.
Trusting the process while knowing that the fruits of our effort won’t manifest overnight. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but eventually we’ll see the seeds of ideas and influence grow.
And then, one day, it happens.
We witness the moment of realisation in someone — the spark of understanding in their eyes when they finally get it. Or we may hear them repeat what we’ve said a thousand times before, and we realise the profound impact of our patient seed-planting efforts.
A reminder that we hold more power that we think.
That with open, honest and kind conversations, we slowly influence others’ thinking, shape perspectives and bring change through our words and actions.
Patience becomes not just a virtue but a strategy, a recognition that meaningful growth takes time.
The harvest may not be immediate but every seed we plant today is a promise of a brighter tomorrow.
Our highlights
✍ Content design
Jane Van de Ban
Editing someone else’s words is a privilege, says Jane. But without buy-in and trust, we cannot expect to be able to do our jobs well.
💡Ideas
Rebecca Solnit
"And we are impatient creatures, impatient for the future to arrive and prone to forgetting the past in our urgency to have it all now, and sometimes too impatient to learn the stories of how what is best in our era was made by long, slow campaigns of change." A beautiful reminder that aligns with our thoughts this month that it’s okay if change takes time.
📣 Language
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows: Uncommonly lovely invented words for what we feel but cannot name
Maria Popova
"Because we know their power, we ask of words to hold what we cannot hold", says Maria, reflecting on John Koenig’s dictionary. If you’re into words and etymology, this exploration of words that anchor us to our feelings is a must read.
🔮 Trends
Stephanie Gioia
With the launch of Either/org's inspiration library, Stephanie reflects on the things that are designable within an organisation in their search for a practical framework for organisational design.
💻 Digital
Podcast from the Global Payroll Association and Storythings
The Canadian Government’s Phoenix pay project started with good intentions in 2016. This podcast explores how this botched payroll transformation not only cost workers their pay, but also job opportunities, marriages and houses.
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Connect with us on Twitter: @AdrianJOrtega and @NiaRCampbell
Get in touch to work with us: hello@tidycontent.com
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