#15 - 5 and 10
Kara Monroe
5 and 10
My former colleague and friend Russ has a rule in meetings that if we’re brainstorming items we need to end on a 5 or 10. So, if you have 13 items, you need to go to 15. Have 27? You’re gonna have to push to get 30. While we called it the “Russ rule” when applying it in facilitated sessions - there is science to back it up.
I wrote previously about how my word for the year simplify. In that edition of the newsletter, I said there were actually two words for this year - persist being the other one.
I think persistence in creative pursuits is a bit of a double edged sword.
First, let me say that I agree wholeheartedly with the article linked above. Time and again in ideation sessions, I see the very best thinking emerge in the second half - and even last third of an ideation session. Most ideation sessions follow a pattern of “Quick Burst -> Lull -> Steady stream that gains momentum and then slows to a gentle flow.” Or - if you’d like another one of my quick images…it looks something like this.
Quick Draw - The Flow of Ideas
But there is a place where I disagree with persistence - and that’s when it no longer agrees with your personal priorities.
I’ve had a set of projects on my creative to do list for going on five years now - to crochet afghans for each of my now seven great nieces and nephews. I crocheted afghans for the first two kids and thought that it would be a lovely gift to have from their great aunt. I have crocheted afghans from my grandma and one of my beloved aunts along with handmade gifts from other of my aunt and uncles. They are all things I treasure.
That said, the yarn sits untouched in my studio - and with two more babies joining the family this summer - I have to get real. I don’t actually enjoy crocheting all that much. I love the IDEA of crocheting. I love the IDEA of creating something with function and beauty out of something as simple as yarn and a weird looking hooked needle. Yet, I don’t actually enjoy crocheting that much. So, I’ve called it quits on this creative endeavor. Will I make something handmade for the kids that they’ll always treasure? I don’t know but I’m pretty sure - at least at this age and in this time and with my life circumstances - it’s not going to be handmade afghans.
So, the moral of this story? When you’re looking for new ideas - keep pushing yourself to generate a few more ideas. Have 12? Get to 15. Have 21? Push on to 25. You can do it - and you might just find the very best idea in those last few. AND, be clear on who you are and what you really want to do. What I really want to do is pass on a legacy to the kids since I don’t have kids of my own. I’ll keep looking for many possible ways to do that - AND finding the one that resonates with me. Getting clear on my own priorities and values helps me do just that.
I published an article this week about that very topic - getting clear on your priorities (which may be your values or may look different than that). Be sure to check it out below.
Tools, Tips, & Tricks
How to Scan a QR Code From a Screenshot or Picture on iPhone or Android
I needed to do this twice this week - I was on my phone and got an email with a QR code in it I needed to scan. This article was timely.
Time to order more COVID tests
If you’re keeping up with your at home test kit orders, it’s time to order your third set of at home test kits - and this time you get 8 kits - 4 each in two shipments. You order directly from USPS for free.
What I published this week
Kara Monroe on LinkedIn: Stop Saying These Things When You Don’t Know How to Pronounce Someone
I watched a video last night of a woman who said, “Just call me x. It’s easier.” While every person has a choice about how they want to be referred, it’s…
Creating Your Priority List — A Simple How To | by Kara Monroe | May, 2022 | Medium
Franklin Covey training, specifically Stephen Covey, popularized an idea of the paradigm of scheduling and making time for the “big rocks” in your life first. Once you have the big rocks set, you can…
iwannabemewhenigrowup.medium.com
I cross-published that same article on Peakd. You can access that copy at:
Creating Your Priority List - A Simple How To | PeakD
Franklin Covey training, specifically Stephen Covey, popularized an idea of the paradigm of scheduling and making time f… by iwannabeme
Diversion
The Google Search started with a scene from Pitch Perfect that I was trying to remember. It ended with “female acapella three part harmony”. Somehow, that gave me “No Ego” by Citizen Queen which I’ve probably listened to 20 times this week - along with just playing their backlist on repeat. It’s not really “ear candy” - it doesn’t have this catchy phrase that you keep singing over and over again but I do love, “sorry. not sorry. no apology.”
Citizen Queen - No Ego (Official Video)
And, in case you need that Pitch Perfect scene I was looking for, here you go…
PITCH PERFECT 3 - RIFF OFF [Full Scene] HD 1080p
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Kara Monroe, 11640 Winding Wood Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46235