Doodle Card

 

Develop your hidden talent.
隠れた才能を伸ばそう。

 

What’s your talent? What do you do every day to cultivate your talent?

It’s not a good idea to expect someone else to do so for you. They might be able to help you develop in some way, but that doesn’t always mean they develop your own talent—most likely, they just train people who have the skills they need.

Even worse, it’s possible that you never have a chance to use your talent if you’re under someone’s control. If you have an artistic talent, you wouldn’t be so successful as an accountant. Or any occupation except an artist. As long as someone else decides what you do, there is a good chance that you wouldn’t be able to use your talent except for your weekend hobby.

Only you can develop your talent in the way you want. Hold yourself accountable for it, and do something every day.

 

 

Be in focus.
ピントを合わせよう。

 

When we are focused, we usually don’t seek MORE information; we look for BETTER information that lead us to a BETTER decision.

When we are NOT focused, we tend to set our sights on a large target and gather MORE information. But that doesn’t always help us find what matters; most of the time, it only leads us to blurred thinking.

In this information technology era, we’ve got to focus on what matters to us first. If we focused, it wouldn’t be so difficult to find the information we really need. But if we only exposed ourselves to limitless information, our time and mental capacity (which is limited) would merely be consumed by them.

 

 

Tell your story, not somebody else’s.
誰かの受け売りじゃなく、自分の話をしよう。

 

Everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone knows how to tell it well.

This is what I thought when I drew a visual note on the Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell. (If you haven’t seen it, check my yesterday’s post.) Nobody creates or tells your true story for you. You create it yourself, and it’s you to tell it. Otherwise the story would be somewhat different from what it actually is—and can be deceptive at times.

Most likely, our life story won’t be like a Hollywood movie. But it’s still invaluable and worth telling. Don’t be afraid of telling it. Don’t succumb to the fear of telling it. Don’t use someone else’s lines instead of your story.

Recognize your own stories you already have, and learn how to tell. It will save someone—including yourself.

 

 

Respond well.
うまく応えよう。

 

Many people believe that responding quickly is a good thing to do, especially in a business environment.

But the fact is, many people do respond quickly, but poorly. Their response are often impulsive and emotional, and not thoughtful enough to have a productive, meaningful conversation.

A good response offers something in return. It helps us make progress, collaborate well, and understand each other. Always focus on responding well—because it creates more opportunities for us.

 

 

Show it loud.
ハッキリ見せよう。

 

Even a brilliant idea can’t always be heard. There are so many noises in this world, and people are always busy doing their things.

When talking about your idea doesn’t work, showing your idea can be an option. Show it clearly. Show it often. Then people begin to see it.

Make your idea visible. Thirty to fifty percent of our brain is devoted to visual processing. Visual communication can be the most effective tool in a noisy world.