Self Doubt – – End of the Day with Douglas E. Welch – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 26/30

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It always amazes me how one word or small phrase can change my mood from one extreme to another in the passing of a single breath. It happened today, over something small, but one response to something I said sent me into a fit of self-doubt that still lingers even as I write this. Self-doubt is my enemy right now, even more than usual, so it doesn’t take much to trigger it and all the associated responses. As is often the case, no one is tougher on us than ourselves and this is especially true of me. I only need a small shove to head down the path.

I have always been — what might be called — a sensitive person. I don’t think it has ever served me well. I quickly pick up on the moods and attitudes of those around me and begin to feel them, even if I don’t have any particular association with what is happening. Being near someone having an argument or complaining about something is enough to send me out of a coffeehouse or restaurant just to escape the feelings that start to take over. Call it excessive empathy or sensitivity or “having no sense of humor” or “can’t take a joke”, as I have often been accused.

Of course, trying to explain this to others is a futile exercise. It is very hard to understand something like this from the outside. Heck, I barely understand it myself. I only know what I feel and how I react to specific situations, but others often think I am just being silly, or capricious or have some ulterior motive. More likely, I just want to remove myself from the situation or do whatever I can to prevent being in the situation in the first place. It is like I see a train coming own the tracks and I step off the tracks long before everyone else, just to be safe.

Often my trigger points are the verbalization of doubts and fears I am already feeling deeply myself. This suddenly wrenches my thinking back to the problem when I am not prepared to deal with it. Sometimes ignoring a problem is the only way of dealing with it at the moment. Sure, that is not a long term solution, but I know I don’t always have the strength to deal with every issue all the time. I try to make things better when I can, but I also know when it is better to do as Scarlett O’Hara did and “think about it tomorrow.” The trouble with this is that others don’t know when I am capable of dealing with an issue and when I am not, so they only do what they can do and talk about it, or try to solve it. This typically only sends me further down the rabbit hole, though. I am getting better at telling people what is going on within this weird head of mine, but it can still be difficult, especially when I am surprised with a word or turn of phrase that touches that sore spot that no one can really see.

There are days I want to wear a sign that says “It’s not you, it me!”, just so people know that I truly am “not in my right mind” (SMILE) at least in the frame of mind to deal with the larger issues of life and legacy.

More information on Douglas E. Welch and Careers in New Media:

• Follow New Media Tips on Twitter
• Like Careers in New Media/New Media Interchange on Facebook
• Circle Careers in New Media/New Media Interchange on Google+

Previously in the Dog Days of Podcasting 2014:

• Video: Smartphones, technology and your career with Douglas E. Welch – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 25/30
• Video: Liquidambar styraciflua seed pods open over course of 4 days – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 24/30
• Audio: Improvisation – End of the Day with Douglas E. Welch – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 23/30
• Video: In the garden…August 21, 2014: Checking out the potting bench and the back garden – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 22/30
• Audio: Carmello and the Water Jars by Douglas E. Welch – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 21/30
• Video: Quick Rice Pilaf – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 20/30
• Audio: Share your work philosophy — from the Career Opportunities Podcast – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 19/30
• Summer Tip #1: Enjoy Live Theater! – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 18/30
• Video: Making Hard Cider – Racking – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 17/30
• Audio: Trolls – End of the Day with Douglas E. Welch – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 16/30
• Video: Turkey and Potato Curry – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 15/30
• In the garden…August 13, 2014: Colors, textures and movements of the garden – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 14/30
• Video: Making Hard Cider – Day 1 – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 13/30
• Make it clearer, not more confusing — from the Career Opportunities Podcast – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 12/30
• Video: Making Hard Cider – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 11/30
• Video: First Impression: Ocenaudio Recorder and Editor – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 10/30
• Video: A little “nuttiness” in the garden today – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 9/30
• Audio: Your Garden – Inch-by-Inch from A Gardener’s Notebook – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 8/30
• A chat in the garden — Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 7/30
• Video: In the garden short…August 5, 2014 – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 6/30
• The Client Dance — from the Career Opportunities Podcast – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 5/30
• MacLeod Ale Brewing Co – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – Day 4/30
• Video: Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – Making Cornbread – Day 3/30
• Audio: Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – Dr. Rosanne Welch on Television and Movie Writing – Day 2/30
• Video: Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – Risotto Rosso – Day 1/30
• Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 Introduction – Day 0/30

What is the Dog Days of Podcasting?

“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.

In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”

Improvisation – End of the Day with Douglas E. Welch – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 23/30

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There are times I wish I had the precision of NASA as I launch into my week each Monday. I make lots of check lists and plans, but life is never something that respects plans greatly. There are too many unknowns in life to allow too much planning, so we come up with a few scenarios, a few goals and hope that circumstances go along with those plans.

As you might imagine, while circumstances and our plans sometimes match up, it is much more common for life to fly apart, go chaotic and make us improvise perhaps a bit more than we might like. This can be very stressful depending on the cause of the chaos and the results, but without these improvisational moments life would certainly be a lot more dull. We might not enjoy it much when we are in the middle of a crisis but in many cases it can make our life better — if we let it.

Playing music with Lorilyn

Life chaos requires the ability to let go of trying to control what you cannot and make the best of what you given. Fear and our own arrogance can often cause us to flail about and fight against what is happening, even if would be better for everyone involved to go with the flow. The ability to recognize chaotic moments and ride them out with style is definitely one trait you should look to cultivate. I can guarantee that it will do more good than all the authoritarian bluster you can manage.

Plan your life and your actions,of course, but then treat each day like a Jazz tune where all the musicians follow a basic track, but then are encouraged and challenged to make their own song in and around the basic framework the songwriter created. Life is often nothing but improvisation, so the more you cultivate it, the better off you will be.

More information on Douglas E. Welch and Careers in New Media:

• Follow New Media Tips on Twitter
• Like Careers in New Media/New Media Interchange on Facebook
• Circle Careers in New Media/New Media Interchange on Google+

Previously in the Dog Days of Podcasting 2014:

• Video: In the garden…August 21, 2014: Checking out the potting bench and the back garden – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 22/30
• Audio: Carmello and the Water Jars by Douglas E. Welch – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 21/30
• Video: Quick Rice Pilaf – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 20/30
• Audio: Share your work philosophy — from the Career Opportunities Podcast – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 19/30
• Summer Tip #1: Enjoy Live Theater! – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 18/30
• Video: Making Hard Cider – Racking – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 17/30
• Audio: Trolls – End of the Day with Douglas E. Welch – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 16/30
• Video: Turkey and Potato Curry – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 15/30
• In the garden…August 13, 2014: Colors, textures and movements of the garden – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 14/30
• Video: Making Hard Cider – Day 1 – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 13/30
• Make it clearer, not more confusing — from the Career Opportunities Podcast – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 12/30
• Video: Making Hard Cider – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 11/30
• Video: First Impression: Ocenaudio Recorder and Editor – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 10/30
• Video: A little “nuttiness” in the garden today – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 9/30
• Audio: Your Garden – Inch-by-Inch from A Gardener’s Notebook – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 8/30
• A chat in the garden — Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 7/30
• Video: In the garden short…August 5, 2014 – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 6/30
• The Client Dance — from the Career Opportunities Podcast – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 5/30
• MacLeod Ale Brewing Co – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – Day 4/30
• Video: Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – Making Cornbread – Day 3/30
• Audio: Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – Dr. Rosanne Welch on Television and Movie Writing – Day 2/30
• Video: Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – Risotto Rosso – Day 1/30
• Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 Introduction – Day 0/30

What is the Dog Days of Podcasting?

“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.

In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”

Carmello and the Water Jars by Douglas E. Welch

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Carmello and the Water Jars
By Douglas E. Welch

Carmello lived and worked as a potter in the little village of Agira on the big island of Sicily.

The village sat high on a rocky mountain. All the water for drinking and cooking had to be gathered from springs in the valley far below. The villagers would place the water in large jars strapped to the backs of their donkeys and then walk back up the mountain to their homes.

It was a hot, dry summer. Many of the springs had stopped running. People needed more water but t here were not enough jars to hold all the water they needed.

The village leaders came to Carmello’s workshop.

“Carmello, we need more water jars or we will surely die of thirst,” said the villagers.
“Surely, I cannot make so many water jars in time,” said Carmello. “We would need hundreds to bring water to every house. I don’t think I can help you. We may all have to leave Agira and live in the valley closer to the springs.”

No one wanted to leave Agira. They loved their little village.

The Villagers begged, “Please Carmello, please, please try to help us. Our families have lived in Agira for thousands of years. We can’t leave now. It would break our hearts.”

Carmello knew there was no way he could make enough water jars before the village ran out of water completely. Even so, Carmello decided to try. He knew he must help his fellow villagers in any way he could. They had helped him so many times in the past.

“Bring me as much clay as you can and what little water is left, ” said Carmello. “I will start this minute. We have so little time left.”

The villagers gathered all the remaining water and brought it to Carmello’s shop. Men went to the valley to dig clay and bring it back up the mountain. The men worked hard, not drinking from their water jugs so that Carmello could use it for his work.

Inside the cool darkness of Carmello’s workshop the villagers could hear the spinning of his potter’s wheel and the slap of his hands against the clay.

Carmello worked all day. He worked as the sun went down. The villagers could still hear Carmello working as they lie in their beds that night. They villagers could not sleep. If Carmello couldn’t make enough water jars they would all have to leave their homes and the village they loved.

Carmello worked very hard. His hands hurt badly as he shaped each jar. The sweat fell from his face and became part of each jar he created. Carmello was so tired. He felt he could not go on much longer. He slowly raised his head from his work. On a shelf in the workshop Carmello’s eyes fell upon a statue of San Fillipo; a statue he had made with his own hands.

“Oh, San Filippo, you have always protected our village in the past. Please, please show me the way!”

Carmello, tired as he was, set to work once more. He started spinning his potter’s wheel once again.

As the morning sun rose over the village of Agira many townspeople made their way to Carmello’s workshop. Many had not slept at all that night. They tossed and turned in their beds fearing that they would have to leave Agira forever.

The scene outside Carmello’s shop caused everyone to stop and stare. No one could believe what they were seeing. All around Carmello’s workshop where stacked hundreds and hundreds of water jars, more than enough for everyone in town. They were so many jars that the villagers couldn’t get near the workshop itself.

Even more strange was the fact that each water jar bore a picture of San Filippo.

“How could Carmello have done all this work and still decorated them so beautifully,” wondered Marcello?

“There was not enough clay and water to make all these jars,” said Daniella.

Eventually, the villagers shook off there wonderment as they realized there was still much more work to be done. The jars had to be strapped to their donkeys, walked down to the valley, filled with water and then returned to each home.

The men started to carry the jars to their donkey, but they nearly dropped the jars in their amazement.

“The jars are full of water, ” shouted several men at once! The villagers cheered with joy at such good news.

“I don’t know how Carmello accomplished this amazing feat, ” said the Mayor, “but I shall congratulate him myself as soon as we can clear a path to his door.”

All the villagers, men, women and children began carrying water jars to their homes and shops, praising Carmello’s work with every step. After an hour or more a path was finally cleared to the door of Carmello’s workshop.

“Carmello,” the men cried! “Come out and receive our deep gratitude!” Carmello did not reply.

“Perhaps he is asleep after his hard labor,” said Serafino. “So much work would tire a hundred men.”

Not wanting to wake Carmello, the men opened the workshop door slowly and quietly. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. Carmello was no where to be found. The men looked throughout the small workshop. They checked in Carmello’s small house nearby. They even checked in the surrounding fields and hills.

The only sign of Carmello was the statue of San Filippo, the one Carmello himself had made. The statue sat on the stool next to the potter’s wheel. Carmello’s shirt was draped around the statue’s shoulders.

• Follow New Media Tips on Twitter
• Like Careers in New Media/New Media Interchange on Facebook
• Circle Careers in New Media/New Media Interchange on Google+

Previously in the Dog Days of Podcasting 2014:

• Video: Quick Rice Pilaf – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 20/30
• Audio: Share your work philosophy — from the Career Opportunities Podcast – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 19/30
• Summer Tip #1: Enjoy Live Theater! – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 18/30
• Video: Making Hard Cider – Racking – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 17/30
• Audio: Trolls – End of the Day with Douglas E. Welch – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 16/30
• Video: Turkey and Potato Curry – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 15/30
• In the garden…August 13, 2014: Colors, textures and movements of the garden – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 14/30
• Video: Making Hard Cider – Day 1 – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 13/30
• Make it clearer, not more confusing — from the Career Opportunities Podcast – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 12/30
• Video: Making Hard Cider – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 11/30
• Video: First Impression: Ocenaudio Recorder and Editor – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 10/30
• Video: A little “nuttiness” in the garden today – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 9/30
• Audio: Your Garden – Inch-by-Inch from A Gardener’s Notebook – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 8/30
• A chat in the garden — Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 7/30
• Video: In the garden short…August 5, 2014 – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 6/30
• The Client Dance — from the Career Opportunities Podcast – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – 5/30
• MacLeod Ale Brewing Co – Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – Day 4/30
• Video: Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – Making Cornbread – Day 3/30
• Audio: Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – Dr. Rosanne Welch on Television and Movie Writing – Day 2/30
• Video: Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 – Risotto Rosso – Day 1/30
• Dog Days of Podcasting 2014 Introduction – Day 0/30

What is the Dog Days of Podcasting?

“Essentially, it is a challenge to do a podcast for 30 days in a row.

In 2012 Kreg Steppe was looking to give himself a little push in regards to recording his own personal podcast since he wasn’t recording it very often. That turned into a challenge for himself to record a show everyday for 30 days believing that after 30 days it would turn into a habit. Once it was mentioned to Chuck Tomasi he took the challenge too and they decided it would be a great idea to record starting 30 days before Dragon*Con, culminating with the last episode where they would record it together when they saw each other there.”

As I have often said in past columns and speaking engagements, telling people “what you do and how well you do it” is of the utmost importance in any career today. Even so, we can all have difficulty in finding ways to share this message with those around us. You might wonder what you can and should be saying about your work and career. In an effort to move you forward in promoting your own work, here are a few example methods for sharing your work and gaining larger benefits from your skills and knowledge.

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First, while you may not realize it, each of us has our own personal philosophy about our work and career. We have lessons we have learned, skills we have developed and stories to tell. You don’t have to be some famous business writer with a best selling book to start sharing your philosophy, though. Even those writers had to start somewhere. They had to learn a lot about business in order to get where they are today, developing their philosophy as they went. You should be be doing that, too.

Start collecting the stories of your life and work that illustrate your beliefs and philosophy about work, business, personal interactions, teamwork, whatever most draws your attention. Make a point of writing notes when you come across a particularly useful, intelligent or life changing thought. If you don’t capture them as they happen, they will quickly disappear. Then, more importantly, start sharing these thoughts with your family, friends and coworkers. What is their response to your ideas? Was it useful to them, too? What changes or new thoughts come to mind when you discuss your ideas with them? How can you grow a small idea into something larger?

These small actions are the beginnings of your overall life philosophy. I know, philosophy might feel like a overly dramatic word for your ideas, but trust me, it isn’t. Your ideas have power far beyond what you might believe at first. They can change both you and the world around you. Don’t dismiss them out of hand. Think of your ideas as a philosophy and you will start to feel just how important they are. You will also begin to internalize your own philosophy, reinforce what it means to you and use it grow in your own life and career. In this way, you become a living example of your philosophy and your life becomes a story that you can share with others in hopes of improving their lives, too.

Next, start sharing your philosophy with a larger audience. You don’t have to stand on a street corner proclaiming your philosophy, but you certainly want to be sharing it with your co-workers, managers, online via a blog, discussion group or video series. Find concrete examples of how you can apply your philosophy to the issues of your family, your office, your business sector or the world at large. Not only will this help others who are struggling with the same issues as you, ift will force you to think more deeply about your philosophy and how it might grow and change to better meet your needs and the needs of those around you. Each expansion or refinement to your philosophy brings more and more benefit as you develop more ways of having a positive impact on their world around you.

For the next week or so, I want you to focus on your philosophy? What rules have you developed in your work over the years? What methods? What skills? What do you believe deeply about your work, your profession, your society, your world? What stories shaped those beliefs? What were the direct learning experiences that brought about your philosophy? What can others learn from your experience? How can you best share it with those who might need it most?

Now, in preparation for sharing your philosophy with others, why don’t you share it with me. Tell me some of your great career and life stories that shaped your philosophy. Share your ideas for creating a better life and career for yourself and what others can learn from it. I believe we all have something important that we have learned, developed or created. We are all an expert in something. If you have one more idea or one more experience than someone else, they want and need your expertise. Actively reach out and share your expertise with those who want and need it most. Not only will you help them. You’ll also be helping to to build the career you deserve.

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As someone who has spent their life working to support, train and educate people, I have learned again and again how important it is to be able to explain difficult concepts quickly and clearly. A good explanation can help everyone involved leap forward in their understanding and productivity. There are few tools as powerful as a good explanation to help people work to their highest potential, but there is a bit of an art to creating and delivering great explanations and answers to tough questions. Here are a few guidelines I have developed over the years to help me be better at explaining and always work towards making concepts and ideas clearer, not more confusing.

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Know it all, then distill

In order to explain something clearly, you need to have knowledge that is both wide and deep. You need to understand every aspect of a task or problem, so you can determine what works best in any given situation. Unfortunately, this extensive knowledge is often your greatest impediment to explaining the concept or task to others. Since we know so much about the topic, we can be eager to share all that knowledge with others. Of course, those around us often don’t need (or want) that much detail. They need a basic understanding of the issue and a few good ways of dealing with that issue. When you try to unload every fact, figure and concept on them, they quickly “fill up” and tune out.

Instead, once you have gained your deep understanding, your next step is to distill that knowledge down to its very essence. Knowing what you now know, what are the most important facts that need to be shared? What advice, tips, rules, procedures can be developed that anyone — even without your deep knowledge — can use to be more productive, accurate, effective, whatever? It can be difficult to distill large amounts of knowledge down, but it is so critical. Your expertise comes not only from deep knowledge. If you can’t share it effectively, it is almost worse than not having the knowledge at all. Knowledge that can’t be share is wasted time, potential and productivity.

Less, then more

Always start with less information when communicating. Like the pyramid method taught in journalism school, start with most important piece of information first, then the next, then the next. Make sure that your listener clearly understands what you are saying at each point before moving on. Also, learn to recognize when they have enough information. Some may need only the basics while other may need, or desire, more detailed information to both better understand the issue themselves and be better able to explain to others. Each person is different. Each role is different. You’ll have to watch carefully for what each person needs from you and seek to provide that. Remember, the communication isn’t about you and your knowledge. It is about your listener’s wants and needs.

Use your listener’s language

When you are extremely knowledgeable about a topic, it is easy to fall into using the specific technical language of that topic when speaking to others. Don’t. Use the language of your listener so that they understand you best. Remember the last time you visited your doctor or dentist and they started talking about Maxillary lateral incisors and third metatarsels. Did you really understand them or just nod your head? I know I find myself stopping them and asking for simpler explanations all the time. Don’t be like them. While it may be important they they know and use their own very specific vocabulary, speaking in the patients own language greatly speeds and facilitates understanding.

Speak in your listener’s language. Use metaphors and examples from their life and work. If they are an artist, speak in artist’s terms of composition, balance and design. If they are a lawyer, you’ll need to be able to use basic and correct legal terminology to get your point across. If they work in finance, then financial metaphors and examples are your best tool. Don’t think that you can dazzle people with the brilliance of your own specialized vocabulary and language. They will simply stop listening. Trust me, I have explained the difference between RAM and Hard drive space more times than you can count and still the best metaphor I can use is that of the desktop and a file cabinet. I can talk bits, bytes and kilobytes until I am out of breath, but all they will hear is blah, blah,blah.

No matter how complex, technical or difficult an issue, always seek to make it clearer, not more confusing. Better knowledge, better quality and better productivity only comes from a clear understanding of an issue. If your explanation only adds to the confusion surrounding it, you are making your life — and the lives of those around you — much more difficult. Gain wide and deep knowledge. Distill that knowledge down to its essence and then communicate that essence using the language of your listener. This is just one more way to build the career you deserve and the careers of those around you.

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