You Are What You Do
You Are What You Do
I recently finished The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin and it has made me think about what makes us who we are. Think about the last time you met somebody new, there’s a good chance that either you or them asked the question “So, what do you do?” In most cases, the answer is usually what we do for work, but we are so much more than that. What we do for work is the easy answer, the answer that seems obvious to say not only because culturally that’s what’s expected of us, but it is what we get paid to do (for the most part). But The Practice has made me think of that answer differently.
In The Practice, Seth suggests that what we do is who we are, as long as you have a habitual practice around it. I like this line of thought, it frees us from our jobs and allows us to be more than just our professional resume. If you’re a professional accountant who also plays the saxophone on the weekends, then you’re also a saxophonist who happens to make a living as an accountant. Why? Because you put in the work towards mastering the saxophone and you have every right to call yourself a musician even if it doesn’t pay all the bills.
As somebody who has a lot of interests from writing, to podcasting, to engineering, the notion posed in The Practice is liberating. When people ask me what I do I tell them that by profession I’m an engineer, but I’m more than that, I’m also a fiction writer and a podcaster. I no longer feel bonded by my resume. We are not just our profession, we are everything that we do. So next time somebody asks what you do by all means tell them what you do professionally, but also take pride in your other interests. As long as you put in the practice you will always be what you do.
Project Updates
From the Webb
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From the Lab
The Practice Book Review - In this episode Mark and I review The Practice by Seth Godin. We talk about Seth’s philosophy on the daily practice, identity based habits, and embracing failure.
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Books
The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson - Renowned science communicator Bill Bryson delves into the inner workings of the human body, from the surface of our skin to the inner workings of our guts Bryson takes a deep-yet-always-entertaining dive into how our bodies work. A must read for anybody with a body. I just started this book and yet I can’t put it down.
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YouTube
RollerCoaster Tycoon | NoClip Greatest Hits - If you like video games, video game development, and high quality well researched documentaries I recommend this video (and everything by NoClip really). In it the team at NoClip takes a deep dive into the history of everybody’s favorite isometric theme park sim: RollerCoaster Tycoon. From its early development, to its legacy decades later. A must watch for those who grew up with the franchise.
Articles
Time millionaires: meet the people pursuing the pleasure of leisure - The Guardian - For some people time is more valuable than money. In this fun article by Sirin Kale, Kale takes a look into the culture of “time millionaires” and people reclaimed their lost time by working from home.