RWL Newsletter #77
Happy New Year from the totally snowed-in University of New Hampshire! Back from our holiday in Spain just in time for a blizzard and sub-zero temperatures! I have to recommend Barcelona if you haven't been. La Rambla (pictured above) is wonderful for walking, people watching, and eating tapas. It's a big city, but it's very walkable, and not overwhelming. I really love traveling because it shakes you up out of your norm and makes you look more closely at your own assumptions. People behave differently in other place, talk differently, eat different things, value different things. When you spend time in a different place, it gives you another lens to reflect on your own life and values.
I started reading Walter Isaacson's new biography of Leonardo da Vinci this past week and I am really enjoying it. I've been an admirer of da Vinci for years, and so far I think Isaacson has done an excellent job of capturing the man's essence. One of the things that drew me to da Vinci was the way his mind worked - he drew inspiration from everything. If you aren't an admirer, you might not realize just how diverse his interests and work actually was - brilliant painter and sculptor, of course, but also musician, inventor, biologist, and military engineer. Each of these interests informed the other, and the information gleaned from one pursuit allowed da Vinci to challenge the assumptions of the others.
This week I've got a couple of articles around shaking up your assumptions sandwiched around a bit of SNL humor. Enjoy!
Read
What: HBR, How to Figure Out What Your Side Hustle Should Be
https://hbr.org/2018/01/how-to-figure-out-what-your-side-hustle-should-be
Why: Quick article talking about entrepreneurial pursuits you could look at while keeping your day job - the "side hustle". Personally I don't currently have any side hustles I pursue currently for economic gain. Those of you who know me know I do have passions that I pursue that are unrelated to my day job - I am a passionate photographer, published poet and fiction writer, and recently I have been working on watercolor painting and cartooning. I define the side hustle as a way to light up the parts of your brain that you don't use in your day job. Some of these things I pursue could be converted into money making endeavors, but the point to the pursuit is to glean information from the pursuits that will inform my other pursuits - in particular my day job. If you need the economic incentive to motivate you, then make a business plan and start. For me, the side hustle is a way of enlarging my thinking.
Watch
What: SNL, Amazon Echo (3 minutes)
https://youtu.be/YvT_gqs5ETk
Why: This is just fun. I recently bought an Alexa for our house and I like it. My wife showed me this video and it cracked me up. I shared the story about technology and aging two weeks ago, and this video in a humorous way made me think of that. In particular, the little scene with the "uh-huh" mode (watch the video - you will see what I mean). There actually is some deep insight behind the humor.
Listen
What: Chase Jarvis Show, DAYMOND JOHN: WHY GRIT, PERSISTENCE, AND HARD WORK MATTER
https://www.chasejarvis.com/blog/daymond-john-grit-persistence-hard-work-matter/
Why: Daymond John is the founder of FUBU brands, but is probably better known to people who read this newsletter as one of the sharks on the show "Shark Tank". What I liked about John's interview is the frankness he applies to his own pursuits, and his honest evaluation of his own strengths and weaknesses. I think too many of us keep banging our heads against walls in pursuit of careers and jobs that we are just not cut out for. I bounced along through the early part of my career doing rather mediocrely until I realized I was more of an analyst than an operations guy, and ultimately more interested in being an educator than either. The point of that story is not that you should be an educator, too - I'm an economist by training, I know what competition will do to my already mediocre state school wages - the point is to reflect carefully on what you are good at and what gives you joy, and pursue that. It might not be what you are currently doing. Try something else. That's the beauty of the side hustle. It gives you a chance to explore.
Thanks for reading and see you next week! If you come across any interesting stories, won't you send them my way? I'd love to hear what you think of these suggestions, and I'd love to get suggestions from you. Feel free to drop me a line by e-mail, or you can tweet to me at @bonicatalent .
Also, if you find these links interesting, won’t you tell a friend? They can subscribe here: https://tinyletter.com/markbonica
Have a great weekend coming up and do amazing things!
Mark
Mark J. Bonica, Ph.D., MBA, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Health Management and Policy
University of New Hampshire
(603) 862-0598
mark.bonica@unh.edu
Health Leader Forge Podcast: http://healthleaderforge.org
Twitter: @bonicatalent
"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor." - Henry David Thoreau