This is a nice piece of sports writing from the desk of Joe Posnanski and (delightfully) the POV of the 12th hole at the Augusta National golf course. I’m linking to it here because it’s a good read now and it will be a good read five years from now and five years after that. Evergreen is what that’s called in the business.

I also love this particular passage for what it says about the way the ego that drives us in your younger days may not be the ego that we need to keep going into our middle and later days. When you get to the sentence about young golfers feeling too proud and too strong, roll it around in your mind.

I looked at him closely. Was this really Tiger Woods, the bold and impertinent kid who believed that nothing was beyond his powers? I could not tell. I began to say my silent prayer for him … but then I stopped because I noticed something. He was not that Tiger Woods. He moved more gingerly. His face was wider. His weather-worn face suggested that he had seen things.

And as he began his swing, I caught something in Woods’ glance, something unusual, something I had not seen in, well, in a long time.

Deference.

He aimed his shot away from the flag. 

He hit it to that space between my front and back bunker. The ball landed and settled 40 feet from the hole but dry and safe. It was the shot that young golfers feel too proud and too strong to hit. It was Jack Nicklaus’ shot. And now, it was Tiger Woods’ shot. 

And I knew right then that Tiger would go on to win the Masters.

https://joeposnanski.com/tiger-and-time/

Posts from the week, all in one place.

• Shining a tiny light on a soon-to-be online course.
• I was happy to be included in this podcast from @cinehead.
• Clear. James Clear.
• Watching myself think.
• Instructions for weekends.

Last week’s summary.

Today’s share, given the timing of the week, comes via Dan Pink’s Twitter account, wherein he posted a research article about the restorative power of weekends.

It’s worth reading in full, but if you want a satisfying gulp to help you to power into your own weekend, here’s not one but three.

Rather than any changes in one’s activities, it was indeed one’s minding of the present moment throughout the weekend that increased enjoyment during that time and produced greater happiness when back at work.

Granted, some time on the beach or the slopes definitely has plenty of allure. But for the time-and-money-constrained, this research offers an accessible and affordable alternative that enables them to soak up some vacation vibes.

The benefits do not require taking additional time off from work, excessive spending for extravagant travel or the inclusion of particular activities. Fully attainable to anyone, vacations involve a mental break that allows people to become more fully engaged in and absorbed by their time off, making that time more enjoyable.

West, C., Mogilner, C., & DeVoe S.E. (2019). How vacation increases happiness.

Purely anecdotally, the findings make sense for me. I generally feel most refreshed after a weekend in which I got swept up in some kind of caper, adventure, project, or even problem.

So, once the workday closes, go. Be absorbed. Mind what is yours to mind. This plan only fails if you overplan it.

Reshan and I recently finished a podcast interview with Michael Hernandez who, among many other things, leads digital storytelling trips for students and teachers to Latin America and Asia.

I had followed Michael’s work via Twitter (@cinehead) for many months before I actually met him, and I’m pleased to report that he is as genuine, curious, open, and big-hearted as he seems. His questions helped me to think more critically and deeply about some of my creative practices and helped me to learn some new things about Reshan, a longtime collaborator. Here’s the episode. Give it a listen, and if you like it, subscribe to the rest of the podcast. It’s sure to be genuine, curious, open, and big-hearted — just like its host.

On Sunday, Reshan and I met in a studio in New York City to record an online course to help people break down, digest, and ultimately use the ideas and moves in our book, Make Yourself Clear. If you’re interested in hearing about this course once it’s available (it will be free for a month or two) sign up for our newsletter. We’ll send you an email as soon as it’s live.

Last week’s posts, all in one place.

• Activating prior knowledge.
• Robert Caro’s focusing move.
• Tools inspired by Make Yourself Clear.
• Surviving meetings.
• An easy choice.

Last week’s summary.

I can write an expansive blog post, or I can pick up my son and hang out with him after a very packed week. Easiest choice of the week, month, and year.

As the header says, I was literally locked in meetings today. 5.5 hours of them. This morning, before the day began, I looked at my calendar and thought to myself, “I’m not going to get anything done today” and “I’m not going to get better today.”

Then I had my coffee and started to feel more upbeat.

You can get plenty “done” in meetings, in that you can help the teams (around which the meetings are formed) advance their agendas. You just can’t always advance projects for which you are an “individual contributor.” Which is all the more reason to make sure you’re blocking time for that work.

Also, you can “get better” in meetings because meetings allow you to practice certain skills and dispositions.

• You can practice listening.
• You can practice checking for understanding. For example, you can ask, “did I hear you correctly?” or say, “let me repeat that back to you to make sure I understand.”
• You can practice asking questions.
• You can practice synthesis and meaning-making. Both can be done in person, during the meeting, or via the notes that you write during the meeting and possibly distribute after the meeting.
• You can practice sketchnoting (and should if, like me, you tend to only take notes using words).
• You can practice restraint — a muscle that, in my experience, grows stronger each time you use it.
• You can practice not talking unless you have something to offer that is both relevant and not being said.
• You can bring a cup of coffee to someone who is struggling or in need of a boost.
• You can give someone’s idea a really good workout, i.e., you can work hard for a colleague.
• You can practice shining a light on the work of others instead of seeking such light for your own work.
• You can practice caring for others (by bringing food or volunteering to help set up or break down the room).
• You can practice connecting with others, especially others you don’t know or others you haven’t seen in a while — before or after the meeting.
• You can help others practice. One great move is to ask someone to rehearse something they are planning to say or do. To insist that they rehearse, in fact, even if they feel silly doing so in front of you, is a way to make your presence count for them.
• You can provide loving feedback, i.e., feedback that shows that you truly respect and value someone, delivered in a kind and compassionate way.
• You can practice contributing “at the right level.” It’s important to develop a sense for when a 50,000 foot ear is listening and when a ground-level ear is listening. Keep your boss out of the weeds when possible; keep your direct counterparts in the weeds when possible.
• You can practice disagreeing agreeably. Being a “yes” person isn’t helpful to your organization over the long run. But it’s easy to pump negativity fog and to become known for that. If you’re not careful, over time, honest, ambitious, idealistic, and innovative conversations will happen only outside of your earshot.
• You can stop saying “but” and try saying “and.”

I think, by now, you get the idea. Some meetings are great; some are not; and you can always make choices about your own progress through them.