In which Seth quotes Black Sabbath’s drummer…
Note: Links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission, at no extra charge to you, if you make a purchase through such a link. Learn more here.
Notes
Expecting the practice to lead necessarily to success is a trap. It is “the end of possibility, not the beginning.”
The practice (“doing the work”) involves caring enough to learn, see, and improve your work.
Bill Ward (Sabbath’s drummer): “I thought the song would be a flop, but I also thought it was brilliant.”
Thoughts
It probably shouldn’t amuse me that Seth quotes Sabbath’s drummer. But it does.
I’ve been feeling some frustration with The Practice, in that I have wanted to know what the practice is. (I don’t think this is a failing of the book, by the way, but of my expectations.)
This is not to say I’ve wanted a recipe; I didn’t expect that when I first heard about the book, and if I had done so, I would have been disabused of that notion early on in the book. Seth is explicit about how there is no recipe. Indeed, the notion of a “recipe” is part of a mindset that kills the practice. It’s even mentioned in this chapter as a result of a desire for guaranteed success.
But I think I’ve been overthinking it. In this chapter, it’s not hard to see that “the practice” really just means “doing the work.” Well, maybe not “just,” as it involves identifying “patterns” that shape how we “do the work”:
- Working generously
- Focusing on what matters (e.g., throwing, not catching)
- Choosing our “story”
- Doing the work, and allowing the story, flow, voice, passion, etc. to arise from that work
It’s still not very satisfying. But, again, that’s largely a function of my expectations. And as I’m working my way through the book, though, my expectations seem to be calibrating.
This series is meant to capture my thoughts as I work through Seth Godin’s The Practice. It’s a book with over 200 (very short) chapters, which I hope to work through and, I further hope, to implement over time.
If you’re interested in more of Godin’s ideas, or my thoughts about them, you can check out this collection of posts. Note that if you’re more interested in the former, you should probably get Godin’s book and read it yourself; my notes will be both incomplete and idiosyncratic, and my thoughts will relate to my own experience.
But if my thoughts resonate with you, or if you think I’m just silly, I welcome your comments.