Sustainable Ambition Forum - 11.28.23
I had the chance to visit a beautiful Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in April of this year. The exhibit spoke about how O’Keeffe took a different view of what she saw in the world (I’m sure we all know her modern, abstract, large-scale flower paintings as an example) and how that view changed over time. She said, “To see takes time—like to have a friend takes time.”
It made me think about this concept as a broader invitation—What is our unique view of the world? What and how do we see it? How can we expand what we see, and how might that change over time?
Of late, as I’ve had the opportunity to slow down this month, I’ve been reminded that being able to see and shape one’s view takes space and time. When days are full and we are moving quickly, it’s hard to create that space and allow that time for inspiration, connecting dots, mind wandering, and so forth.
Speaking to a good friend and colleague recently, we were discussing the concepts of diverging and converging. In innovation work, it’s important to know when you are in which state—is it a time for ideation and expansiveness (diverging), or is it a time for evaluation and narrowing down to focus (converging)? It can be helpful to ponder this in your own thinking process.
It’s in that more expansive space and time that both these capacities are heightened. While diverging, ideas, connections, and ahas more easily show up, which can be thrilling. While converging, discernment, rationalization, and decisions come more easily, too. Clarity is an exhale.
I encourage us to give ourselves the gift of space and time to see and to explore our own views for what might hold your attention and curiosity now. What might be diverging, what can converge?
I also want to call your attention to my podcast interviews this month with wonderful guests where we explore navigating careers over time, making hard decisions, and finding belonging. Each of them has had their own moments of creating new views that have propelled them forward. More details are below, and you can also learn more about my guests here:
Karyn Flynn - creator of the Holos 50 newsletter
Doug Milliken - partner in a boutique consulting firm (a second act), Creamer & Milliken, focused on building great cultures
Amy Bonsall (return guest!) - founder of co.ll.ec.ti.ve and creator of the “Where is Home?” program
Thank you for being here and being in community with me, allowing me into your in-box and world. I’m very grateful for you! I’m also grateful for the privilege to be ambitious in my life and work. Not everyone has that, and I want to stand for that as a right for all.
With that, in the spirit of having a Sustainable Ambition for this holiday period: my hope is you are able to experience some peace and much joy as we step into the season.
Be well. Create space. Make time.
Warmly,
Kathy Oneto
Founder, Sustainable Ambition
The Monthly Round-Up: You+Life+Work
Moving toward the new. If you are contemplating a career change as you step into the new year, I highly recommend Herminia Ibarra’s updated edition of her seminal book, Working Identity. I subscribe to her research, beliefs, and practices about career transitions—that it can take time and that it requires experimentation. To get started, read her article in HBR for tips, including a mindset shift.
The case for prioritizing your time. I appreciate this quote from the stoic Seneca: “People are frugal in guarding their personal property; but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy.” This article makes the case for why we should prioritize and protect our time over money and offers strategies on how to do just that. A worthy reminder as we end the year (where to put our attention) and start to build practices for the next.
Dialing in stretching ourselves. More and more I’m starting to think that many factors operate on a u-curve, meaning optimal performance is not in the extremes but in getting it just right in the middle. For example, pressure and performance operates on such a u-curve. This article builds on this concept, noting that stress is also not necessarily good or bad. Some strategies to manage stress to the right levels: 1) increase your sense of control, 2) increase your sense of predictability, 3) create outlets for frustration, and 4) increase social support.
Staying sane in today’s world. Wisdom from David Brooks, which I admit might not be for everyone. But I appreciate him pointing us toward a way to walk through our wild world today dancing between two traditions—one of humility and prudence and the other from emotional openness and care.
📚 Reading: “How Will You Measure Your Life?” by Clay Christensen. I’ve been revisiting Clay Christensen’s classic and popular book on how to view success in our lives as I write my own. He was an early proponent of not viewing work success as being the end-all be-all for living a happy, fulfilling life. Not what you might expect from a Harvard Business School professor. Worth a read if you are looking for inspiration on how to claim success on your terms.
🎙️ Listening: I get that Gwyneth Paltrow might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I still appreciated this conversation she had with Tara Brach, which I think people might appreciate given our current times. Early in the podcast Brach takes us through a meditation using her RAIN (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) practice to help us process our emotions.
🎥 Watching: Favorite feel-good movies I watch during the holidays.
The Holiday: I’m a sucker for rom-com.
Love Actually: “Love actually is... all round.” The beginning is the only part I have to see to love this movie.
Keeping the Faith: Perhaps some might find this inappropriate, but I love the idea of two friends, a Catholic priest and a rabbi, who are best friends and both become romantically interested in a friend from childhood.
Rudy: Talk about a commitment to an ambition. Careful... I watched this on a plane ride and was crying. Eek!
The Sound of Music: It’s a family tradition.
The Sustainable Ambition Podcast
Join me for conversations with experts, authors, and friends on what it means to live with Sustainable Ambition.
🎙️ E118: Navigating Identity Shifts and Embracing New Beginnings with Karyn Flynn
Crafting a fulfilling life and career is the work of a lifetime. Karyn Flynn has built a varied resume, stepped back from her career to focus on her family, and pivoted in and out of multiple fields and roles. Her trajectory hasn’t been straight, but considering her purpose and values and continually leveraging her skills has allowed her to create a more fulfilling, sustainable career and life.
Listen on your favorite player here or on our website here
🎙️ E119: Self-Defined Career Success with Doug Milliken How do we sustain a successful career over time?
We can end up with a life and career that are fulfilling and sustainable when we define ambition and success on our own terms and based on what’s important to us internally vs. an external yardstick. Doug Milliken has embodied this approach in his long and successful corporate career and now in a new endeavor after retiring from his corporate role. Doug has been one of the people I have most admired in building a long and fulfilling career.
Listen on your favorite player here or on our website here
🎙️ E120: Making Hard Decisions and Building Belonging with Amy Bonsall (coming tomorrow!)
What does it mean to find home? How do we develop a sense of belonging, whether to a place, a community, or even to our work? Amy Bonsall returns to discuss making hard decisions feel lighter, why “squishy ground” is where the magic happens, and how building belonging helps us to flourish and create the life we want.
Listen on your favorite player here or on our website here
You can also find the podcast, subscribe, and listen on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, and more. Get it here.
Sustainable Ambition Holiday Practices
Be in community. There are so many benefits to us being with others in our lives. Invest in togetherness this holiday.
Allow yourself to play and not be perfect. I took a Zumba class with my mother-in-law recently, and it reminded me how delightful it can be to allow oneself to play and not be good at something. Instead to laugh at oneself and just enjoy the moment. I was doing that in spades!
Go back to your memories. Do activities this holiday that bring back bright and happy memories. For example, growing up my mom used to put a puzzle out for us to work on over the holiday break. I’m breaking one out again this holiday to give me permission to slow down and be present.
“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
— Muhammad Ali