Image and words by Hugh MacLeod.
Sheep? Or wolf?
Shortly after starting Box of Crayons, I came across this quote from Hugh MacLeod, liked it so much I bought a print of it and hung it in my office.
I was clear I didn’t want to be a sheep.
No way! Not me! I’m interestingly different, I zig when others zag, etc, etc.
So that left me being a wolf.
Ah, well. The price of my independence, I guess, was loneliness.
I’ve changed my mind
I still don’t want to be a sheep.
When I read Seth’s book Purple Cow many years ago, I was inspired by his insight to find your point of difference and amplify it. I don’t want to be anonymous in a herd.
But, I don’t want to be a wolf, either.
It’s not about the wolf-iness of it.
Truthfully, deeply … I don’t want to be lonely.
Seek connection. (Here’s one way I do it.)
In this month’s HBR, the article “We’re Still Lonely at Work” suggests one countering tactic is to “maximize each work mode for connection”.
Here’s one tactic I use.
On a weekly (ish) basis, at a scheduled time, I log on to a Zoom call with people I know.
We do the briefest of check-ins—“My focus is to work on this”—and then we work together, cameras on and mics muted, doing our own thing for the next 50 minutes or so. Then, we do the briefest of check-outs.
I don’t fully understand why this works so well.
It’s likely a combination of…
A “Deep Work” focus, naming something important to work on.
A “Pomodoro” structure, dedicated time to work, and dedicated time to stop.
The lightest of accountability structures: video on.
Other humans doing their thing, and the power of social norms to help me behave how I aspire to behave.
You can set up your own version of this. Reach out to one or two other people who you know might enjoy this form of working ‘alone, together.’ Agree on a time, and go for it!
=> And if you’d like to experience it for yourself, there’s an offer below to explore how this works as part of our How to Begin and The Conspiracy communities.
Alone, together
First, for the record, in nature, there’s actually no such thing as a “lone wolf”. They move and live and thrive in packs. (My fav 8 min documentary on wolves here.)
Second, regardless of my “just call me David Attenborough” insights, the choice isn’t down to sheep or wolf.
You can be remarkable. (Trust me, you are.)
You can be connected. (Trust me, you are.)
And you have to keep working at both.
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