In my last post, I wrote about utilizing the power of your feelings to be smarter. I want to build on that to encourage you to make another distinction with your thoughts and feelings. Seth Godin speaks in this interview with Merlin Mann of 43 Folders (the video is good too) about how our lizard (limbic) brain is hardwired to focus on survival needs. Godin gives us insight on how to “ship” in spite of the power of this old brain of ours. For Godin, shipping is producing.
Not all of us are oriented toward shipping the product as much as we are creating it. Both of the men refer to Steven Pressfield’s excellent book, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles as a great guide to breaking out of the procrastination that prevents shipping.
We can’t nor do we want to shut down our limbic brain’s survival response. Godin does a good job describing what many would call being mindful. I agree it is not about denying, it is about moving forward with that response still present. If you try to make it an either or – you are more likely to be taken out by your fear. Godin uses the example of how he got over his fear of public speaking from just doing it.
When you can, you procrastinate, rationalize or just avoid – you aren’t shipping. Wouldn’t you rather produce, so you are going to get off your ass and do it? It does sound simple and easy. Yet, if it is – why aren’t we all doing more shipping?
After a few hundred thousands of years, we’re not going to change our biology. However, we can change our behavior. Godin’s new book – Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? should be a good guide to not always being a lizard with feelings of survival ruling your behaviors.
How do you honor your fears while you ship?