Jessie: Tucked up cozily inside in New Hampshire working away on another novel!
A few months ago I took an online class, Strengths for Writers which I enjoyed immensely. An important component of the class was the Gallup Strengths test. I found it to provide a great deal of food for thought. According to the test my top strengths include Input, Strategic, Learner, Intellection and Futuristic.
What it all boiled down to is that I love to gather information, think about how best to use it, dive deeply into some topics to achieve mastery, noodle on lots of things and to imagine and plan the future. None of this came as a surprise. I am unwaveringly curious, I love to learn new things and I am never without goals and plans for what could be next.
What was surprising was the pleasure I have found in finding ways to support those strengths on a daily basis. Since taking the class I’ve embarked on a morning routine that includes high quality input in the form of a curated reading list and a newspaper subscription. I’ve scheduled weekly planning and review sessions for my writing career and my personal life to please both my strategy and futuristic inclinations. I take long walks with my dog wearing my noise cancelling headphones in order to think without interruption. I bought an annual subscription to both SkillShare and Curiosity Stream for my enthusiastic learner.
I’ve even convinced myself to go ahead and prioritize making time for input and learning in a really deliberate way by gathering resources and materials. I put time on my calendar each day to learn the things I set out to like sketching, painting and meditating. I ordered an art supply catelogue, downloaded an app called Daily Art and asked for a Muse Band as a Christmas gift.
I am not sure that I have ever been happier or have felt stronger. I feel like I am swimming with the current instead of against it. With so much in the world that feels ill at ease, confined or constricted at present, it is a delight to simply flow along with what comes easily to me. I hope each of you are finding ways to celebrate your own strengths and best ways of being in the world! I am absolutely convinced that everyone benefits when we all are able to bring our strengths to the world around us!
Readers, is there something new you would like to learn? Writers, have you taken any of the Strengths classes with the Write Better Faster Academy or a writing class you would recommend?