The Feeling of Great Work
Just about 24 hours ago, I invited pretty much everyone I know to consider applying to be trainers of the Coaching for Great Work training program.
The truth is, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I was hoping to find 10 great people. And to date I’ve had 60 or people from around the world – Canada, the United States, Australia, Costa Rica, Poland, Argentina, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, the UK – apply to be part of it, often sending me wonderful notes of enthusiasm and support.
I’ve spent much of the day dealing with the influx, answering emails, monitoring comments on the blogs, acknowledging the honour people do me in applying.
And, lying in bed tonight, I’ve finally caught up with how this feels. How this Great Work for me feels.
I can’t sleep.
I’m filled with doubts – did I launch this too early, can I really deliver this, what was I thinking?
I’m looking for other distractions. (No kidding, I’ve had this great idea for another cool website).
I’m feeling anxious.
In one of my short movies, The 5.75 Questions You’ve Been Avoiding, I talk about anxiety being “the tap on the shoulder that says: “Hey! Pay Attention! This is important!”
And one of the things I’m learning, right now, is to pay attention to how I’m feeling. Not just to the details, to the “how” of it all, but to how I’m doing.
My friend Mark Silver sent me this great article to help appreciate what it’s like to open up to this moment, and the importance of being vulnerable and open to what’s going on, to even admitting that you could be vulnerable.
It’s an uncomfortable place to be. I’m going to pretend (and I think I think it’s true) that it’s a cool place to be too.
Hey Michael,
Glad you had a sleepless night, too. Well, I did get about five hours of sleep, but we’re in the midst of launching a new product, plus we’re holding a retreat in October, AND we’re integrating our first-ever full-time employee. And I’m definitely a little shaken, tender.
I think I better go re-read my own article.
And, you’re Great Work is amazing. I’m really excited by it. And, it HAS to do well… because I want to follow in your footsteps.
Mark
Thank you. Nice to have a comrade in arms on the web…
[...] was reading what my friend Michael Bungay Stanier wrote on the Feeling of Great Work, and I totally agree. [...]
And I know this is going to be huge and so helpful and mostly really fun too!
Dear Michael,
you are great with making things visible. And this is very important. Once we can see the ghost we can invite him, have a few coffees (beers ;o) ) and the ghost is no longer our enemy. ;o) I have felt a lot of times beeing out of my “comfort zone” and you have described it perfectly.
You are doing “The great work” and it is going to be success!
Good luck and sleep,
Radim
Thanks for this reminder! I find myself feeling that when I launch things, or when I’m thinking really big about what I want for people and how I can do that with my work.
Love what you are doing; thanks for your great work!
thanks, Cynthia ~
Ouch! I am in the middle of making a decision whether or not to shrink my hours in my corporate job so that I may make space in my life for a long-held dream. I have made the decision to stay where I am (although won’t officially response until later today).
Read my e-mail to a friend with whom I have been discussing this choice:
There are many things I could point to that makes me lean one way or the other; however, I think the one that will finally hold sway over the decision is that I am so unsettled over moving to the new department and changing to part-time. If I am moving forward toward what is the right decision for me, I would expect a sense of calm or at least a sense of determination.
Reading your blog posting at this particular time is quite interesting……
Debbie – yes, it feels like you’re at a tipping point there. Good luck with the decision