How side passion projects make you a better leader
Learn why these are important and how they make you a better leader, and share a few resources to get your next passion project kickstarted!
How do you spend your day? If you were to map out where every hour of your day goes, would it align to what you value the most in your life? Work and responsibilities can take up a lot of time, but it’s important to realize how valuable side passion projects can be to making us more successful, caring for our mental health, and teaching us the value of our life.
In our weekly discussion on Learning to Lead this week, we talked about passion projects - the things we work on outside of our day jobs. Here are a few takeaways from the conversation:
Key Takeaways:
Side projects can teach you to new ways to solve problems
Not all side passion projects need to big or ambitious; it can be gardening, trying a new hobbie, or learning to cook a new recipe
It’s easy to get comfortable and find ourselves working on autopilot - side passion projects teach us to break that cycle, invest in our own growth, and try new things
Teaching as a side passion project not only gives to others but teaches you- the best way to learn something is to teach it
Work as hard for yourself as you do for others - set ambitious goals for yourself that have nothing to do with your job, and see what you are capable of
Give yourself permission to try new things - take a class on painting, stained glass, pottery, run a marathon, go on a trip you’ve always dreamed of
Remember that you can do amazing things - you can do hard things and persevere. However, know that the rest days are as important as the days when you push yourself
Remember to be present in the moment and experiences of your life
Enjoy, Experience, Explore - embrace an exploratory and curious mindset
You are more than your job and you are more than your title
If you don’t know how to start check out the resources below and if you need more support get a buddy to hold each other accountable to try new things together
Life is meant to be experienced. Go out and try new things so you have your own stories to share, and create your own memories.
“Stress is doing things that you don’t care about with time that you do”
Resources:
A Message for All Creatives: an inspiring video about how doing side passion projects for you can help you hone your craft and become more successful
The Artist’s Way: A fantastic book with exercises to restart your creativity and re-establish your curious, exploratory mindset
Every Saturday we hold a live discussion on Clubhouse. Join us in the official Learning to Lead Clubhouse from 9:30-10:30 am PT. Missed the live discussion? Listen to the replay: