Brick walls aren't that scary
#21 on persistence, brick walls, being a giver and seeing impact
Hey 1,440+ friends, it’s Hannah here from Quoted Visually!
Pinch me, there is so many of you here now! Soon I’ll have to start paying for this newsletter 😅 anyway, let’s get right in 👇🏻
1. On persistence
If we set out for an easy walk and end up attempting to climb Mount Everest, we’d be in hefty surprise, right? 🏔️
The lack of training and preparation would be our downfall!
Not least questioning how we ended up in the Himalayas 😂
But this is what happens when our expectations of the tasks in front of us do not meet reality.
It is not that we can’t handle a challenge.
It’s just that we overlook the size of the challenge. We expect things to be easier than they are and get tripped up when the going gets tough.
To tackle something difficult, we must first acknowledge that it is hard.
To succeed, we need to hit many brick walls 🧱
Hitting these brick walls will not be a sign of failure. It will be a sign of progress and it is only a matter of time before we have a breakthrough.
We’re all capable of incredible things, just don’t fall victim to your expectations.
2. On brick walls
“The brick walls aren’t there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something”
- Randy Pausch
“When you are hitting a brick wall, focus on one brick.”
- Tyler May
3. On being a giver
Adam Grant speaks about how the most successful people are givers rather than takers. This is to say that, lifting others up on our journey up, is a win-win.
Of course, it does not mean we need to be ‘giving’ 24/7. Our priorities are set for us if we don’t make time for them, unless we can find a line of work that marries the two.
4. On seeing impact
Something remarkable happened recently. I was sat in an auditorium, getting ready for one of the talks at the Enterprise Nation Start-up show.
The friendly lady on my right asked what I “do”. I excitedly pulled out one of my prints from my bag.
I did not expect her to say:
“I HAVE SEEN YOUR WORK BEFORE. I FOLLOW YOU IN INSTAGRAM”
I'm thinking ok wow, breathe… and then the gentleman on my left catches wind of the conversation.
“I FOLLOW YOU TOO. IT'S NICE TO PUT A FACE TO YOUR PROFILE"
At this point, I'm overwhelmed...
It was a surreal experience to be sandwiched between supporters of my work. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.
It matters because it’s the moment that I realised my IMPACT has been felt!
So even though we can’t always see it, remember that what we do online does make a difference. Believe that it does!
5. On Quoted Visually
100+ of you on the Quoting Ideas Visually course waitlist now?? 🤯
I have been grinding away at this. When I say I am pouring everything into this, I am. Which means sacrificing income in the short term (the stress).
Here is a sneaky visual from the course:
I truly believe that the more of us who are better equipped to communicate visually, the better we all are as a result.
Because effective communication breeds collaboration and understanding!
It is going to be self-paced, text-based, packed with visuals, and of course, there will be tutorials about how to make visuals.
That’s a wrap! Feel free to reply to this email if you have any questions, requests or feedback. I will respond at my earliest opportunity.
Big love,
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