Post on 26-Aug-2014
description
how to wander with purpose
paulisakson.com
@paulisakson
passion&
frustration
“Everyone has a plan ’till they get punched in the mouth.”
-Mike Tyson
things change too quickly now to have long-term plans.
we have little, to no control over what happens next.
we have no idea what new piece of technology might launch that could change everything.
it’s better to have a bigger purpose and some firm beliefs to guide you, than it is to have a plan.
my purpose & beliefs:
1) make things better2) do Good3) work hard
"I don’t have this huge, overarching plan. I don’t know what I’m gonna wake up and feel like doing tomorrow, let alone five years down the line. I think that’s enabled me to get to where I am. I certainly go after what I want. But I just have detached amusement about a lot of it. Because it’s silly. This job is ridiculous." - Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm: The Last Alpha Male, Details Magazine, October 2010
If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn’t cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers. You wouldn’t tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home and put a record on and think about the story you’d seen. The truth is, you wouldn’t remember that movie a week later, except you’d feel robbed and want your money back. Nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo.
A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, Donald Miller, 2009
a story is a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.
A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, Donald Miller, 2009
a great story is when the character’s ambition is selfless and the conflict is immense.
A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, Donald Miller, 2009
most of our stories right now are crap.
the good news is that we can write better stories.
looking at life as a story...
a character is what a character does.
A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, Donald Miller, 2009
start small.
A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, Donald Miller, 2009
start saying yes more.
A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, Donald Miller, 2009
embrace conflict.
the greater the conflict, the greater the story.
A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, Donald Miller, 2009
create an inciting incident.
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
where you do what you do matters a lot.
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
do something to move your story forward every day.
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
cut out the things that don’t move your story forward.
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
decide to be awesome, no matter what happens.
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
at any given time, we can have up to four or five stories running in our lives.
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
my stories:
1. live life fully
2. make things better
3. help end hunger in Minnesota
4. write a book
5. learn to cook amazing meals
creating better personal stories
what kind of stories do you want to tell or join?
a love story?
an adventure story?
a story about overcoming adversity?
something else?
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
what kind of stories do you want to tell or join?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
for each story
what do you want?
or...
what is the primary ambition of your story?
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
what is the elevator pitch of your story?
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
what will the final scenes look like?
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
what conflict(s) are standing in your way to doing that?
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
what can you do to start fighting it/them?
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
who can help you fight it/them?
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
how, and with whom, will you celebrate your story being told once completed?
Storyline Conference, Donald Miller, September 2010 : www.thestorylineconference.com
paulisakson.com
@paulisakson