Finding the why (and the how)
Greetings
I am a fan of the book The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande, which is probably due a reread. In his review of the book, Malcolm Gladwell writes “Experts need checklists–literally–written guides that walk them through the key steps in any complex procedure.” This is at the heart of the book. A way of documenting process. A way of ensuring that nothing is missed in whatever process.
Over the years, I have experimented with different ways of note taking and compiling my to-do lists. I have tried the multitude of apps available and eventually settled on the way I started … writing by hand in a notebook. It works for me. Next to my journals on my bookshelf are notebooks with weekly to-do lists, notes from meetings, my thoughts on different things, and many a list.
Coming across this excerpt from Adam Savage’s book Every Tool’s A Hammer titled Adam Savage on Lists, More Lists, and the Power of Checkboxes, I realised that I could be much more effective with my list making, especially for projects. I work on so many different things and everything is all jumbled up. I try to apply thinking from The One Thing, which is essentially to break everything down to its simplest form, focusing on the one thing you need to do next. For me, an underlying principle is, as Gary Keller writes, “Your most important priority is the ONE thing you can do right now that will help you achieve what matters most to you.”
As I write this, I realise that I probably also need to go back and reread The One Thing as well, having read it in 2014. A reminder that this. whole life and work thing truly is a work-in-progress. I suspect I have shared this before but, in 2020, I wrote about How To Work Better. Now is a good time for me to review and revise how I work, taking into consideration how I have evolved over the years.
A podcast episode I recently listened is Dhru Purohit’s with Dr. Ben Hardy PhD in which they talk about how we are not who we were in the past, whether last week, a year ago or ten years ago and we should live accordingly.
At Advertising Week Africa earlier this year, I had the fortune of briefly meeting Molly Jensen, founder and CEO of Afripods. Following that, we had a chat online where she shared background to Afripods and I shared what I am looking to do in the space, although that is also very much a work-in-progress. On an extended hiatus but will be back. I continue to be convinced that there is a place for podcasting on and from the African continent, but it needs to be viewed and developed from our perspective. Africa’s storytelling evolution: how podcasting boosts minority voices, and can reinvigorate newsrooms
This made me stop. And think.
I remember rap videos before Hype Williams. And I remember seeing his videos for Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliot in particular. I don’t remember many music video directors. Actually, the only one I reckon I have known is Hype Williams. I didn’t know he directed Wu-Tang Clan’s Can It All Be So Simple video until reading this: How Hype Williams Became Hip-Hop’s Most Important Image Maker.
There is something satisfying about spotting the sample. About finding the original song that was sampled for a favourite song. The other day, Spotify randomly lined up Galt MacDermot’s Space.
I had never heard of him or the song but there was something familiar about it. Took me a couple of minutes to figure it out.
I found watching this process of creating a handmarbled silk scarf very calming.
That’s it for today. If you enjoy receiving the Zebra Culture By Kojo Baffoe newsletter but are not subscribed, please do subscribe.
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And if you would like a copy of my book Listen To Your Footsteps, it is available online and in bookshops (primarily in South Africa but also on Barnes & Noble and Amazon) both in digital and physical form. If it isn’t available in your local, South African bookshop, ask for them to order it. Or you can mail me and I can make arrangements to get a copy to you.
Easy
Kojo