New Series: Becoming More Audacious

What the hell is he up to this time?

So.

For about a year or two now I’ve been fascinated with the concept of agency. Pulling yourself up by the bootstraps and doing the (many things) you know you should be doing.

In my very first post here, I wrote this:

Beginning

If things go to plan, this blog will be as influential on me as it will be you. We will grow and improve - together. Or you’ll click off and find something else to do. Who knows.

That was a couple of months ago now. Hopefully if you’re reading this, you’ve found value in some of the things I’ve written - Becoming More Audacious is my attempt to hold up my side of that equation.

This will be a weekly series (updates every Monday) where I commit to doing tasks that are either challenging or crazy or worthwhile-but-temporarily-embarassing.

I’m not one for half measures, so I’m planning on doing these all semi-simultaneously.

(Weightloss Wednesdays will also continue unabated)

Here they are:

Reach out to 5 writers I think are too high level for me.

Some of these writers are people who’s work I’ve read for 10+ years and influenced my flailing teenage mind - all of them have had a large impact on me one way or another.

David Cain

Mark Manson

Andrew Elsass

Scott Young

Ramit Sethi

Bonus: Bryan Caplan

I will write back on the results of this, but will not reveal which person said what (assuming anyone responds at all!) for privacy reasons.

Ask for things that feel unreasonable

Strongly channeling

Cate Hall

and her excellent piece on agency here.

Side bar: In general I will recommend

Sasha Chapin

and Cate Hall’s writing every chance I get. Read their stuff. Implement any of it you can. It’s awesome.

---

In the course of considering this one, I almost left it out - because all the unreasonable things had such a strong internal feeling of “that’s stupid - it would never happen; no one asks for that; that’s weird”.

And then I realized: that’s kind of the point. It wouldn’t count if it didn’t feel weird, or somehow out of place, or impossible.

So, what will we be asking for?

Honestly, I’m not exactly sure yet - but I have a few ideas:

• Connecting with people and companies above my level in my field (video/film) and making an attempt to extend the connection or work with them (probably mostly using Linkedin)

• Going at least 30% above my default rate in initial price negotiations

• Generally asking for something when I’d like to ask for it but it seems a little presumptuous (social grace will be necessary here!)

Create a comedy routine, test it on family, friends (and random people!) and make concrete plans to perform it at an open mic night

This is the fun one!

A long while back, I made it an aim of mine to do this. Then lockdown happened. Now, we will be reviving it - I’ll post pictures here when I’ve finally performed it, but expect at least a month (probably more) for this one to come to fruition. Will post progress reports and (maybe!) preliminary scripts for the routine as it evolves. I’ve never been a particularly comedic person - my friends don’t see me as one, and neither do I really! But I’ve always had a hunch I could be if I really tried. That hunch might be wrong, we’ll see.

Everything I’ve read/listened to indicates that professional comics test - A LOT. I like to get honest feedback on my creative pursuits more often than most people already, but I’ll probably need to do it to an even greater extent here if I don’t want to crash and burn. So family’s going to get it. Friends are going to get it. And an unlucky gentleman on the train might get it too if he seems approachable enough.

---

Okay - I think that’s enough for now, otherwise I’ll end up drowning in dreams of achieving things but end up achieving nothing.

Thanks to

Jonathan Moregård

who’s recent comments on convex payoffs gave me the motivation to finally get this off the ground.

Until next time.

Also: feel free to leave any ideas in the comments for future things - specific or not - that you think would be cool/interesting/beneficial for this series.