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  • Writer's pictureTidy Content
    • 2 min read

On doing the thing, then showing it


Someone showing their Someone showing their hands holding a lightbulbhands holding a lightbulb

We’ll spend an average of 90,000 hours at work over our lifetime.


That's around 10 years of your life.


It’s no wonder that work can become all-consuming.


The politics, the processes, the policies, the people. Email after email, meetings about meetings. The daily work, the relentless grind.


Some of us may even build our entire personal identities around work: around our relationships to tasks, routines, and the people above or below us in some sort of fictional hierarchy.


Instead of the impact we cause, the value we bring, the change we make.


It's easy to get bogged down in the nitty gritty, the nuts and bolts, the inner workings of everyday work life. Or overwhelmed by the bigger picture: the strategy, the roadmap, the what ifs, the whys and the why nots.


But when that happens, it’s important to remind ourselves and bring our attention back to what really matters.


And it’s simple, really. It all comes down to two tasks in the end: do the thing, then show the thing.


Show the work, share your ideas, communicate your thinking.


The openness to show the thing is an important act of generosity and courage - the final product but also the trials and errors, and the wisdom you gained.


Influence is just a byproduct.


Because, in truth, change seldom springs from a single moment or individual.


By sharing your perspective, knowledge and experience, you can become a catalyst for change as you create value for others. And it sets you apart from the crowd.


Your insights can inspire others to take action, make informed decisions, or try to emulate your ways of working. It’s how you inspire, guide and influence those around you.


And if you feel that the thing isn’t worthy of attention, that’s telling as well; perhaps try and invest your efforts somewhere else next time.


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