The Case for Sharing Your Work in Public: Connecting the Dots and Finding What You Love

The Case for Sharing Your Work in Public: Connecting the Dots and Finding What You Love

In a world where privacy is increasingly valued, the idea of sharing your work in public may seem counterintuitive. After all, some studies suggest that keeping our intentions private can motivate us to achieve our goals. The allure of receiving premature praise from others can give us a sense of accomplishment without actually doing the work. However, other studies show that sharing your progress can be beneficial, especially when it comes to staying motivated.

Austin Kleon, author of "Show Your Work," urges us to become documentarians of our own work. By sharing what we do, we can reflect on our progress and plan our next steps more effectively. It allows us to take an iterative approach and ensure that our work aligns with the needs we have identified. Great ideas often emerge from a network of information in a transparent community. By sharing our ideas, we increase the likelihood of connecting the dots between our own thoughts and those of others. Moreover, sharing our work in public can help us connect with like-minded individuals, potentially leading to mentorships or partnerships.

Working on an idea in isolation can stifle the creative process. While it may feel uncomfortable at first, sharing our work in public on a regular basis becomes easier over time. Finding people who care about our work and connecting with them is crucial. This might involve joining online groups or attending offline meetups. It is important, however, to ensure that sharing our work does not derail us from actually doing the work. When done properly and integrated into our workflow, sharing our work publicly can greatly increase productivity and creativity. Over time, it will become second nature, and working in isolation will feel strange.

Steve Jobs famously advised, "You've got to find what you love." He believed that the key to success and fulfillment lies in doing what we are passionate about. Jobs emphasized the importance of connecting the dots in our lives, trusting that they will somehow align in the future. It is essential to have faith in something, whether it be our gut, destiny, life, or karma. According to Jobs, this approach never let him down and made all the difference in his life. He stressed the significance of loving what we do because our work occupies a significant portion of our lives. To be truly satisfied, we must strive to do great work, and that can only be achieved through passion.

Jobs encouraged us to continually ask ourselves, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" If the answer is consistently "No" for too many days in a row, it is a clear sign that we need to make a change. He believed that the awareness of our mortality helps us prioritize what truly matters, allowing us to shed external expectations, pride, and fear of failure. Remembering that we will eventually die frees us from the trap of thinking we have something to lose. We are already naked, so there is no reason not to follow our hearts.

Our time on this Earth is limited, and wasting it by living someone else's life is a disservice to ourselves. Jobs cautioned against being trapped by the dogma of others' thinking or allowing the noise of external opinions to drown out our own inner voice. Instead, he urged us to have the courage to follow our hearts and intuition, as they already know what we truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

In conclusion, sharing our work in public can have numerous benefits, from staying motivated to connecting with like-minded individuals. It allows us to reflect, plan, and iterate effectively. Furthermore, finding what we love and following our passion is essential for personal fulfillment. Steve Jobs' advice reminds us to trust in our own journey, connect the dots looking backward, and prioritize what truly matters. To implement these insights, here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Start by sharing small steps or progress publicly. It can be as simple as sharing a blog post, a social media update, or joining an online community. Embrace the discomfort and gradually build the habit of sharing regularly.

2. Seek out communities or groups that align with your interests and goals. Connect with like-minded individuals who can provide support, advice, or potential collaborations. Attend meetups or join online forums dedicated to your field of interest.

3. Continually evaluate whether you are doing what you love. Regularly ask yourself if you would want to do what you are currently doing if it were your last day. If the answer is consistently "No," it may be time to reassess and make the necessary changes to align your work with your passion.

By embracing the power of sharing our work, connecting the dots in our lives, and doing what we love, we can unlock our full potential and lead a more fulfilling and purpose-driven life.