The Sunday Spotlight

A 3 minute read.

3 things. A learning, a win and a thank you.

Let's see where this takes us....

A lesson. ??

I came to a painful realisation this week.?

I’m not as unique as I thought I was!?

Thankfully though, this turned out to be a positive rather than a negative.?

Whatever we do in life we always have competition. It’s all part of the evolutionary process I suppose. The pursuit of quicker, stronger, better. Whether it’s getting the promotion, winning the award, getting to market first or wooing a potential mate, there’s always someone else in the running.?

I was in London this week and because I had a couple of hours to spare I ventured into Foyles on Charing Cross Road to peruse the Business Book section. I wanted to see who else was writing about pitching and presenting. Amazon is? great but nothing beats holding a book in your hands and turning the pages.

It turns out I’m not the only one who got something to say on the topic. In fact there was a whole bookcase devoted to it!?

Initially I had a sinking feeling. Maybe the world didn’t need my voice adding to the noise. But suddenly it dawned on me. Whilst I’m not unique in believing that anyone can learn to tell better stories and deliver a more powerful performance, the way I go about helping people is. It’s linked to my own unique experience and my own unique way of thinking about the world.?

I don’t need to resonate with everyone. I just need to resonate with my tribe. People like you if you’re reading this newsletter.?

The fact that other people have become experts in the same field as me doesn’t mean I should give up. If anything it proves there is a need for what I do. For some people looking to solve their problems my voice will be just what they’re looking for at just the right moment. What an exciting prospect.?

I wonder how many other things we hold back from because we see competition as a negative rather than a positive??

An interesting lesson.

A win. ??

In other news, I lost a fight with my hedge cutter last week. I beat the rain but I also beat myself up pretty comprehensively! My neck and right shoulder have been a mess ever since.?

Luckily I have an Ed in my corner. Everyone should have an Ed in their corner.

My Ed practises a Chinese massage technique called Tui Na. It’s amazing. After an hour on the table I walk out like a different man.?

I’m not advocating alternative therapies per se. But I am advocating having a support team. Be it a coach, a cleaner, a therapist or a masseuse, we all need people to turn to for help.?

The pace of life these days can be relentless. If you want to be a high performer you often have to juggle multiple balls. Look at any athlete at the top of their game and they have a whole team of experts they can call on when something needs fixing. I think we all need that too.?

It’s well worth spending some time working out who’s on your support team and filling any gaps before you actually need them.

The fact that I have an Ed is most definitely a win.?

A thank you. ??

I’ve just completed the brilliant Alison Jones’ 10-Day Business Book Proposal Challenge. We started with a blank piece of paper and over the course of the last two weeks my 30 fellow challengers and I have been wrestling our ideas into a coherent shape.?

It’s been illuminating, frustrating and fun in equal measures and I’m delighted with the end result. A proposal document that I’ll be proudly sharing with publishers and agents to help pique their interest and birth this next book into the world.

If you think you’ve got a business book idea lurking inside your head I’d highly recommend joining the next cohort in January.?

Thank you Alison for being such an excellent guide.

I hope this was useful in some way.

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Enjoy the week ahead. Talk next Sunday.

Dominic