You Can't Always Get What You Want

In this penultimate Space to Village newsletter of 2024, we’re feeling pensive and introspective as we gear up for an ambitious and meaningful 2025.?

For me, 2024 was a much different year than I intended for or planned for it to be. In the immortal words of Lizzo, I’m the girl I was or used to be… I might be better.?

Here’s a look back at some “a-ha” moments for me from the last year. I’m always interested to hear from you, either in the comments below or via DM.?

Guest Star Appearance at SXSW

When I attend a fireside chat, I’m there to hear the special guest, not the side stories or jokes of the host. That’s the attitude I took into my conversation with Anousheh Ansari – what could I reveal or uncover that no one in the audience had heard before that could change their perspective or inspire new ideas?

A-ha: Give the audience what they want: to hear your guest.

Thanks to Che Bolden and the crew at Inter Astra Institute, I had the unbelievable opportunity to interview Anousheh during a fireside chat at SXSW. I wrote all about it in a previous Space to Village newsletter.?

Unleashing the Power of Enneagrams

I obsess over enneagrams. I’m convinced that if we harnessed the insights gleaned from understanding people’s motivations, anxieties, stressors, and inspiration, we could put together the best teams to accomplish our most brilliant work – with less overall effort.?

First off, if you don’t know your enneagram, get with it. Secondly, understand the types, and how they interlock with one another. Then, when you’re putting together your next tiger team or power squad together, look around the room and make sure that you’ve included neurodivergence, multi-ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and have the skills and talents of different enneagram types represented at the table.?

A-ha: You aren't always surrounded by the A-Team, but if you think differently about how to assemble a team, you may actually get what you need. I’m convinced teams based on enneagram types and cultural diversity with little to no experience will outperform experienced teams comprised of people with prior successes. And I’m aiming to find out in 2025.?

It’s Okay to Be Just Okay

And even if you’re not anticipating any major changes or exciting life updates in the New Year, it’s a great time to take stock of the year that was – even and especially if you survived or endured.?

For this reason, I hate opening conversations with “what do you do?” While this occasionally results in meeting the most fascinating people (this is exactly how I met Fabien Cousteau and, most recently, an archivist at Mt. Vernon), there’s a better way to pose the question.?

A-ha: You can never, ever measure your accomplishments against another person’s – we’re at different points in our journey, and our stories and lessons are far more interesting when they’re our own and not someone else’s. It should go without saying that we should never use social media as the measuring stick for success – just like the portal on a ship, that’s just one view of one part of the ocean at one moment.?

These three "a-ha's" are what I needed this year - even though that's not what I thought I wanted.

What’s on your list for 2025? What trends are you watching? What skill or talent are you hoping to unlock in the New Year? Let us know in the comments or DM!