I wish all of my ideas were great

Pump Up The Volume

PUMP UP THE VOLUME@2x

The Context

Northwestern scientists proved in their widely quoted study that volume begets quality. Nordgren and his team found it's true for all kinds of creators and thinkers, from composers and painters to scientists and inventors. Even the most eminent innovators do their most original work when they're also cranking out scores of less brilliant ideas. The research demonstrates how persistence is a critical determinant of creative performance and that people undervalue it in everyday creative problem solving. One part of the study is when the psychologists talk about surgeons. Peer reviewed medical journals have shown that high volume is generally correlated with better outcomes. High volume surgeons have lower complication rates, lower readmission rates, lower mortality rates and are faster in the operating room. And patients who frequent high volume hospitals have lower mortality rates, lower complication rates, lower readmission rates and shorter length of stay. Wow, if we just keep showing up and doing things, everything else falls into place around it.

The Tool

two color

Pump Up The Volume

PUMP UP THE VOLUME -- Using the power and practice of persistence to amplify creative performance

Volume is the secret. Quantity is job number one. Persist and the quality will take care of itself. Now, this approach is not for everybody. It only works if you're willing to be more process oriented in your endeavors. If only works if you're vulnerable, trusting that doing the work, whatever that work may be, over and over again, will be enough. Sadly, most of us will not take that risk. It's too internal. People need more outer validations of their work, like results and awards and metrics and approvals, to be okay with themselves.

Scott's Take

Scott's Take

It took me about eight years of practicing yoga to figure out the beauty of volume and persistence. Because in the early years, practicing was all about improving my postures and going deeper and achieving full expression of the poses. But that was a quality mindset. Over time, yoga became less about showing off to myself, and more about showing up for myself. That's a huge difference. And today my practice positively contributes more to my life, aka quality, than it did fifteen years ago.

The Rest

Showing up and persisting is enough. Trust yourself, trust the process, and let volume take care of the rest. Are you showing off to yourself, or showing up for yourself?

The Benefits

Reduce your dependency on perfection
Execute a high quantity of work very quickly
Build a bias for speed, output and consistency
Become more credible and discoverable by owning the entire intellectual long tail

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