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Sabrina Ahmed's avatar

Thanks for the shout out Derek! You've had such a fascinating journey to this point, and it's great to see you use what you've picked up across your work.

I'm definitely finding a shift in my approach this year - being more experimental has made it interesting!

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Derek MacDonald's avatar

Thanks, Sabrina! Your post fit so perfectly here, I had to share.

Making things an experiment is the best way to get good results. And to have fun doing it!

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Sabrina Ahmed's avatar

Absolutely Derek. It's a great way to challenge a perfectionist mindset. The whole point is to not know what good looks like.

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Derek MacDonald's avatar

the whole point...is...to...not—

WAIT....

That's brilliant!

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Sabrina Ahmed's avatar

Yep - it all appears in real time vs what you expect you need to meet.

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Maggie Jon's avatar

Well done. Yes, we need to do things like this. It just can be so hard to get going!

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Derek MacDonald's avatar

Yep, absolutely. Getting started is the nemesis of neurodivergence, after all

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Maggie Jon's avatar

That. And finishing things too 😂

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Derek MacDonald's avatar

Right right right—starting and follow through, not the best. BUT THE MIDDLE? That’s our jam.

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Maggie Jon's avatar

We fucking own that shit like the middle of an Oreo cookie 💪😂

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Derek MacDonald's avatar

Exactly, so long as we don't start wondering about the origins of an Oreo cookie. Or start researching what goes into the makings of the middle part of an Oreo cookie...

Because then we'd likely ditch the messy middle for a very curious deep dive. Only to discover that we'd arrived at lack of follow through 🙃

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Leanne Hughes's avatar

I find I can start a run with a million problems and end the run with not a care in the world! Great post, Derek, oh and thank you for the shout-out!

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Derek MacDonald's avatar

I was never a runner growing up. In fact, I was very much not a runner. The sports I played even used running as a punishment. Mess up? Take a lap.

I always secretly wanted to be a runner, though.

So when I moved to a new place after college, it was the perfect chance to try to become someone who ran. And I accidentally built a mindfulness practice with it that’s stuck with me ever since. I love it. It’s where I go to think…by ummm…not thinking?

Works every time!

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Leanne Hughes's avatar

Oh gosh, same! I hated running. Now I love it. I agree, it's my form of meditation/mindfulness, more a sport for the brain (not the body!)

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Derek MacDonald's avatar

Oh I love that! Sport for the brain not the body indeed

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