{"product_id":"the-practice-isbn-9780593328972","title":"The Practice","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eLinchpin\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTribes,\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Dip\u003c\/i\u003e comes an elegant little book that will inspire artists, writers, and entrepreneurs to stretch and commit to putting their best work out into the world.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCreative work doesn't come with a guarantee. But there is a pattern to who succeeds and who doesn't. And engaging in the consistent practice of its pursuit is the best way forward.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBased on the breakthrough Akimbo workshop pioneered by legendary author Seth Godin, \u003ci\u003eThe Practice\u003c\/i\u003e will help you get unstuck and find the courage to make and share creative work. Godin insists that writer's block is a myth, that consistency is far more important than authenticity, and that experiencing the imposter syndrome is a sign that you're a well-adjusted human. Most of all, he shows you what it takes to turn your passion from a private distraction to a productive contribution, the one you've been seeking to share all along.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith this book as your guide, you'll learn to dance with your fear. To take the risks worth taking. And to embrace the empathy required to make work that contributes with authenticity and joy.\"This is the book I need right now. It’s an extraordinary and electrifying call to action for writers, artists and creators in every walk of life. I re-read passages and felt as if my own secret creed was being explained back to me, in words I hadn’t yet found.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eRosanne Cash\u003c\/b\u003e, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“The Practice is a user’s manual for finding your calling and an alchemist’s handbook for pursuing your dream.”\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eSteven Pressfield\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe War of Art\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Seth's book is a skeleton key specially molded to unlock the most creative version of you. Read it, and find yourself free to be who you know you really are.” \u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eBrian Koppelman\u003c\/b\u003e, co-producer and co-creator of \u003ci\u003eBillions \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"With surgical precision, \u003ci\u003eThe Practice\u003c\/i\u003e attacks our predictable misconceptions about the creative process and replaces them with better ideas, one by one. This book will inspire you to make things, hone your craft, and nudge you to ship things you are proud of. Read it.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eTobi Lutke\u003c\/b\u003e, CEO, Shopify\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Practice\u003c\/i\u003e explains that what looks like a barrier is often a catalyst in disguise. Magic may not come from what we can see on the stage but from behind it, where the wood chopping happens.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003ePeter Gabriel\u003c\/b\u003e, MusicianSeth Godin is the author of 18 international bestsellers that have changed the way people think about work and have been translated into 38 languages - among them \u003ci\u003eUnleashing the Ideavirus, Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, Tribes, The Dip, Linchpin, Poke the Box, \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e All Marketers Are Liars\u003c\/i\u003e. He writes the most popular marketing blog in the world and speaks to audiences around the world. He is the founder of the altMBA, the founder and former CEO of Squidoo.com, the former VP of Direct Marketing at Yahoo!, and the founder of the pioneering online startup Yoyodyne. You can learn much more about him at sethgodin.com..\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e1. It’s Possible\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This is a book for people who want to lead, to write, or to sing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For people who seek to teach, to innovate, and to solve interesting problems.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For people who want to go on the journey to become a therapist, a painter, or a leader.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For people like us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It’s possible. The people who came before us have managed to speak up, stand up, and make a difference. While each journey is unique, each follows a pattern—and once you see it, it’s yours.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We simply need to find the courage to be more creative. The forces that are holding us back have long been unseen, but we can see and understand them and begin to do our work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The practice is there if we’re willing to sign up for it. And the practice will open the door to the change you seek to make.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e2. The Pattern and the Practice\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Our lives follow a pattern.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For most of us, that pattern was set a long time ago. We chose to embrace a story about compliance and convenience, the search for status in a world constrained by scarcity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The industrial economy demands it. It prods us to consumption and obedience. We trust the system and the people we work for to give us what we need, as long as we’re willing to continue down the path they’ve set out for us. We were all brainwashed from a very early age to accept this dynamic and to be part of it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The deal is simple: follow the steps and you’ll get the outcome the system promised you. It might not be easy, but with effort, just about anyone can do it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e So we focus on the outcome, because that’s how we know we followed the steps properly. The industrial system that brainwashed us demands that we focus on outcomes to prove we followed the recipe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e That priority makes sense if the reliable, predictable outcome really matters and the payoff is truly guaranteed. But what happens when your world changes?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Suddenly, you don’t always get what was guaranteed. And the tasks you’re asked to do just aren’t as engaging as you’d like them to be. The emptiness of the bargain is now obvious: you were busy sacrificing your heart and your soul for prizes, but the prizes aren’t coming as regularly as promised.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The important work, the work we really want to do, doesn’t come with a recipe. It follows a different pattern.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This practice is available to us—not as a quick substitute, a recipe that’s guaranteed to return results, but as a practice. It is a persistent, stepwise approach that we pursue for its own sake and not because we want anything guaranteed in return.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The recipe for recipes is straightforward: good ingredients, mise en place\u003ci\u003e,\u003c\/i\u003e attention to detail, heat, finish. You do them in order. But when we create something for the first time, it’s not as linear, not easily written down.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This new practice takes leadership, a creative contribution—something that not just anyone can produce, something that might not work but that might be worth pursuing. It’s often called “art.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The industrial system we all live in is outcome-based. It’s about guaranteed productivity in exchange for soul-numbing, predirected labor. But if we choose to look for it, there’s a different journey available to us. This is the path followed by those who seek change, who want to make things better.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It’s a path defined by resilience and generosity. It’s outward focused, but not dependent on reassurance or applause.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Creativity doesn’t repeat itself; it can’t. But the creative journey still follows a pattern. It’s a practice of growth and connection, of service and daring. It’s also a practice of selflessness and ego in an endless dance. The practice exists for writers and leaders, for teachers and painters. It’s grounded in the real world, a process that takes us where we hope to go.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This practice is a journey without an external boss. Because there’s no one in charge, this path requires us to trust ourselves—and more importantly, our selves—instead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Bhagavad-Gita says, “It is better to follow your own path, however imperfectly, than to follow someone else’s perfectly.” Consider the people who have found their voice and made a real impact: their paths always differ, but their practices overlap in many ways.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e At the heart of the creative’s practice is trust: the difficult journey to trust in your \u003ci\u003eself\u003c\/i\u003e, the often hidden self, the unique human each of us lives with.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e See the pattern, find your practice, and you can begin to live the process of making magic. Your magic. The magic that we need right now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e3. Are You Searching for Something?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Most of us are.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If we care enough, we keep looking for that feeling, that impact, that ability to make a difference. And then we look harder.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Followers aren’t searching. They’re simply following in the footsteps of the people before them. Do well on the test, comply with the instructions, move to the next rung.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Leaders seek to make things better, to contribute and to find firm footing. The chance to make a difference and to be seen and respected, all at once.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e That search has created our culture and the world we live in. More and more people, engaging and contributing, weaving together something worth building.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Let’s call it art. The human act of doing something that might not work, something generous, something that will make a difference. The emotional act of doing personal, self-directed work to make a change that we can be proud of.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We each have more leverage than ever before. We have access to tools, a myriad of ways forward, and a real chance to contribute.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Your part matters. Your art matters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It’s worth reminding yourself that the question isn’t “can I make art,” because you already have.\u003cbr\u003e You have already spoken up at least once, contributed something that mattered. You’ve said something funny to a friend or perhaps even sold out Carnegie Hall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e And now we need you to do it again. But more so.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The real question is: “Do I care enough to do it again?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As John Gardner wrote, “The renewal of societies and organizations can go forward only if someone cares.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e4. Askıda Ekmek\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Askıda ekmek: there is bread on the hook. It’s an ancient tradition in Turkey. When buying a loaf at the local bakery, you can choose to pay for an extra loaf and, after bagging your purchase, the owner will hang the second loaf on a hook on the wall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If a person in need comes by, he or she can ask if there’s anything on the hook. If so, the bread is shared, and the hunger is relieved. Perhaps as important, community is built.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When you choose to produce creative work, you’re solving a problem. Not just for you, but for those who will encounter what you’ve made.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e By putting your self on the hook, you’re performing a generous act. You are sharing insight and love and magic. And the more it spreads, the more it’s worth to all of those who are lucky enough to experience your contribution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Art is something we get to do for other people.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e5. Finding a Practice\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Do you have a creative hero? Someone who regularly leads, creates, and connects? Perhaps they’re a dancer, a recording artist, or a civil rights lawyer. In every field of endeavor, some people stand out as the makers of what’s next, as the voices of what’s now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Here are some to get you started: Patricia Barber, Zaha Hadid, Joel Spolsky, Sarah Jones, Yo-Yo Ma, Tom Peters, Frida Kahlo, Banksy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Bryan Stevenson, Nancy Lublin, Simone Giertz, Jonas Salk, Muhammad Yunus, Rosanne Cash, Greta Thunberg, John Wooden, Amanda Coffman—living or dead, famous or not, there are change-makers in every corner of our culture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e With few exceptions, the careers and working processes of every one of these artists are similar.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Their output is different, the circumstances are different, and the timing is different, but the practice remains.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We can adopt a practice as well.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Maybe we don’t need an industrial-strength recipe for what it means to do our jobs. Maybe instead of a series of steps to follow, we’d be better off understanding how the world actually works now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We can adopt a practice. Here are the surprising truths that have been hidden by our desire for those perfect outcomes, the ones industrial recipes promise but never quite deliver:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ·        Skill is not the same as talent.\u003cbr\u003e ·        A good process can lead to good outcomes, but it doesn’t guarantee them.\u003cbr\u003e ·        Perfectionism has nothing to do with being perfect.\u003cbr\u003e ·        Reassurance is futile.\u003cbr\u003e ·        Hubris is the opposite of trust.\u003cbr\u003e ·        Attitudes are skills.\u003cbr\u003e ·        There’s no such thing as writer’s block.\u003cbr\u003e ·        Professionals produce with intent.\u003cbr\u003e ·        Creativity is an act of leadership.\u003cbr\u003e ·        Leaders are imposters.\u003cbr\u003e ·        All criticism is not the same.\u003cbr\u003e ·        We become creative when we ship the work.\u003cbr\u003e ·        Good taste is a skill.\u003cbr\u003e ·        Passion is a choice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Throughout this book, we’ll keep returning to surprising truths like these that fly in the face of what we’ve been taught about productive work in a system based on compliance and recipes. Artists have been shunned or shamed for embracing them, but that’s because these truths work. They subvert the dominant power structure while at the same time they enable us to make things better for the people we seek to serve.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e6. Learning to Juggle\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I’ve taught hundreds of people how to juggle. Learning requires a simple insight: catching the ball isn’t the point.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e People who fail to learn to juggle always fail because they’re lunging to catch the next ball. But once you lunge for a ball, you’re out of position for the next throw, and then the whole thing falls apart.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Instead, we begin with just one ball. And there’s no catching: throw\/drop, throw\/drop, throw\/drop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Twenty times we throw the ball from our left hands, watching it land each time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e And then we do it again with our right hands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Practicing how to throw. Getting good at throwing. If you get good enough at throwing, the catching takes care of itself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It turns out that all this dropping is the hardest part for someone who is learning to juggle. It makes them really uncomfortable to throw a ball and then stand there as it drops to the ground.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The desire for outcome is deeply ingrained, and for some, this is the moment where they give up.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They simply can’t bear a process that willingly ignores the outcome.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For those who persist, the process quickly gathers momentum.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Perhaps fifteen minutes later, we try throw\/throw\/drop\/drop. Simply two balls and two throws.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e And then, without stress, throw\/throw\/catch\/catch. It’s easy. There’s no problem, because the throws are where they should be, rehearsed and consistent.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The process has gotten us this far.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e And then the last step is to add a third ball.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It doesn’t always work, but it always works better than any other approach.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Our work is about throwing. The catching can take care of itself.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Portfolio","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302134173925,"sku":"NP9780593328972","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593328972.jpg?v=1767741043","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-practice-isbn-9780593328972","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}