A few years ago I was about to kick off a big project.

I was excited and eager to dive in, even though the scope of work was a little daunting.

Now, I try to be a self-aware person, but even I get it wrong:

1. I tend to be a chronic over-estimator of how long things will take. My gut reaction is to look at the looming work and think “OMG this will take forever.”
2. As an Enneagram 5, I tend to be stingy with my time. My gut reaction is to protect it. I tend to be skeptical and immediately on guard when someone asks for it.

I also tend to be wrong in both instances, but those initial reactions and judgements consistently pop into my head.

And, unfortunately, in the moment, I also tend not to recognize these things.

So, imagine how annoyed I was in the moment when my manager shared that the work would wait – we were taking a field trip.

Enter, right on cue, my immediate mental chorus of frustration, blocking me from even considering what might be gained.

Of course, what I didn’t expect was how transformative this little excursion would be.

For a few days, I left the comfort of my home office to shadow a few leaders within the company as they operated a retail store.

How quickly I took to the role of anthropologist.

I observed them as they interacted with customers, deployed their team, dealt with problems, and managed day-to-day operations.

I watched what they did and didn’t do, what they said, and how they said it.

I followed them around with a journal in hand, asking questions to expose their thinking, furiously scribing more questions and observations.

I emerged with dozens of pages of insights and stories that I still rely on today as examples of what great leadership looks like under pressure, among other things.

It was fascinating.

The experience was motivation. It was creative fuel. It directly influenced my work and helped me deliver the big project I was about to start.

Here’s the point:

My first instinct was to keep working – I was going to put my head down and execute.

And, had I done that, I would have missed so much.

You need to say yes to wonder – to having new experiences, to seeing from new perspectives, to occasionally breaking outside of your routine, to exploring with an open mind.

When you feel the stress and tunnel-vision that come from staring down a hard problem, that’s when it matters most – to widen your aperture, to challenge your assumptions, to get you thinking differently, to help you see whatever problem you’re tackling from a whole new angle.

Take a moment to pause & reflect. What problem or project is looming large for you right now? How could you inject a little wonder into the work?

Actions, experiments, & things to try next. Take a brief departure from your work to learn something new. Writing a book? Visit a library or a book store and see what titles they curate up front. Stuck playing the individual notes in a complex piece of music? Try painting to lose yourself in flow. Recognize when you need a shake up, then do something decidedly different.

📫 If this sparked an idea, or if you’re feeling stuck, I’d love to hear from you. You can reply directly to this email to share what you’re working on, ask a question, or suggest topics you’d like me to cover in future newsletters. I read every response.

Until next time,

Michael

Michael Schefman | 321 Liftoff​

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