Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Working in the Hard Stuff

All right, I don't have time to write a proper post, so instead let's try some homework.

1.  Name five skills you wish you possessed that would make you a better DM.

Be specific.  Be very specific.  If you can express the skill - as it applies to YOU, personally - in a sentence or less, then you're not thinking hard enough about the question!  You're tossing off a trite phrase that you've tossed off a hundred times without it meaning anything.  You are a complicated person, with complicated needs and complicated motives.  Describe five skills you want that apply to those motives.

2.  Name five sacrifices you'd be willing to make to gain any of those skills.

Again, be specific.  Think about the sacrifice.  Be honest about it.  Name something you actually think you'd be able to do . . . even if it is a very small sacrifice.  A tiny sacrifice that has the potential of actually happening is a million times better than a great, fake sacrifice you'll never make.

That's it.  That's more work than you'll do this year - if you'll apply yourself.

As for me?

I can do express this easily.

Read this blog.  There are at least five skills I've named.  In insane levels of detail.  There are at least five sacrifices I've made and described myself willing to make.  In insane levels of detail.

But I'll work on it and have five more of each . . . as soon as I can.

The title of this post: this is something I used to say when gearing up to talk over something that truly mattered with someone that mattered to me.

5 comments:

  1. Alexis, I'm not sure where to ask this so I'm asking here.

    I've recently started blogging again and am working on (in baby steps) a setting from scratch. I'm going to use some of your How to Run advice in the initial setup and intend to say so.

    Since I'm walking through the project on my blog, I obviously want to provide info on how I'm doing things, but I also obviously don't want to give away your content.

    What's your preference as to how I communicate the parts of the process that I'm emulating more-or-less wholesale?

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Scott,

    So long as you tag any quotes you make back to this blog or even better to the buy page for How to Run on Lulu or Amazon, we're good. The things you could say - assuming you don't quote the whole book can only help sell copies.

    Thanks! I LOVE inspiring people!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have answered the first part on my new/first blog The Long Haul. I intend to answer the second today or tomorrow. This post finally kicked my ass into gear on starting my own blog and trying even harder on being a better DM. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've posted a bit about the brainstorming process in tonight's post at cyclopeana.wordpress.com. Where what I'm actually doing isn't consistent with your advice, I've tried to note that.

    Your feedback is welcome, although since I don't moderate comments except to catch obvious spambots, past experience indicates it may not always be the most collegial setting.

    If you'd rather I didn't advertise my blog in your comments, I obviously understand if you delete this.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yeah, I know, it's a bunch of toxic macho dudes suitable for Justin Beiber's roadie crew. As long as what you have to say there has value and as long as the frat stays out of here, it's cool.

    ReplyDelete

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