What I’ve Created

In the first two months of the Praxis Program, I have learned quite a lot about setting myself up for success. I consumed a lot of content, began my personal newsletter, and created a personal website. Within this I learned about habit development, professional performance, and personal finance. 

Through the Praxis program have been posting regularly about my journey on my weekly newsletter, here:

https://oliviacrowley.substack.com/

What I’ve Read

In the first segment of this program we read both “Mastery” by Robert Greene and “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. 

My biggest takeaway from “Mastery” was the thought that mastery is not a gifted trait. Obtainable to anyone incessant and absorbed enough with their craft–mastery is created through work and repetition. 

One of my biggest takeaways from “Atomic Habits” is, in fact, in the title. The concept that small, directional changes in daily habits compound and grow. Again: repetition, not perfection.

In connecting them both: “Mastery” opens up the concept that we are capable of much more than we know with extended effort, while “Atomic Habits” further expands upon how to get there. 

Finally, as a bonus book we received “Show Your Work!” by Austin Kleon. This book emphasizes the need for connection, transparency, and discoverability in the professional world.

What I’ve Learned

Share your work. As mentioned above, we were given the chance to read through “Show Your Work!” by Austin Kleon. However this was not the only exposure I received to this topic. Through Praxis I got the opportunity to practice this concept in real time.

As someone who is reserved, being instructed to show my work–that’s not good. out loud. to the internet–was something that I would have never done or seen the value in before. I believed that to share work, there had to be value in it. Truthfully, deep down I do still think this to a degree. But now, after ripping the Band-Aid off I have been able to integrate this into my life consistently and never see myself living without it again. 

Over time, learning out loud will bring me opportunities, networking, and a step up in anything I choose to pursue. 

Scan for opportunities. I have developed more confidence–some may even say audacity–in my pursuit of opportunities. Successful people have suddenly become approachable, accessible tools. I do not see anyone or any career as out of my reach, but obtainable through work and effort. I have been given the tools and mindset to take advantage of all of the opportunities in front of me. I know that I would have been much more timid in my approach previously, and see this as a place of growth.

Schedule is everything. I can have a challenging time with balance. I have taken away the tools and advice I have been given to learn how to schedule “like a pro”. It’s all very basic, but I now use a Google Calendar system, task manager, and take time to do a weekly reflection regarding how my week played out. As someone who intends to work in a self-directed way in the future, scheduling is going to play a very large role in my life. Praxis has given me the tools to set myself up for success and get the ball rolling on learning about how I work best. 

My Favorites

Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the past two months.

Ramit Sethi: A Case Study

Grief: A Life Lessons Post

Marketing a Health Coaching Service Through a Local Business

What Comes Next

In the next segment of Praxis we will be going through four skill development projects, here are the ones I have chosen:

1. Content Marketing: I am choosing this because I intend to work for myself digitally in the future. This will help me move towards my program goals by supplying me with the tools and knowledge to market myself—and provide value to other business as well.
2. Copywriting: I have a love for writing, and a need for it in almost everything I will be pursuing. This will ultimately help me level up my writing skills and give me more tools to increase my value.
3. Start a Content Creation Project: As said above, I intend to work for myself digitally in the future. I am looking forward to the opportunity to build something that excites me with Praxis’ help.
4. Marketing Growth and Analytics: This will continue to develop my marketing skills and get me real world experience, in which I am able to replicate in my own future endeavors.

After the first two months of Praxis I am now moving into the next phase with excitement. Now that my foundation is built, I am looking forward to my next steps.