Lists: Adam Savage, Social Revolution

By Tom Peterson on October 11, 2013 in Nonprofit Helps

Adam Savage, co-host of Mythbusters, made a great talk at Boing Boing Ingenuity by about what it takes to be a Maker. About 13 minutes in Savage lists these 10 Ground Rules.

1. Get good at something.
Really good. Get good at as many things as you can. Being good at one thing makes it easier to get good at other things.

2. Getting good at stuff takes practice.
Lots and lots of practice.

3. Get OBSESSED.
Everyone at the top of their field is obsessed with what they’re doing.

4. Doing something well and thoroughly is its OWN reward.

5. Show and Tell.
If you do something well and you’re happy with it, for FSM’s sake, tell EVERYONE.

6. If you want something, ASK.
If something piques your interest, tell someone. If you want to learn something, ask someone, like your BOSS. As an employer, I can tell you, people who want to learn new skills are people I want to keep employed.

7. Have GOALS.
Make up goals. Set goals. Regularly assess where you are and where you want to be in terms of them. This is a kind of prayer that works, and works well. Allow for the fact that things will NEVER turn out like you think they will, and you must be prepared to end up miles from where you intended.

8. Be nice. To EVERYONE.
Life is way too short to be an asshole. If you are an asshole, apologize.

9. FAIL.
You will fail. It’s one of our jobs in life. Keep failing. When you fail, admit it. When you don’t, don’t get cocky. ‘Cause you’re just about to fail again.

10. WORK YOUR ASS OFF.
Work like your life depends on it…

A Quick Guide to Changing the World — Seriously. Here’s another list, this time from dowser. William Eggers presents his guide for the Solution Revolution.

The solution revolution—the convergence of money and meaning, problem solvers and “patient” capital, governments and citizen (and commercial) changemakers—is underway. But while it flourishes in some parts of the world, other regions are still sitting on the sidelines.

“This is the most profound spiritual truth I know: that even when we’re most sure that love can’t conquer all, it seems to anyway. It goes down into the rat hole with us, in the guise of our friends, and there it swells and comforts.” — Anne Lamott