Building Equity
How am I building equity today?
Revisit this thought as you go throughout your day. Let it linger in your subconscious and bubble up to the surface. It will keep you attuned to ways in which you can take something immediate and change it to create something that lasts long-term.
Writing is a simple way to start doing this. Take your thoughts and put them down on paper. In doing so, you transform something abstract and fleeting to something concrete.
The first version may be imperfect, but so what? Just put something out. Then you can shape it, revise it, rework it. Have the courage to be seen. Make something tangible you can work with.
The sculptor starts out with a blank slate. They transform the block by shaving off tiny pieces at a time. Each stroke shapes the stone and slowly reveals the vision. So it is with bringing an idea to fruition.
Creating assets is about making things that can be reused or repurposed. A story told in person is forever lost to the ether. Create a video of that same story; then it can be retold to millions. A service is used as soon as it is consumed. It becomes a fleeting memory. A product can provide a service without your intervention. It becomes a show that can air reruns forever. Products are harder to create, but easier to deliver!
A well is one such example of a service that grew out of a product. What is one product that all of us needs to live? Water. We need it to drink, to bathe in, to cook with, to clean. Instead of fetching water every day, a well allows us to turn on a faucet and have it instantly, in near infinite supply. As a side effect, a well frees up countless hours of time that we would have to spend transporting it. This simple technology has the power to transform the lives of individuals and communities.
Often, you have already done the hard work. Start where you are. What about the present moment do you not want to see disappear? What can you make lasting? Capturing that ingenuity and bottling it up takes some effort, but it is extremely rewarding.
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Can you create a checklist, a document, or a catalog for reference? Instead of building something from scratch, you can start with a template instead of starting fresh each time.
Think about using tools that reduce friction, automate things, or make work more efficient.
Consider the following:
Fiverr gigs (can you perform a semi-automated task?)
Websites (can you use a site generator to create sites?)
Books or PDFs (can you package your knowledge?)
Courses (can you teach students effectively with your curriculum?)
Phone Calls (can you capture it as a Zoom session?)
Podcasts (can you create a community around a topic?)
Video/audio capture (brain dump while walking/driving)
Code Libraries/Templates (recipes that you can pull out of your bag)
