Move Your Desk

Rebecca Clark

This podcast is for anyone that knows they haven’t yet found and offered up their best work, but are compelled to seek it out and do it. Rebecca Clark shares stories and practical approaches to life and leveling up at work. And, nudges that encourage you to act on the inner inklings to create and offer up your best self. Periodically, she interviews amazing individuals that are already in the pursuit of self-improvement. Are you ready to move your desk? Connect on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaclark/

  1. Oct 15

    207 - Being "Kind of"

    Are you in the top 1-2% of what you do? Or, are you the extreme opposite? Most of us are in between. Great at some things, good at others, and some not so great in the mix. I've been thinking about those moments where I think that I'm in the "kind of" category. It usually involves me comparing myself to a friend, family member, or someone online. I'll have the same look, skill, or experience as they do. But, they are amazing at it and I'm "kind of" good at it. They are really tall, and I'm "kind of" tall. Some are in really great shape and I'm "kind of" in good shape. Is there a problem with being "kind of?" The answer may be "It Depends." Sometimes you can't do much about something. You were born a certain height. You have certain features. You have certain natural strengths. Other times being "kind of" comes from a place of not giving your best effort to something. This could be something to take a look at because hidden in that effort may be capabilities and talents you never knew you had. And, that those you serve may need. Take a look at where you are "kind of" and question yourself. In my process of doing this, I have found areas that I can step up my efforts while also seeing that my strength of exploring and experimenting makes me "kind of" good in a wide range of skills. I get to bring that to my strategic thinking and resourcefulness that I offer my clients and my own product development efforts. I'm counting that as a personal skill. No one has the combination of "kind of" experiences and skills that you have in you. And, that's kind of great. #moveyourdesk #podcast #strengthsfinder #kindof #questionassumptions

    207 - Being "Kind of"
  2. Oct 15

    214 - Carving and Chiseling Life

    Michelangelo was once asked how he went about the sculpting process. His answer?  “I saw the angel in the marble, and carved until I set him free.” This is something we can do for ourselves too - spend time carving and chiseling away to find the real person inside. In recent years, I’ve noticed that keeping my physical belongings in check is not a problem. It’s the digital hoarding that weighs upon my mind. The emails, the photos and videos, the files, the journal entries, the blogs and websites. It produces the same effect on my mind as a physical hoarder may experience, except I really can’t tell how big my issue is because it doesn’t overwhelm my home. It just sits neatly in a table showing up as a laptop, phone, and a couple of hard drives. Though I know that my digital items will expand daily as I go through this process, I’m tackling it. A digital de-junk. It’s a process like Swedish death cleaning, the practice of going through all your belongings long before you die (hopefully) so that your friends and family aren’t left with all of it to figure out. This effort is a lot more than de-junking. It’s showing me what I’ve valued, how I’ve behaved, what I’m afraid of, and the achievements, mistakes, regrets, and hidden dreams. Everything that had been tucked away to address later in life. It involves chipping away to find the real person hidden deep within. It is hard. It hurts. It is mentally draining. It’s both becoming and unbecoming. But it’s worth it.

    214 - Carving and Chiseling Life
  3. Apr 25

    211 - The Loneliness of Diversity

    The bus stop is now an essential part of my day. It's the one moment, twice daily, where I feel a sense of community. Or, since it is the beginning of a new year, a newly forming community because it's a mixture of old friends and a lot of new additions to the mix. The diversity is a complex mixture of people from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Maybe Antarctica and Australia will come along soon! There are also a few languages in the mix. And people from four years old to their mid-70s. Add to this the types of work, interests, religion, and physical appearance of everyone and there is quite an interesting group! Still, this week I looked around and saw a person or two that looked a bit separated from the crowd, and lonely. Though I'm the person (self-designated) to communicate and help everyone connect as best I can, I will still make my rounds to meet everyone. It just took one interaction for it all to change. A couple didn't know English, and another was just new to the neighborhood. The one interaction helped them slowly progress out of their shell and interact with others or... at least sit a little closer to the crowd. It brought up a thought in my mind about the loneliness in diversity. Sometimes there is just so much diversity that it can be overwhelming, especially if you feel like you aren't able to fully express your personality or feel safe yet. In those moments, you really want sameness or familiarity to get your courage and confidence up. This episode is just a nudge to embrace both diversity and sameness. Recognize what you need and where you might want to challenge yourself. If you have a problem with being around a diverse set of people, take a step toward one of them to learn more. If you embrace diverse people and opportunities at the expense of interacting with those that ground you... maybe take some time to interact with the familiar. Also important is being aware of when you are the person that can help bring everyone together. In my neighborhood it was interesting to see that was made possible, partially because people with different languages were willing to interact, make mistakes, and allow onlookers to find joy from the imperfectly perfect communications. #moveyourdesk #diversity #loneliness #communications #connections

    211 - The Loneliness of Diversity
  4. Apr 19

    218 - Being Woman

    Happy Mother's Day. Happy Women's Day! I am the oldest living child of 10 children. My parents had twins before me who passed away during childbirth. They are buried in Pensacola, Florida. So, I have seven living siblings. For most of my life, I've been a daughter, sister, and aunt to a few dozen nieces and nephews who live across the United States. I've also been a wife and, more recently, a mother, which is something that I have always wanted to experience. I'm grateful to be a woman. For the four years I've had this podcast, I've wanted to talk about being a woman. But each time I've recorded an episode, I've felt like there is more to learn. Conversations with friends and family confirmed those thoughts. Of course, there is more to learn! This week, I decided to share a few thoughts during the Mother's Day season, even though I'm still learning and growing. My DNA is filled with the history of amazing women. My sisters (including sisters-in-law), mother, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and beyond were driven by faith, adventure, hard work, pushing boundaries (and handcarts), and not judging themselves by cultural and media expectations. In many ways, I feel like I'm not living up to the heritage of women in my family tree. However, one thing is for sure: we are all moving, growing, and seeking to fully embrace the possibilities of life. Setting aside the DNA, I have a lot of thoughts about being a woman in the world today. I change my mind frequently while still holding on to certain standards despite the outside influences that impact some women more than others. Friends and family continue to help me learn more about being a modern woman, femininity, feminism, and everything else. I'm sure there are more thoughts to share, but I shut down my work computer today and just started to record. Reach out if you want to talk and offer more thoughts. I'm open to exploring this topic more. Correction: I am the oldest living child of 10 children (not 8 stated in the episode). We are 8 living children. Available through all major podcasts through https://pod.co/move-your-desk #podcast #mothersday #pioneers #pioneerwomen #lauraingalls #karana #islandofthebluedolphins #barbie #mediainfluenceonwomen #women #womensfashion

    218 - Being Woman
5
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

This podcast is for anyone that knows they haven’t yet found and offered up their best work, but are compelled to seek it out and do it. Rebecca Clark shares stories and practical approaches to life and leveling up at work. And, nudges that encourage you to act on the inner inklings to create and offer up your best self. Periodically, she interviews amazing individuals that are already in the pursuit of self-improvement. Are you ready to move your desk? Connect on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaclark/