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- How I Build Disruption Into My Life Every Single Day
Little-known fact: I love the stories behind tattoos. I love asking people about theirs—it’s a portal into what inspires them and brings them joy.
Back in 2016, while at SXSW, I met a young woman who had a tattoo on her arm. It said “adventure.”
I asked her about it, and she told me her story: “I was traveling the world for a few years, but when I came back home to Austin, I realized I needed to settle down. But I never wanted to lose my sense of adventure. So I got this tat to remind myself that I can have an adventure anytime, anywhere. I can have an adventure right here, sitting still.”
In that moment, that woman’s tattoo—and her story—changed my life.
I became determined to make every day an adventure. (Trust me when I say this was what kept me sane during COVID!) It began simply: I’d move my office to a different room, or go on a walk along a different path, or try a new recipe.
Throughout my career, I’d been so accustomed to disruption on massive scales that I forgot how impactful these “micro disruptions” were to me. By trying something new, however minor, I was building disruption into my daily life and discovering something new about myself every time.
Because I am who I am, this daily practice evolved into running experiments. I’d try something, assess the results, and learn from them. I learned to appreciate where I was and also hack a different solution to make it better the next time.
A few of my favorite daily “adventure” practices include:
Turning off my GPS. I will try to navigate around the city without my navigation turned on.
Working from a different space. I’ve relocated my office to different rooms in my home several times, and that subtle change of scenery makes a big difference in how I focus and create.
Cooking a recipe from memory. I take a recipe, read through it really carefully, and then set it aside until I’m done making the dish. It’s been fascinating to retrain my brain: I’m now understanding the logic of the recipe and visualizing the process instead of just checking in at every single step.
Hacking my sleep. I’m trying to optimize my health, and right now, I’m using my Oura ring to track my sleep. One key insight is how my heart rate variability (a key indicator of stress) changes because of my activities – or lack thereof. On days when I’ve had more adventure, I’m sleeping better.
Learning to code. ChatGPT made it super easy for me to discover the basics, and in the course of two hours, I had the bones of an app I want to build. It still doesn’t work, but it’s a process.
As much as “adventure” inspires me and rejuvenates me, this sense of daily adventure, on a smaller scale, does something equally important: It grounds me. Several years into this practice, one surprising benefit of this daily practice is that it helps me temper one of the downfalls of my sense of adventure, which is that I can set unrealistic expectations for myself – and to an extent, the people around me.
I’m often up on the edge too often—always looking for that next Big Gulp moment. Practicing disruption daily helps me understand when I’ve expected too much or pushed too hard because I see the impact almost immediately. It’s humbling and humanizing and keeps it all very real.
I’d love to hear from you: How do you build minor doses of disruption into your daily life? What’s a daily practice you do that feels like an adventure?
— Charlene
My Latest:
There are transformations, and then there are mega transformations. Watch my latest livestream or read my LinkedIn newsletter to find out where I think generative AI falls. (It shouldn’t come as a shock to you!)
What comes to mind when you hear the word power? Control? Strength? Authority? In Leading Disruption, I reveal that power isn’t about any of those things. It’s about influence, and I know three key ways to get more of it.
Need an overview or update on generative AI? You’re in luck! Tune into my next livestream on Tuesday, July 18 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET on LinkedIn and Facebook Live for a clear understanding of what it is—and what it isn’t.
Good Things:
Where I’ve been: I’m just back from a week at Modern Elder Academy, a magical place in Baja, Mexico, created by my friend Chip Conley to learn about how to love midlife. I do regular retreats to reset and restore and I’ve come away with so much learning. I highly recommend you check out their week-long workshops, weekend refreshers, and online offerings. Or sign up for their newsletter, chock full of great content and webinar—it’s a must-read for me.
What I’m referring to execs: BetterUp. When it comes to self-improvement, we could all benefit from having a personal coach! But proactive business coaching that leads to transformational change is typically only available when someone reaches a pretty high level in the organization. BetterUp flips this idea, providing virtual coaching at scale—which is especially valuable at the start of someone’s career. I met BetterUp CEO Alexi Robichaux last year and have been impressed by their approach to developing the whole person.
What I’m rethinking: Reading social media can induce intense FOMO, the fear of missing out. My friend and singer/songwriter Allie Chipkin introduced me to JOMO, the joy of missing out, where you enjoy spending time doing whatever it is that you are doing without worrying that something more interesting is happening somewhere else. Allie has mastered JOMO, and it comes across in her music—check it out!
Thank you for subscribing to the Disruption Dispatch, which goes out to thousands of disruptors every other week to help you on your disruption journey—plus a curated recommendation list of a few Good Things I’m enjoying.
Want more? Check out my weekly publication, Leading Disruption, on LinkedIn.
Charlene Li
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