My Minimum Effective Dose (read: smaller, beautifully-sized goal)

My Minimum Effective Dose (read: smaller, beautifully-sized goal)

(Don’t know what I’m talking about, start here.)

Ironically, my Minimum Effective Dose relates to my writing. I love writing, and always have. I used to love the “write-the-brief” days when I practiced law; I’ve always loved writing letters (even did a 30-day challenge around it); during election season I wrote a zillion letters with Vote Forward; and most recently, I flooded my daughters’ sleepaway camp mailbox with oodles of letters and postcards keeping them apprised of Simone Biles’ bravery, tales of a last-minute camping trip, and assorted other updates. 

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But when it comes to writing to the Parachute community, sometimes I feel stymied. Two things get in the way of the consistent writing I’ve always hoped to do with Parachute. 

  1. After a full day of coaching and facilitation, I have to say, while trite, the draw to spend time with my husband and girls, go for a run, cook some dinner, or catch up with a friend, make it really hard for me to sit down and share my thoughts.

  2. I am consistently inspired by the drive, courage, and transparency of my clients and the broader Parachute community. So when I write I really want to share thoughts that feel worth your precious time to read and that strike me as fresh, crisp insights authentic to my work and to all of your various pursuits.

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Between the time constraints of #1 and the pressure of #2, I find myself turning to other things (sometimes truly anything!) rather than writing. So the subject of my Minimum Effective Dose is communicating with you.

Applying the three key steps to setting my Minimum Effective Dose: 

  1. Identify something that is really important to you: connecting with this community and sharing stories that when shared live are constantly met with comments like “I’m so glad to hear it’s not just me.”

  2. Create a flexible, easy-to-medium goal that fits in with the demands of your life: I will write to honor lessons and truths of the Parachute community which will remind me of how much I love to write (and I really hope to be propelled at least once a month!). 

  3. Get clear on your reasons for doing it. If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic, staying connected is critical to thriving. 

Looking forward to connecting more frequently and making my Minimum Effective Dose work!

Lauren Laitin