Show Your Work! (10/10)3 min read

10/10

What are you learning? What do you want to learn about? Learn those things. Then share what you learn. Consistently.

Austin Kleon advises you to show your work.

I loved this book. This was the book that inspired me to start this website and the YouTube channel.

I am interested in being the best medical student I can be, I am also interested in productivity, technology, and making money online. So I decided I would learn about these things and post about it, and, voila – zhighley.com.

The great thing about Show Your Work, is that it’s such a simple message. The title is the main point of the entire book, but in the book, he gives much more meaning to those words.

There are good, and bad things to share.

“What are you working on?” Stick to that question and you’ll be good. Don’t show your lunch or your latte; show your work.

Austin Kleon

This leads into my favorite quote from the entire book:

SO WHAT?

Share only the valuable things. What would you want to learn about? Share that.

What do you wish someone could teach you how to do? Post that.

What’s a book you would love to read that hasn’t been written yet? Write that.

The minute you learn something, turn around, and teach it to others. Share your reading list. Point to helpful reference materials.

Austin Kleon

You should be focusing on creating things that you are passionate about. What drives you? What topic could you create a page blog post about, every day, for the next 365 days (at least). Then do that. Post about it. Post about how hard it is to post about it.

Post as consistently and frequently as you can.

When you do that, maybe, just maybe (if you provide value!) people will begin to listen to you. To be interested in you.

One day you might have an audience, respect them.

Use proper grammar. Avoid slang. Speak properly.

You’re never “keeping it real” with your lack of proofreading and punctuation, you’re keeping it unintelligible.

Austin Kleon

Finally, make sure to chase the passion. Don’t worry about making money, or being able to quit your job, do something you love, and then share it.

Make stuff you love and talk about stuff you love and you’ll attract people who love that kind of stuff. It’s that simple

Austin Kleon

Find something that excites you, that intrigues you. Learn about it. Share what you learn. Keep sharing.

That’s all I do here.

-Zach

Quotes I Like

• Be so good they can’t ignore you
• Don’t worry, for now, about how you’ll make money or a career off it. Forget about being an expert or a professional, and wear your amateurism (your heart, your love) on your sleeve. Share what you love, and the people who love the same things will find you.
• Don’t worry, for now, about how you’ll make money or a career off it. Forget about being an expert or a professional, and wear your amateurism (your heart, your love) on your sleeve. Share what you love, and the people who love the same things will find you.
• Stop worrying about how many people follow you online and start worrying about the quality of people who follow you. Don’t waste your time reading articles about how to get more followers. Don’t waste time following people online just because you think it’ll get you somewhere. Don’t talk to people you don’t want to talk to, and don’t talk about stuff you don’t want to talk about.