Indispensible

If your organization wanted to replace you with someone far better at your job than you, what would they look for? I think it’s unlikely that they’d seek out someone willing to work more hours, or someone with more industry experience, or someone who could score better on a standardized test. No, the competitive advantage the marketplace demands is someone more human, connected, and mature. Someone with passion and energy, capable of seeing things as they are and negotiating multiple priorities as she makes useful decisions without angst. Flexible in the face of change, resilient in the face of confusion. All of these attributes are choices, not talents, and all of them are available to you.from Seth Godin's Linchpin

Focus on The Entire Process

... any number of photography blogs will tell you to not focus on the gear and that it’s the photographer that makes the difference. Yes, that’s strictly true, but that’s where it stops. Here’s another way of looking at it: how often do you go on a foodie website thinking about pots and pans? What you do think about is meal planning. Is it for a dinner party? Is it for a romantic dinner for two? Is it for a family dinner on a weekday? Do you go with a 5 course French meal for your guests? Do you want to impress your date with paella, with an bottle of tempranillo? Or is it a shellfish fra diavolo to add a little kick to a quiet night in with the spouse, after dropping off the kids at their grandparents? Are you interested in smoking some ribs?

The purpose of the meal is determined first, followed by finding the recipe, ingredients, and tools. This goes without saying for other crafts. In photography, it still seems to be driven by technology as a primary consideration; we usually don’t think in terms of aligning our tools to the effect we want.Dr. Man Ching Cheung