Nicole Skidmore

What drives you?

For me to do something there has to be some risk involved - a penalty for not doing it. For instance, if I want to learn about some physics related topic I can't “just sit down and learn about it”. I have to build in risk by volunteering to give a talk/lecture on the topic in X weeks time. The options open to me then become, in X weeks time, I will be standing at the front of a room full of people either with something useful to say… or not… - its a self-imposed penalty for inaction. 

It's similar for hobbies, I have to sign up for a race or exam. The knowledge that race day is going to arrive with or without me being prepared for it is a real driver ;)

How do you move when you have to overcome an obstacle, and what tricks do you reach for to help you?

When something feels really challenging I first think “Is this actually a me problem?” You have to really want to know the answer because, almost always, this is at least partially true. Is it more challenging because there is a fundamental hole in my understanding of something? Is there a relationship I need to repair? Am I spending too much time negotiating with myself and giving myself too many options? Could fixing these things alleviate even a small amount of the discomfort I'm feeling about doing this? 

What do you wish you were asked more often?

What are going to be the events that break up the homogeneity of normal life for you this year? … A little verbose but you get the intention :) 

I like this because everyone is anticipating multiple, individually-tailored markers in time - silent count-downs in the back of our minds. Identifying them is an insight to what someone thinks is important enough to mentally carry around. 

Similarly, I like asking about the pivot points of the last year. What were the events/decisions that had a significant, long-lasting impact on your current trajectory. Ones where, if you had done X rather than Y, you would not be in the same place, or even the same person, you are now.

Favourite book

I tend to only read fairly dry non-fiction things. However, I consume an unhealthy amount of news and political commentary, so instead I thought I could give my favourite progressive YouTube commentators (that often suffer in the algorithms):

• Secular Talk - news & politics commentary from the populist left perspective

• The Majority Report - progressive internet talk radio

• The Vanguard - media critics of the independent left

• The Kavernacle - internet culture and politics