Complete: Day 26 of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul

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Complete: Day 26 of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul

Today’s word for Day 26 is “Complete.”

There comes a moment in every creative journey when we have to stop revising, stop second-guessing, and trust the work we have created. We have to declare it complete. For The Beatles, that moment arrived in November 1965 as they finished recording Rubber Soul. For me, that moment arrives every morning when I press Publish on another blog post or reel, sending a small piece of my creativity into the world with the hope that it will find its way to someone who needs it.

It is not always easy to declare something complete. There may be doubts, fears, and uncertainties behind placing that final period at the end of the final sentence. There may even be a flaw or two in the finished work, and that is perfectly fine. We have to honor our humanity, embrace the imperfections that come with the creative process, and believe that our vision is worthy of being shared with others. Completion does not necessarily mean perfection. Sometimes, it simply means having the courage to trust the work.

Think about the remarkable journey of Rubber Soul. The Beatles had spent weeks recording, experimenting, rewriting, refining, and pushing themselves into new creative territory. They were working against a deadline while discovering new dimensions of their artistic identities. Each recording session brought them closer to completing an album that would mark an important turning point in their creative evolution.

Their final recording session for the album took place on November 11, 1965, extending into the early hours of November 12. Among the final songs recorded was “Girl,” a John Lennon composition that beautifully demonstrates the increasingly introspective direction of his songwriting. I often wonder what that final session must have felt like for John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Was there exhaustion mixed with relief? Did they feel a sense of pride in what they had accomplished? Were they uncertain about how their latest collection of songs would be received? I would have loved to have been a part of that final recording session, simply to experience the atmosphere in the studio and witness the band reaching the finish line. We cannot know exactly what they were feeling, but I find myself drawn to imagining that moment when the work was finally complete.

For the past 26 days, I have published a daily blog and reel as part of this personal creative challenge. Each morning, I have stepped into the unknown by sharing my ideas, reflections, and creativity with the world. My passion for The Beatles and Rubber Soul is certainly nothing new. Their music has always been a comfortable and familiar place for me to dwell, reflect, and find inspiration. Through this series, however, I have attempted to move beyond simply celebrating the music by connecting the album to new ideas about creativity, collaboration, leadership, and the importance of doing the work.

There have been mornings when I have felt a quiet sense of pride in what I have completed. There have also been moments when I have wondered whether my work has resonated with anyone or whether anyone has even taken the time to read or watch. Some posts and reels have generated meaningful responses and connections, while others have received far less engagement than I had hoped. I would be less than truthful if I said that those quieter moments did not occasionally leave me questioning myself. Yet, through all those moments of uncertainty, I have continued to create, reflect, and share. I have honored the commitment I made to myself when this journey began.

As I approach the conclusion of this month-long series, I am beginning to look back and marinate on what I have learned. There is much to ponder about the discipline of creating something every day, the courage of sharing personal reflections, and the unexpected discoveries that emerge when we give ourselves permission to explore our creativity. One particular lesson resonates with me today as I consider the word “Complete.”

Completion is the moment when we stop measuring our work by what we might still change and begin trusting what we have already created.

I cannot control who reads my blog or watches my reels. I cannot determine whether friends, family, colleagues, or complete strangers will take the time to engage with what I have shared. I can only control the care, intention, authenticity, and effort I bring to the creative process. Once I press Publish, the work begins a journey beyond my control. It may resonate with someone today, tomorrow, or perhaps years from now. It may reach only a handful of people. None of those possibilities diminishes the value of the work or the personal growth that came from creating it.

As I reflect upon my discoveries during Four Weeks to Rubber Soul, I realize that I am not simply writing about The Beatles. I am using their creative journey to better understand my own. The daily discipline of writing, recording, revising, and publishing has reminded me of the importance of trusting my voice, embracing the creative process, and finding fulfillment in the work itself. There is something liberating about recognizing that the act of creating has its own rewards, even when the response from the outside world is quieter than we might hope.

Complete is a powerful word because it asks us to trust ourselves. It invites us to recognize the effort we have invested, the lessons we have learned, and the creativity we have shared. There will always be another sentence to revise, another recording to improve, or another idea to explore. At some point, we have to believe that what we have created is worthy of being shared. We press Publish, release our work into the world, and hope it lands where it needs to land. The act of completion becomes an act of faith in our creativity and in ourselves.

Today also carries a special significance as we remember John Lennon on what would have been his 86th birthday. When I listen to Rubber Soul, I hear an artist becoming increasingly willing to explore new dimensions of his creative voice. Songs such as “Norwegian Wood,” “Nowhere Man,” and “In My Life” reveal a songwriter moving into more personal, introspective, and imaginative territory. John was willing to explore new possibilities in his songwriting, and that creative courage continues to inspire me.

John and his fellow Beatles completed Rubber Soul without knowing the lasting impact their work would have on generations of listeners. They had created something meaningful, trusted their creative instincts, and released their music into the world. Perhaps that is one of the most beautiful lessons we can take from their journey. We do the work, give it the care and attention it deserves, and trust that it will find its place in the world.

As I press Publish on Day 26, I am learning to embrace that same sense of trust. I am grateful for the journey, the discoveries, and the opportunity to share a little piece of myself each morning through the music that has meant so much to me throughout my life. My work for today is complete, even as my creative journey continues.

Check out today’s reel for more:

Refine: Day 25 of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul

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As we move closer to finishing any creative work, there comes a moment when we need to look again at what we have made. We are not looking to tear it apart or chase perfection. We look again because there may be an element that needs attention, an idea that needs sharpening, or a small adjustment that brings the original vision more fully into focus.

That is the work of refinement, and it requires intention. Refining asks us to listen closely and pay attention to the details that matter. The challenge is knowing when those details strengthen the work and when we are simply getting lost in minutiae. Refinement should move the work closer to its purpose, not further away from the excitement that inspired us to begin.

You can hear that process throughout the Rubber Soul sessions. The recordings included on the Super Deluxe Edition allow us to hear songs taking shape through experimentation, performance, revision, and discovery. Early ideas become increasingly focused as The Beatles continue working with the material and discovering what each song needs.

“Day Tripper” and “We Can Work It Out,” the double A sided single recorded during these sessions, offer wonderful examples. In the early versions, you can hear John Lennon and Paul McCartney planting the seeds of ideas that eventually grow into the finished recordings we know today. Performances become stronger, arrangements take shape, and musical elements are added with purpose. The songs gradually become clearer versions of themselves.

That distinction matters because refinement does not necessarily mean changing the vision. Sometimes refinement means seeing the vision more clearly and removing whatever keeps us from realizing it.

I have experienced that during Four Weeks to Rubber Soul. I began this series with a rough outline and an idea of where I wanted the journey to go. As I started writing and recording each day, some of the words changed, some ideas shifted, and new connections emerged that I could not have anticipated when I created the original outline.

The framework gave me somewhere to begin, while the daily work helped me refine where I was going. I needed enough structure to keep moving and enough openness to listen when the work seemed to be pointing somewhere unexpected.

That may be the most important lesson for me today. Stay true to the vision while remaining open to what the work is teaching you. Refine what needs attention, but do not polish away the energy that made you excited about the idea in the first place.

The goal is not perfection. The goal is to make the work more fully what you hoped it could become. As you move closer to the finish, refine the work while protecting the spark that made you want to begin.

Check out today’s reel for more:

Sustain: Day 24 of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul

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Sustain

As the finish line approaches, starting is no longer the challenge. We have committed. We have focused. Now we have to sustain the momentum long enough to finish what we started.

The final stretch of Rubber Soul fascinates me because of the pace The Beatles maintained. During the last week of recording, they were still creating new songs, returning to unfinished ones, adding overdubs, and working increasingly long sessions. On November 11, with the deadline closing in, they worked for 13 hours. “You Won’t See Me” and “Girl” were recorded, while “Wait” and “I’m Looking Through You” received the additional work they needed. This was not a quick burst of inspiration. They had to sustain their energy, concentration, and creativity until the work was finished.

Sustain means more than keeping busy. It means carrying something forward after the initial excitement has faded. A new idea can give us energy. A deadline can give us urgency. Neither guarantees that we will stay with the work. Sustaining momentum requires us to keep showing up when the work becomes difficult, repetitive, or uncertain.

I also wonder whether something besides the deadline was sustaining The Beatles. They were discovering new possibilities in the studio. They were stretching their songwriting, experimenting with instruments and sounds, and beginning to understand that the recording studio could become part of the creative process itself. Imagine realizing, together, that you are onto something. That feeling must have been difficult to leave behind.

Maybe that is why the momentum did not end with Rubber Soul. Only a few months later, The Beatles returned to the studio and began recording Revolver, pushing many of those creative possibilities even further. The finish line for one project became the starting line for another.

I feel some of that through Four Weeks to Rubber Soul. Showing up every day has created momentum of its own. Some days have come easily. Others have required more effort. Each day has reminded me that creative momentum deserves care if we want it to last.

Today’s word is Sustain. Keep showing up. Protect the energy around the work. Stay curious about where it might lead.

Momentum gets us moving. Sustaining it helps us discover how far we can go.

Check out more in today’s reel:

Focus: Day 23 of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul

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Focus

I keep coming back to the focus it took for The Beatles to finish Rubber Soul. They were working against an immovable deadline, with EMI needing a new album ready for the Christmas market. A deadline can certainly sharpen our attention, but I wonder if something else was driving them. Maybe they knew they were onto something. Maybe they could feel the music changing and did not want to lose the momentum.

Consider “I’m Looking Through You.” The Beatles first worked on the song on October 24, spending hours developing a version that ultimately did not make the album. They returned to it on November 6 and tried again. They still were not satisfied. Four days later, with the deadline looming, they started over once more and finally found the arrangement we know from Rubber Soul. The song was completed with additional vocals and handclaps during their marathon final recording session on November 11.

That is focus. Focus is not always sitting down, locking in, and getting everything right on the first attempt. Sometimes focus means returning to something that is not working. It means staying with an idea long enough to discover what it can become. The Beatles could have settled for one of the earlier versions. Instead, they kept listening, adjusting, and returning to the work.

Focus is not always easy for me, either. My own creative work has plenty of starts and stops. Doubt creeps into the process. Confidence disappears. Other responsibilities compete for attention, and sometimes the easiest response is to put the work aside and promise myself that I will return later.

This daily series has taught me something about focus. Showing up every day for Four Weeks to Rubber Soul has required me to keep returning to an idea, writing about it, recording a reel, and putting it into the world. The discipline has helped me focus, but it has also helped me appreciate what focus actually requires.

Today’s word is Focus, but focus cannot simply be something we practice for one ephemeral day. It is something we choose again tomorrow. We return to the song. We return to the page. We return to the idea that still needs our attention.

The deadline may get us into the room. Focus keeps us there long enough to finish something that matters.

Check out today’s reel for more:

Commit: Day 22 of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul

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Commit

Welcome to the fourth and final week of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul. For the past three weeks, we have explored what it means to begin, collaborate, and experiment. Now we arrive at our final theme: Finish.

Our word for Day 22 is Commit because finishing begins with a decision. At some point, the experiment needs a commitment. Ideas become work when we commit to finishing them.

The Beatles understood that reality during the making of Rubber Soul. For all the creativity surrounding those sessions, there was also an immovable deadline. The Beatles needed to deliver a new album in time for the Christmas market. They could experiment with unusual sounds, rewrite songs, abandon takes, work through long sessions, and chase new ideas, but eventually they had to finish the record.

That deadline did not stop experimentation. It gave the experimentation somewhere to go. The ideas had to become songs, the songs had to become an album, and the album had to be finished.

I am thinking about commitment quite a bit these days. I am finishing my second book, Leadership Riffs, after months of writing, revising, questioning, discovering, and trying again. There comes a point in any creative project when the question has to change. We stop asking whether the idea could become something and start doing the work necessary to make it something.

The same is true for Four Weeks to Rubber Soul. I have made it through three weeks of daily blog posts and reels. The novelty and excitement of beginning have faded. I have experimented publicly, shared ideas that were still developing, and kept showing up even when the engagement sometimes disappointed me.

Now there are seven days remaining. This final week is less about asking, “Can I do this?” and more about saying, “I am going to see this through.”

Commitment matters because beginnings are exciting and experiments are full of possibility. Finishing asks something different from us. It asks us to keep showing up after the novelty disappears, continue when the response is quieter than we hoped, and stay with the work long enough to complete what we started.

The Beatles had a record to finish. I have a book to finish and seven more days of this creative journey to complete. You may have something waiting for your commitment too.

As we begin this final week, think about the unfinished work in your own life. What idea, project, dream, or creative pursuit deserves more than another someday? What would happen if you decided that now is the time to see it through?

That is where Finish begins. It begins with a commitment to the work and a decision to keep going until the work is complete.

Check out today’s reel:

Discovery: Day 21 of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul

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As we wrap up Week Three of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul, I am still carrying the positive energy from two wonderful moments: the release of the Rubber Soul Super Deluxe Edition and the opportunity to speak at FabFest in Charlotte. Both experiences arrived at just the right time as we close a week centered on one theme: Experiment.

Experimentation is how we discover what we could not have planned. The key word in that sentence is Discover, our word for Day 21. This week, we have explored curiosity. We have tried. We have played. We have taken risks. We have approached new frontiers. We have rested. Each word has invited us to move beyond what we already know and remain open to what might emerge.

That is the gift of experimentation. We may begin with an idea of where we are going, but discovery can reveal possibilities we never imagined. Sometimes the most meaningful result of an experiment is not what we create. It is what we discover along the way.

The Beatles did not enter EMI Studios in October 1965 with every innovation on Rubber Soul mapped out. They experimented with sounds, instruments, arrangements, tempos, harmonies, and approaches. Their curiosity opened doors, and their willingness to try new things helped them discover possibilities that expanded their music and helped redefine what a Beatles album could be.

That idea feels especially meaningful to me today because I started Four Weeks to Rubber Soul as an experiment. I wanted to spend four weeks reflecting on this remarkable album while exploring what its creation could teach us about creativity, collaboration, and our own work. Three weeks later, I am discovering where some of these ideas might lead me.

This experiment has produced more than 21 blog posts and reels and counting. More importantly, it has helped me see a new thread in my own work. I originally planned to speak about my book The Pepper Effect at FabFest. That work uses The Beatles and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as a lens for thinking about leadership, collaboration, creativity, and culture.

Something began to shift as I spent these weeks immersed in Rubber Soul. I started wondering whether the ideas I explored in The Pepper Effect could reach beyond Sgt. Pepper. I began looking at the larger creative journey of The Beatles and seeing a thread that stretches across albums, songs, relationships, risks, failures, breakthroughs, and reinventions.

A new idea began to emerge from that exploration. I started calling it The Beatles Effect, a broader look at what the creative journey of The Beatles can teach us about creativity, collaboration, growth, leadership, and possibility. Rubber Soul became an ideal entry point because it captures a band willing to move beyond what had worked before and discover what might come next.

Instead of simply revisiting The Pepper Effect at FabFest, I decided to experiment. I shared this emerging idea of The Beatles Effect and used Rubber Soul to help tell the story. The response was warm and encouraging, and I left FabFest inspired to keep exploring where this idea might lead.

None of that was part of my original plan when I started this series three weeks ago. The idea emerged because I stayed curious, tried something, played with ideas, accepted some risk, and stepped toward a new frontier. Discovery did not arrive because I knew exactly where I was going. It arrived because I was willing to experiment.

As Week Three comes to a close, consider your own experiments. Think about something you have tried recently without knowing exactly where it might lead. Consider the possibilities that may have appeared simply because you gave yourself permission to explore. What has your experiment helped you discover?

Discovery matters because it shows us possibilities we could not see when we began. Eventually, those possibilities ask something more from us. We have to decide what deserves our attention, commit to the work, and bring something across the finish line.

Tomorrow begins our fourth and final week of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul, and our theme is Finish. We have spent three weeks beginning, collaborating, experimenting, and discovering what might be possible. Now it is time to take what we have discovered and finish what we started.

Check out today’s reel:

Rest: Day 20 of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul

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Sometimes in the creative process we can get weighed down by the burden of shipping the work. There may be external deadlines or self-imposed accountability. It’s a labor of love, but it is important to take care of ourselves. You can give yourself permission to pause and recharge.

Today’s word is Rest. Take time to rest and nurture your nervous system.

Check out today’s reel recorded outside the FabFest in uptown Charlotte, NC. I was honored to be a featured author/speaker there.

Frontier: Day 19 of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul

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Day 19: Frontier

Sometimes a familiar album can suddenly sound like a new world. The new Rubber Soul reissues arrived today, and I picked up the five LP Super Deluxe Edition. The packaging is beautiful, the 88 page book is a liner notes dream, and the real revelation begins when the needle drops.

Listening to the different takes and demos brings me closer to the four musicians in the room. I hear details that remind me how much Rubber Soul was built through listening, collaboration, harmony, and trust. They sound locked in with one another, energized by the possibilities opening around them.

Paul McCartney has described The Beatles as a “great little band,” and these sessions bring that description to life. Beneath the mythology were four musicians working together, responding to one another, and discovering where a song might lead. You can hear the synergy, the harmonies taking shape, and the joy of discovery.

That is why I keep returning to Rubber Soul as a frontier album. The Beatles were standing between the world they knew and a new world they were beginning to create. They were moving beyond familiar territory with curiosity, courage, and one another.

Creative frontiers ask the same of us. We do not need to know exactly where the journey will lead. We need enough curiosity to explore, enough courage to try, and enough trust to keep moving toward the horizon.

This week of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul has been about curiosity, trying, playing, and taking risks. Today, I decided to follow that same spirit by trying something completely new. In honor of the new Rubber Soul release, I recorded my first unboxing video. It may not be perfect, but crossing a frontier rarely begins with perfection. In fact, I didn’t include my remote microphone in the recording of the video, so I had to do a quick voiceover. I found it amusing to do my own accidental director’s cut of the reel. It begins by trying something new. Here is my first step into another little creative frontier.

Check out my unboxing video of Rubber Soul:

Risk: Day 18 of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul

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By the time The Beatles entered the recording studio in October 1965 to begin work on “Rubber Soul,” they had already conquered the world. Their early songwriting had established them as an extraordinary creative force. Songs like “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” had helped define an entire generation.

They could have continued following that successful formula. Their audience certainly loved it. Instead, The Beatles decided to venture beyond the familiar and take some creative risks.

Listen to “Nowhere Man,” “Norwegian Wood,” and “In My Life.” These songs reveal a band growing beyond its earlier creative boundaries. Their songwriting was becoming more introspective, their musical influences were expanding, and their willingness to experiment was increasingly evident. There was a maturity emerging in their music that went beyond the familiar love songs of Beatlemania.

The Beatles were not rejecting their past. They were discovering their future. Sometimes, that is precisely what taking a creative risk can accomplish.

The Risk of Putting Yourself Out There

Earlier this year, I submitted a book proposal about an album I deeply love. I invested considerable time, research, and personal energy into the project. Nearly five months later, I am still waiting for a response.

Some mornings, the uncertainty weighs heavily. I wonder whether I should inquire about the timeline or simply continue waiting. Taking that initial creative risk was exciting. Living with the uncertainty afterward has required a different kind of courage.

I share this because I suspect some of you know that feeling. Perhaps you have submitted a manuscript, applied for an opportunity, launched a project, or shared something meaningful with the world. You have taken the risk, but the response has yet to arrive.

There is a vulnerability in putting something you believe in before an audience, an editor, or a decision maker. We hope our work will resonate. We hope someone will recognize the possibilities we see. Sometimes, however, all we can do is wait.

Here is something I am learning. Taking a risk means accepting that we cannot control the outcome. Staying creative means refusing to let that uncertainty silence our next idea.

Keep Discovering What Is Possible

The Beatles did not know exactly where their experiments on “Rubber Soul” would lead. They continued exploring anyway. Their willingness to move beyond what had already worked opened the door to an extraordinary period of creative growth.

Perhaps that is the lesson for all of us. We do not have to abandon our past accomplishments to discover new possibilities. We simply need the courage to venture beyond what is comfortable.

I am still waiting for that response to my book proposal. Regardless of the outcome, I am glad I took the risk. The experience has reminded me that creative growth requires us to embrace uncertainty rather than surrender to it.

Sometimes the greatest creative risk is walking away from what we know works to discover what might be possible.

Whatever creative risk you are contemplating today, give yourself permission to try. Your next idea deserves a chance, even when the outcome remains unknown.

Check out today’s reel for more:

Play: Day 17 of Four Weeks to Rubber Soul

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When we think about The Beatles, we often focus on the finished masterpieces. We celebrate the harmonies, innovative arrangements, and timeless songwriting. What we sometimes overlook is the joy of four musicians simply playing together.

During the “Rubber Soul” sessions, The Beatles recorded an instrumental called “12 Bar Original.” It was a bluesy groove that owed something to the musical spirit of Booker T. & the MGs. The recording never made the album, but it offers an intriguing glimpse into the band’s creative process.

A few days later, while rehearsing George Harrison’s “Think for Yourself,” the Beatles were joking, improvising, and laughing as George Martin recorded their exchanges. These were musicians working under intense pressure to finish an album, yet they still found room for a little fun.

There is something wonderfully human about these moments. Even The Beatles needed opportunities to explore, laugh, and enjoy the experience of making music. Creativity did not always have to begin with the expectation of producing another classic.

Sometimes the most important thing we can do is give ourselves permission to play. Play is the catalyst to bring joy back into the conversation for any creative pursuit.

Here’s a question to consider: When was the last time you allowed yourself to play with an idea simply for the joy of discovering where it might lead?

Check out today’s reel for more on “Play”