By Angela Booth
Nothing in life happens until you do something. Think, hope,
plan, worry and ask as many questions as you like, but to reach
your dreams you must take action and keep taking action.
I receive at least four e-mail messages a week with a variation
of "I want to write for a living, but...."
Half the lovely people contacting me have made some writing
sales; the other half are aspiring writers. What's amazing to me
however, is that all of them know what to do. The aspiring and
pro writers know how to get their work in front of editors, or if
they're copywriters, they know that they have to market
themselves.
BUT ---
There's always the "but".
They're still unsure.
I'm convinced that they imagine that there's a secret. Once they
know what the secret is, everything will be magically clear to
them, and they'll feel in control, knowing that at least $2K a
week or more will keep rolling in. Then all they'll need to do is
decide whether they'll vacation in the Bahamas or Tahiti this
year.
There is a secret. Here it is in five words: GET STARTED, THEN
KEEP GOING.
The poet Goethe said it better:
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has
genius, power, and magic in it.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
A famous novelist once said that writing a novel for him was like
driving through the night with only the light of his headlights
for guidance. However, what he could see in his headlights was
more than enough for him to write his book.
The "Get Started Then Keep Going" secret applies not just to any
small business, but to any dream you have. You're not given a
map. How could you get a map? The world's changing every second.
However, you're given a dream, and you're always given knowledge
of one step you can take today. That's all you need.
Once you do something, things start to move you toward your
dream, and they're always a surprise.
All you have to do is remember your dream, keep it constantly in
mind, and then confidently (or with craven cowardice, it doesn't
matter) do just one thing RIGHT NOW. And then do the next thing.
And the next thing after that.
If you want to super-charge your movement to your dream, promise
yourself that you'll do five things every day that will move you
toward your dream.
=> Coping with your emotional roadblocks
Maybe you're too exhausted to move towards your dream. Constant
exhaustion indicates an emotional energy leak. You can plug your
leaks and get around your blocks.
Here are some common blocks and how to get around them:
Block One: Your expectations
You have a dream, and you think you know how it will evolve. You
don't know. You can't know. All your expectations do is get in
the way. Drop your expectations. Think about your dream, and get
excited. The minute you start thinking that you know how your
dream will evolve, just refocus on the dream again, and the next
action you have to take.
Block Two: Envy and jealousy
Don't compare yourself with anyone else. If you truly knew all
the details of the person's life you're busy envying, chances are
you wouldn't want his life. Be grateful for everything you have.
Block Three: Taking on too much
You can have it all, but not all at once. If you're studying,
raising three small children under five, and want to run a small
business in your spare time, get real. Hold your dream until you
finish your course and the kids are in school.
Block Four: Assuming
Ask, don't assume. You want to send out 100 direct mail letters,
but ---- (fill in your assumption here).
Send out the letters if that's what you see in your headlights.
Do it.
Block Five: Negative thought patterns
Negative thoughts are like weeds. They grow, until they choke the
life out of your spirit.
Here's the good news: once you can spot a negative thought, the
thought dies. It can't survive with your attention directly on
it, because then you can challenge it. So when you spot a
negative thought, smile. You're winning.
Just for today, give yourself a break and work your dream. What
can you see in your headlights? Go and do it right now.
Here's another quote from Goethe to inspire you to action:
How can you come to know yourself? Never by thinking, always by
doing. Try to do your duty, and you'll know right away what you
amount to.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
