bloglovinBloglovin iconCombined ShapeCreated with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. rssRSS iconsoundcloudSoundCloud iconFill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch.

Tag: goals

If it is worth doing, you’ll want to quit

“Should I quit or hang in there?” is a question that will accompany any worthwhile project. If you’re not tested, the work probably isn’t on path towards the success you’re hoping for.

“Never quit something with great long-term potential just because you can’t deal with the stress of the moment.” –Seth Godin, The Dip

You will feel tested. You will be challenged. You will want to quit.
Decide the circumstances that are acceptable to quit and hold yourself to those guidelines. When work becomes hard, great rewards are usually on the other side. Don’t be afraid to sacrifice short-term comfort for long-term gain.

Selling and cold calls

Call 1: The worst.
Call 5: Still pretty bad.
Call 10: You care less if someone says no.
Call 12: Someone might be interested.
Call 15: You make a sale.
Call 16: You make another sale.
Call 17: You feel pretty great until someone else says no.
Call 18: You feel bad but make another call anyway.
Call 22: The person asks you to call back next week.
Call 24: Sale.
Call 25: You begin to realize the yes/no/maybe answers have nothing to do with you.
Call 30: Your pitch is better. You can clearly talk about the benefits your product/service provides.
Call 35: If someone says no, it doesn’t ruin your day.
Call 37: Sale.
Call 40: When someone says no, you refine your pitch.
Call 48: Sale.
Call 50: When someone says no, you recognize that person wasn’t the right fit for your product/service.
Call 52: Sale.
Call 53: Sale.
Call 54: The no response is no longer a Big Deal, and you keep going.
Call 55: Sale.
Call 56: Maybe. Appointment set.
Call 57: Sale.
Call 58: Sale.

The first calls are always the hardest. Keep going.

Reassurances for the emerging entrepreneur

1. Stop pretending. You don’t need to have everything figured out, you don’t need to be someone you’re not. Be authentically, completely, fully you. Direct your energy towards what you’re good at and what brings you joy. When you are able to step into your own and confidently accept your unique talents and quirks, you will be richly rewarded.
2. It is perfectly fine to take a slow beginning. Make cautious choices and weigh decisions carefully until your path and vision become clear.
3. Beat perfection. There will never be a perfect circumstance, and there will always be an obstacle waiting to derail you off course. Don’t let it. Sometimes you’ll need to ship before you’re ready, sometimes you’ll need to pitch without preparation. Go.
4. Nothing happens overnight: success, change, failure, pivots. Play the long game and keep your eyes fixed on your goals.

Feel lost? Do what excites you.

“Find your bliss” has become the cliched guidance for those trying to find purpose in life. Bliss can be just as elusive as trying to identify your life mission. If you’re feeling lost or uncertain, try following your excitement.
Watch movies that quicken your heartbeat.
Read books you can’t put down.
Immerse yourself in company and environments that are stimulating.
Talk to people who are passionate about living.
Do work that you like.
Soon, the answers will come. You will know which path to choose and the decisions you need to make.
Take pressure off of finding eternal happiness and choose adventure instead.

10 unpleasant things that are actually good for you

Sticking to a schedule – Having a reliable structure gives you the space to create and dream. The same routine again and again might sound boring, but repetition contributes to mastery and improved skills.

Failing – Disappointments test your motivation and resolve. Failures can encourage you to try again and come back stronger.

Heartbreak – Great lessons can be learned from failed relationships, and the period following a breakup or divorce is ripe for self improvement and discovery.

Rejection – Didn’t get that job or promotion you were hoping for? Ask yourself hard questions and analyze yourself through a more critical lens.

Running/Sprinting/Lifting weights – It will hurt at first, but imagine a healthier, fitter body and mind and get yourself out the door.

Practice tests – Repetition and preparation are cornerstones to success. Improve by doing. Even when it’s annoying.

Being broke – You’ll learn how to budget and save when those last dollars leave your wallet.

Not understanding – Asking questions builds empathy and keeps you curious.

Embarrassment – Moments of humility yield trust and compassion.

Hard work – Put in effort, get results. The best outcomes require time, discipline and focus — and rarely happen overnight.

How to write an article that goes viral

Quitting everything to go to Nepal is one of the scariest pieces I have published. I felt like a gutted fish, open and raw, when I wrote it. I had just come back from my first trip to Nepal, and I had so many thoughts swirling in my mind. I didn’t know how to share them and no one wanted to hear ALL of my stories, so I started to write. And write. And write. Writing has now become a daily compulsion.

I didn’t set out to write a viral article. I wanted to talk about what was trapped inside of me, experiences I wanted to let go of. I was a shaken can of soda and decided it was time to rip the lid off. The more I wrote, the easier it was for me to see common themes in my writings: family (lack of), love (searching for), work (wanting to do something meaningful), fear (of everything), risk (daily choices and big, lifetime decisions). I know I’m not the only one whose dreams have suffered because of one or all of these issues.

I remember counting to three before I clicked “publish.” My stomach was in knots, I had read and reread and rewritten and read again, over and over and over. I thought the post was going to ruin me. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but I knew deep in my bones that I had to write. Fear wasn’t going to stop me. Intimidation wasn’t going to stop me. Lack of confidence in myself and my choices wasn’t going to stop me.

As a writer, that’s what you need to do. Tell the story that hurts, the ones that make your skin prickle. Write the lessons you’ve learned that caused you pain and made you stronger. Ignore that obnoxious voice that whispers you’re not good enough, experienced enough, smart enough, important enough. Tell that voice to go to hell and write. Rip the lid off and write. Readers don’t want prefabricated lines. Give them YOU — your honest, messy, unrefined self.