“You deserve to live your ideal life.”
This is the opening line to a book by bestselling author Gino Wickman.
It’s such a powerful line. Somewhere between “bullshit” and “absolutely” is my response. Maybe we have to work with both responses.
It is “bullshit” if you: (a) don’t believe in yourself or (b) understand that nothing just comes to you without hard work. But it is “absolutely” if you believe in yourself and are prepared to make your life unfold the way you want it to.
Notice the author of the EOS Life: How To Love Your Ideal Entrepreneurial Life says “your ideal life” and not “the ideal life.” There is a difference. Truthfully, there’s no one singular standard for an ideal life. If there were, I suspect, the standard would keep shifting for life and the world is not stagnant. We customize our lives to fit our targeted goals, or at least we should, as opposed to customizing our goals to fit our lives. Why?
The latter means setting goals based on where we are at or have come from. The former says: aim high and find a way to get there. Both will still be solid paths to improvement, maybe even riches, but they do differ in their potential degrees of success.
So, let’s apply this to you: You deserve to live your ideal author life.
Question: How?
How will you do this? First define what it is that you want to accomplish as a writer. Be specific. Believe you are worthy and that this is achievable.
If you do what you love (write) with people who support what you love (editors, publicists, literary agents, publishers, friends, fans), getting compensated for your work, and your writings begin to make a difference in the lives of others, you are living a great life.
So, what does Wickman believe we each need to do to attain our ideal life?
1. Develop 10-Year Thinking
Do not just think short-term or day-to-day. Don’t overestimate what you can do in a year nor underestimate what you can accomplish in a decade. Think big and beyond today.
2.
Take
Time Off
That’s right, to work hard and smart, take a break. Rest, reflect, and rejuvenate yourself.
3.
Know
Thyself
You can’t really be yourself until you first
truly know yourself. Get in touch with who you are --your style and approach to
things, your strengths and weaknesses, and your attitude, seek a coach, therapist,
or mentor to help you focus on you.
4.
Quiet
Time
Spend at least 10 minutes a day in silence and solitude. Meditation, prayer, silence, or yoga breathing can be transformative and bring you clarity.
5. Know Your Limits
Setting limits is as important as setting goals. Know your boundaries and breaking points. How many hours per day and week will you commit to working -- and how many to not working?
6.
Say
No, Often
Walk away from something that is not the best fit. Do not commit to people or projects that are not worth your time or sanity.
7.
Don’t
Do Lower-Paying Work
If you want to make good money, pay others to do lower-wage tasks while you focus on things that have bigger pay-offs.
8.
Prepare
Nightly
Lay out your next day’s schedule and plan it on the night before. Write it down, map it, and visualize it.
9.
Put
Things In One Spot
Be organized and stick everything in a giant folder, notebook or area. Or store everything in a few key digital files. Make it so that you can’t waste time looking for things or information that should be readily accessible.
10. Be Humble.
Have a healthy, positive, empowering view of yourself but don’t put others down, underestimate them, or dismiss them. Be thankful, appreciative, and less arrogant.
Identify what your ideal writer’s life could be.
Then take steps to achieve and make it materialize. If you can see it, it’s now
possible. If you don’t love to see what is possible, too much seems impossible,
when it really isn’t.
“Where the talents and the needs of the world
cross, lies your calling, vocation, purpose.”
-Aristotle
Did You
Know?
One-third
of all states have at least one-third of each state’s population that is obese.
No state two decades ago was above 25%
of its population having obesity.
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About Brian Feinblum
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