Today’s topic is not only specific for those who enjoy writing but is also relevant for any area of life; it is about good and regular practice and imperfect action. As you know, I read a lot of self-development books and from these, I have gleaned one key message:
You have to keep taking action and continually work on a skill!
It doesn’t matter if you don’t get things right or make mistakes, in fact, this can be a good thing from which you can learn. By taking action and practising things, you will learn what works, what doesn’t and how you can improve in that area. You don’t want to wait around until everything is perfect before you start… because it will not start that way. You will achieve excellence by continual work.
I have found this through writing. When I started writing my first books on children’s fantasy fiction, three years ago, I was not an expert nor a top selling author, but I knew at that moment that it was something I wanted to do.
If I waited until I thought that I had learned enough to become an expert writer, I would still be thinking about writing that first book now. Instead I have practised writing continually and therefore have built up my skills along the way. Am I the best author that I could possibly be right now? Or am I a top- selling international author?
No! Of course not, but as I practise day after day, I become stronger. Just like working out in a gym.
The same applies to myself in terms of promotion and marketing online. Although these are areas that I have only been looking at in the last 6-12 months, I have progressed by finding out what works and what doesn’t, as well as having researched and tried a number of things. I find that I have now so much more knowledge than when I began. I am proud of how far I have progressed, despite there being so much more I want to do.
As regards to both my writing and my self-promotion, I practise both frequently. It is very much like a muscle that you use when you go to the gym, the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets!
If I look at what I want to achieve in my writing career, yes there is a lot more to which I aspire but with continual practice and habits (as in training my writing and self-promotion muscles) I will get there.
Time for thinking:
How can you exercise your muscle each day for your passion / interest?
Some examples:
- To become an artist – you could set 30 minutes a day to draw or paint.
- To become a good public speaker – you could set 30 minutes a day to film yourself and watch yourself on video.
- To become an expert / knowledgeable in an area – you could put 30 minutes a day aside for quiet reading and note taking on that subject.
All the above and other examples do not require any level of skill to begin, but they do require you to begin. If you want to follow an interest/passion in anything, then make a start on that journey.
Again, have a think about the questions and jot your answers down.
Jonny Pardoe
Jonny Pardoe © February 2019
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Jonny Pardoe
