What Would You Attempt To Do If…?

By Susan Goodsell - Jun 15 , 2009

“What would you attempt to do . . .

if it didn’t matter

whether you succeeded or failed?”

We know what we want – professional success, more money, better relationships, or ten pounds less (okay, twelve!). It’s easy to set goals! And let’s be totally honest—we know the steps we need to take to achieve our goals. So why is that novel still unwritten? For me, my path to publication took a circuitous route.

When I switched careers from travel to referral marketing, I knew I needed to start publishing articles to build recognition as a professional in my field. (There’s the goal.) So I joined an author mentoring program. (There’s the bottom rung of the ladder to get me moving towards my goal.) And then, (drum roll please)…and then, nothing!

Unless you count the oh-so-eloquent paragraph I wrote to be accepted into the author mentoring program, I submitted two articles over the next two years while listening in on those monthly mentoring calls. TWO YEARS of having my cheeks firmly planted in the chair, getting comfortable as a spectator and watching from the sidelines! Glaciers move more quickly than I did!

Finally, the realization dawned that I needed to either jump in the deep end or pack up my trash and leave the pool. (There’s the reality check!) I took a deep breath and kersplash! Happily, I came up gasping and smiling—the water’s fine, and I have found a level of success and excitement in the writing field that I never imagined, along with a lingering puzzlement over why-didn’t-I-do-this-sooner.

Noticing this pattern of procrastination in other areas in my life led me to a company called Productive Learning & Leisure. I signed up and went through an eye-opening two-day class called “Beyond Reasons.”

Imagine 21 strangers between the ages of 18 and 72, sitting in a semi-circle of chairs in a hotel meeting room——peeling layers off our personal onions, discussing desires of professional success, better relationships, and a myriad of other areas of unmet goals in our lives. What we all had in common was the need to figure out why we had not met—or in some cases, even attempted—our goals.

I was stumped by what I consistently labeled my ‘procrastination.’ My “Eureka!” moment was when a bulb turned on in my head and I understood that my procrastination was just a symptom, not a disease. The actual issue (several layers into that onion!) is that I play it safe when I think I might fail. Though my reason for taking this class had to do with increasing revenue in my business, I realized there was a really flat spot on my forehead from repeatedly hitting this same wall!

For example, with writing, no submissions = no rejections! Because the worst thing in the world would be for some unknown editor to take an actual red pen to my writing, rejecting both my written words and my wonderful self in the process!

In talking to several other friends and business professionals who are also authors, it became obvious that many of us have this issue. So here are a couple of strategies to use if you’re an author wannabe, but the goal seems just out of reach because of procrastination paralysis—

1. Develop a habit. Writer’s write, so do it as consistently as brushing your teeth! Post your commitment where you’ll see it every day:

I will write for one hour every morning.
(on the bathroom mirror: you’ll see it every time you brush your teeth)
I will write 1000 words a day.
(on the refrigerator door, just above the handle: you’ll see it every time you eat)
I will complete one article per week.
(on the back of your front door: you’ll see it every time you leave the house or office)

2. Identify target publications and websites. Know what kind of stories they run and slant your writing to their specifics. For example, a travel article on cruise ships could be re-written for another publication about why cruises are perfect for family reunions—and re-written yet again explaining the benefits of seminars at sea for business professionals!

3. Build on small successes. Once an article is published, forward the link to your friends, family, and associates. Post it on your website, put a link on Twitter or your social networking site. Thanks to the Internet, your published work will grow tentacles!

4. Focus on why you want to write. Let go of preconceived notions of success or lack thereof. Worrying about publication can paralyze you (says she with the flat spot on her forehead). Instead, focus on what you will gain:

Increased skill, satisfaction, & pride as a writer
Greater visibility, credibility, & confidence in your field
Financial rewards (new car, out of debt, touring Europe!)
Connections to editors, publishers, & others (future jobs, more $$$)

5. Track your progress. Keep a journal, spreadsheet, or file with what you’ve written, time spent on it, the net result (status of query, re-write or edit status, publication date & where, amount earned from article) and keep it current.

6. Plan your celebration! Reward time, so buy that status watch or piece of jewelry to remind you of your success every time you glance at it! Or book that cruise to reward not only yourself, but also reward your honey for all his or her moral support!

These steps should be part of your writing life. So what would you attempt to do if it didn’t matter whether you succeeded or failed?

Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from getting what you want.

An important lesson I learned from Corporate Trainer Betty Jo Waxman——

Even if you fall, you fall forward.

So what if it takes two years rather than one to write that book! At the one year mark, you’ll still be half-way there . . . and isn’t that better than letting the fear of failure prevent you from starting?

For today’s writing assignment, write yourself a new mission statement.

You can even borrow mine, if you’d like:

I am enthusiastically and joyfully
going after all my goals—
and I won’t quit until I achieve them!

______________________________________________________________________________________
Susan M. Goodsell is a referral marketing professional, trainer, and author, based in Southern California. She is Executive Director and owner of BNI Riverside & San Bernardino Counties, CA. Her focus is helping entrepreneurs and business owners reach higher levels of success through word-of-mouth marketing.

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