Just Have Fun, Money Is Secondary

Thinking BIG is something that people don’t do enough of. They think small by thinking large (if that makes any sense at all). You can think BIG but you need the details of how to develop what it is you are going to do. Having a plan is a first step in that process and understand that most businesses do not make money their first few years.

That’s one of the things I’ve constantly been hearing from friends. There’s no money in it (whatever industry “it” is).

My response: There’s not INSTANT money in it.

Everything takes time.

Example: My friend in Seattle owns a bar. He put up $100k, his brother put up $100k, they borrowed $50k from the bank.

Because the bar is busy, everyone keeps telling him that he needs to franchise, expand. Open up another place. But here’s the skinny: He’s not making money on it yet. They’ve gotten about $200k out of the business in a year and a half, but still owe the bank the $50k from their loan.

No one sees that. They see INSTANT success. Either yes or no. Either you made it or you didn’t.

Maybe it takes 5-10 years to be successful at something. Why not just try it, continue to work at it.

Here’s a quick story about a woman I know. I think the world of her. I always will. But she had a habit of quitting things, not doing things, because she wasn’t INSTANTLY making cash at it. Even though making money at something wasn’t the point. Even though she didn’t need the money anyway in order to exist. But she figured the only way to develop any idea that what she was doing was worth anything was to generate capital for it.

My thought: You should do it if you have time, you want to make the time, it hurts no one, and it makes you happy.

Worrying about anything else is ridiculous.

Besides, what are you doing with your time anyway if not doing something that you love?

I would hate to think that aside from food, sleep and shelter there is anything stopping you for having fun with your life.

Just Write 5,000 words

I realize that everyone is not the same. However, I encounter a lot of procrastination out there.

The old adage is that opportunity is 50% showing up. I agree with that.

A lot of people, with a lot more talent that I have, don't chose to write. They see that looming empty page and sit there, worried about how they should fill it.

I tell myself that I did not accomplish my tasks without a good 5,000 word week. That doesn't mean I write 5,000 words, then stop writing. But it means if I cannot generate 5,000 words (not even good words, but words in a halfway coherent form), then I didn't do what I set out to do at the beginning of that week.

Sometimes it is very difficult. Job, stress, family issues, friends, whatever. But I tell myself that other people are challenging me for the right to be a good, successful writer. That is the goal. If that is the goal, it is something I need to focus on, above all else.

Sometimes, you need to be greedy in order to do things in life. Opportunity is not there when you want it, but comes when you least expect it.

When I sat down to write this blog, I had nothing to write about. Seriously, I was asking myself, what do I want to write about today? But then I remembered the challenge I set about myself when I created this blog: I will write at least one post per day. I have noticed that I write more than one post per day, but that doesn't allow me to become lazy by not posting one day (because I have so many additional posts already up on another).

It is a challenge, but a task that I want to be up for.

Today, I've crossed the 3,000 word mark. Not just in this post, but in other forms of writing; developing short stories, trying to finish the last real redraft of my second full crime novel which will be a follow-up of Crunk (side characters from the first book will be main characters in the second but a new adventure).

Those are the challenges we all face. I am a friend to make stand-up comedians in Spokane where I live. If half of them didn't work on their material, they have no one to blame but themselves when they go up in front of a crowd to perform. Think I'm kidding? Please, try stand-up sometime. You'll run back to the word processor, ready to write about 50,000 words in a day just to keep from going up on stage. Especially if you have nothing to say.

Glad I wrote this post. I feel better. Now, back to work on writing more great stuff...