This week I received a series of emails from an artist who
complained about my advice in IMPACT. She wrote that since
she has no money, my recommendation to attend seminars was
unreasonable because "it takes money to make money." She felt
that artists are often unappreciated and under-paid. She
complained that she had no contacts and no resources, so my
"advice is a sham." And she's not alone.
Of course, it's easier to turn an idea into reality if you
already have plenty of tools and resources! In that sense,
her opinions are quite reasonable and I understand them.
Fortunately, however, her opinions are also somewhat
misguided. The truth is that we all come into the world alone.
At birth, we have no language, no money, no skills and no
resources, but we need not stay that way.
Here are the steps that, as far as I know, every successful
person has used to achieve their goals:
1. First, every innovation and great fortune begins as a
simple thought. Often it begins as just a whiff of thought,
a glimmer or an intuition, a simple, "I wonder what would
happen if...."
2. Second, the vast majority of people dismiss these
thoughts or ideas. They get distracted and nothing ever
develops. BUT -- some people latch on to the idea. They
"incubate" and ponder it. They ask good questions about how
to proceed, who else might be interested, where they could
get more information.
3. Third, successful people take action. It might be a
tiny action, but they read a book, make a call, jot some
notes, explore the internet. They do something to record
and expand their idea.
4. Fourth, they find good people to help them. Too many
people keep their ideas to themselves and their dream dies
like a seed without water. Successful people form a team or
MasterMind group to ask more and better questions, and
together they find answers.
5. Fifth, they develop a strategy. At first, it doesn't
have to be a brilliant or even an effective strategy,
but they find a way to move forward, building on
what works and learning from their failures.
6. Sixth, they persist and leverage everything "until."
They never give up and they never quit.
No one who reads this is powerless or without resources.
You can read. You have friends. There are biographies and
you have the internet. There are coaches and models all
around you. There are investors looking for the "next big
thing." You may have to start small, and like an airplane
going down the run way, there may be a long period of slow-
going while you get started, but ultimately, airplanes do
take off and soar!
Thomas Edison started with ideas. Bill Gates started with
an idea. Oprah Winfrey started poor and alone, but she had
some good ideas. And all of them took action. Share your
dream with a "MasterMind" group of friends. Ask great
questions. Find the answers and take action. Everything in
life starts as an idea, a glimmer or a dream. The difference
is that successful people follow a strategy and persist
until their ideas become reality.
complained about my advice in IMPACT. She wrote that since
she has no money, my recommendation to attend seminars was
unreasonable because "it takes money to make money." She felt
that artists are often unappreciated and under-paid. She
complained that she had no contacts and no resources, so my
"advice is a sham." And she's not alone.
Of course, it's easier to turn an idea into reality if you
already have plenty of tools and resources! In that sense,
her opinions are quite reasonable and I understand them.
Fortunately, however, her opinions are also somewhat
misguided. The truth is that we all come into the world alone.
At birth, we have no language, no money, no skills and no
resources, but we need not stay that way.
Here are the steps that, as far as I know, every successful
person has used to achieve their goals:
1. First, every innovation and great fortune begins as a
simple thought. Often it begins as just a whiff of thought,
a glimmer or an intuition, a simple, "I wonder what would
happen if...."
2. Second, the vast majority of people dismiss these
thoughts or ideas. They get distracted and nothing ever
develops. BUT -- some people latch on to the idea. They
"incubate" and ponder it. They ask good questions about how
to proceed, who else might be interested, where they could
get more information.
3. Third, successful people take action. It might be a
tiny action, but they read a book, make a call, jot some
notes, explore the internet. They do something to record
and expand their idea.
4. Fourth, they find good people to help them. Too many
people keep their ideas to themselves and their dream dies
like a seed without water. Successful people form a team or
MasterMind group to ask more and better questions, and
together they find answers.
5. Fifth, they develop a strategy. At first, it doesn't
have to be a brilliant or even an effective strategy,
but they find a way to move forward, building on
what works and learning from their failures.
6. Sixth, they persist and leverage everything "until."
They never give up and they never quit.
No one who reads this is powerless or without resources.
You can read. You have friends. There are biographies and
you have the internet. There are coaches and models all
around you. There are investors looking for the "next big
thing." You may have to start small, and like an airplane
going down the run way, there may be a long period of slow-
going while you get started, but ultimately, airplanes do
take off and soar!
Thomas Edison started with ideas. Bill Gates started with
an idea. Oprah Winfrey started poor and alone, but she had
some good ideas. And all of them took action. Share your
dream with a "MasterMind" group of friends. Ask great
questions. Find the answers and take action. Everything in
life starts as an idea, a glimmer or a dream. The difference
is that successful people follow a strategy and persist
until their ideas become reality.
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