Just Start Doing

This post is for the dreamers, not the ones that are already doing:

-Jen Sincero You are a Badass– How to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life

I have a few friends and family that admire the fact that I’ve started a business and blog. While some admire simply that fact alone (i.e. parents), a few others admire it because part of them desires to start something up too, but they don’t know what to do or how to do it. There’s untapped potential there, because several of them are experts at a skill or craft, yet something is holding them back (maybe it’s what is holding you back).

This past week in my pursuit to consume everything possible to help grow my business and self, I started listening to the podcast Eventual Millionaire with Jamie Masters. I  listen to podcasts late at night while making hair bows, as I do most of my orders at nighttime when the kids are in bed- (side note, I have made a change from watching Netflix shows while I work to now listening to podcasts or books). Jamie says, “Pick the podcast that might make the biggest difference in your business today”. I proceeded to choose the one with Daniel Ally- “How to Become a Millionaire in 3 Years” (Why yes, thank you. That sounds great.).

The first thing that I noticed about Daniel and this podcast, is that he was largely reiterating concepts that I learned at Christy Wright’s Business Boutique and have been reading in books (which I go into below). While this information isn’t necessarily new to me (and probably you), hearing it often by different people is helping me to take action on it. Daniel’s term for this is BIG (Books, Individuals, Goals).

Books- Read more books. In order to be informed and to do better at what you are about to pursue, you need to read books about that industry.  Daniel notes that people who have been successful leave clues behind on how they got there, in the form of written material.

Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” – Harry S. Truman

What reading material are you investing your time in? Many times in the morning before we even get up out of bed (and I am definitely guilty too), we check Facebook and invest out time in other people’s lives. Their relationships. Their thoughts. Instead, Daniel says we should spend this 5-10 minutes in the morning on ourselves- reviewing our goals, praying, and daily affirmations (you know, the SNL skit, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and gosh darn it- people like me!”).

If you feel like you do not have time to read, re-think about the time you do have. I drive A LOT-  approximately two hours each day, and some days it is three hours. Mind you, I am not commuting to work. I am only shuffling my little people around to three different schools, therapies, and other programs. We have a DVD player in the minivan so that they kids are not totally bored out of their minds, but it leaves me listening to the Cars movie over and over again, or the 44th episode of Harold and the Purple Crayon. After coming back from the BB conference I started streaming podcasts and books on my phone. I noticed that if I stick the phone in the cup holder, it produces the sound quite nicely so that I can listen to what I want, and the kids can listen to their movie, and all is great in the world.

Quick tip, my husband recommended to me that I should download the material at our home first so that I am not streaming the whole time and eating up all of our data. Not a bad idea. Oopsie.

Individuals- Get around the best people. Main idea: We need people in our lives that are inspiring. People that can lift you up to your goals. Family or friends can sometimes limit us. While they might have the right intentions, they could provide the wrong directions based on their own fears and limiting beliefs. I have a friend that is looking to start a business, but a family member of hers is constantly reminding her that “it’s a lot of responsibility”, or “so few new business succeed- what are you going to do if it doesn’t work out?” I really like (once again) what Jen Sincero says about this, “No one’s opinion of you can become your reality. What other people think about you has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with them”.

Since the Business Boutique conference, I have signed up for all emails and newsletters from the speakers so my inbox can be flooded with action lists and positivity. I also found them on Facebook so I can follow their posts. In the spirit of positivity, I also decided to hide a few people on Facebook that seem to always be posting negative stuff. I care about them, but if their posts are bringing me down instead of lifting me up, I can’t have that in my space.

Goals- Set goals- really high goals, and have faith that you can get there. At the Business Boutique, Christy Wright said this similarly- but in a really loud voice: “Your goals should be SO BIG, that if God isn’t in them, you will fail”. Daniel recommends that you write your goals down, then have 20 ideas related to each goal to get you there. This now becomes a plan of action.

A little bit about Daniel as he is speaking from a place of experience: He was born homeless, was on drugs for about eight years, and was living in his mom’s basement. Then one day he finally realized he was living far beneath is potential, and decided to change his life. He said it took about 18 months. Daniel has a lot of quotes and one-liners that he calls “Danielisms” I found very inspirational. I guess that’s why his TED talk has more than two million views on YouTube alone.

• “Feed your faith and your fears will start to starve to death.”
• “Stop conforming and start performing.”
• “To change your reality you have to change your mentality.”
• “Build your confidence by building your competence.”
• “Goals that scare you are goals that ultimately prepare you.”
• “Every master was once a disaster.”

So, what’s holding you back?

If you want to start a blog, just start a blog (this is one I told myself). If you want to be a photographer, start taking pictures. If you want to play guitar, start playing the guitar. Just start doing.

Daniel’s “Rule of 100“- if you want to be great at something, do it 100 times within a one year period. Whatever you really want to do, but you are most afraid of, is what you are called to do.

To conclude this post, I will pull from the Badass book again (sorry, I REALLY love this book). When I first read it, I took pictures of the best parts that hit home for me. I am doing. I am taking steps and they feel like the right ones, and I am going to see where they lead…

“If you’re serious about changing your life, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.” – yes, she said this too.

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