I have started writing many different blogposts for this blog, but even after many edits I cannot finish the text in a way that I would be satisfied and feel like this is the thing I need to add. At the same time, the words of another personal branding blogger’s rang in my head “Don’t blog about everything. You need to write only about what your readers wish to read about.” Ain’t that true?
Writing these posts, re-reading them, perfectioning them I have felt like a student studying for exams – I find a lot of things to do, just to avoid writing – I clean my rooms, go shopping, read other people’s blogs, Facebooking. From Facebook I found the picture below. I do not think like that, normally, because I like what I do and I do it, normally.
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Forget everything you know and start thinking
Spending time doing nothing, “wasting” time is something you need to generate ideas, to let the ideas grow and pop up – there is a saying “The nature does not like an empty space” which to me means, that once your mind is empty, something new will fill it up again, generating the next step, solution to a problem, poetry, idea. 14-year-old boy with autism, Jacob Barnett who writes articles on astrophysics invited in his Tedx Teens speech for all of us to forget all we know and start thinking and doing things in our own way. In his point of view, this is the path to your own uniqueness and a way to create something completely new.
The doctors told Jacob that he himself might never learn to walk or talk. The boy, instead, started exploring the world, his interests, went into detail and forgot what the doctors told. Going in depths to things he found fascinating (shapes, shadows) he started seeing things from his perspective. At the age of 14 he is considered as a genius. So you could say he speaks from his experience when he says that to achieve your dreams, develop your skills you need to forget all your old ways and learnt patterns and find the unique way of seeing and doing things. The opinions and knowledge of others are only obstacles in the creation process.
So, spending time doing nothing is OK? OK?
How about feeling as a loser?
James Altucher, my new favorite blogger most likely would agree with Jacob, that it is possible to be “successful” when you find your path through doing what you like. He wrote, amongst other things, about, how to be an effective loser. Thanks to that blogpost I feel much better (that sounds like a hair shampoo advertisement …) for not having posted anything meaningful and important in the field of personal branding after months of making notes and drafts. I have dealt with other things that are important to me and learnt from that, have read books, followed some interesting thoughts. And finally wrote this post.
How to be an effective loser according to Altucher? With comments
- Do not try to be the best. It’s a very hard job and it is easier to do what you like and forget climbing the “ladder”.
- Have a notebook close by and note down things you see in this world and what you can learn from. Every meeting, information read has something you can learn from or at least brings you closer to that. Paper is better than smartphone or iPad, since you can re-write, draft ideas and burn the pages if you want to. Even when the ideas do not form in real life, they are written down and have a form on paper.
- Change is not always necessary – being a loser is like being anyone else. You wish to be like the “normal” people, not the ones who try to be perfect.
- Doing what you like, earning money will not be the main goal. While doing what you like, you already are happy and isn’t that our main goal? Instead lower your expectations.
- I especially like that Altucher suggests everyone to do many different things. “Winners focus. Losers diversify”. Try, fail, do something else, fail again, get “no-s”. Do something else. And one day you will succeed. Maybe creating a field of your own completely.
- Do every day at least for 15 minutes something you like. This way you grow your skills every day.
Altucher has more suggestions which you can read from his blog.
Tricks to overcome fear
To finish this post I add a picture to think about. Fear is one of the main obstacle in achieving what you want (however we define it). Following our dreams, launching a new venture, publishing a poem, showing love to someone or 100+1 other things. Forget the fear, lower your own expectations to yourself and do what you love. Fail and then fail again with a smile on your face, because at the end of the day, you have done what you wished.
- Allikas: Internet
PS: Thank you all, who you post interesting pictures, thoughts and graphics in Facebook, it was a huge inspiration.
