It’s as simple as that.
So many of us have dreams of being a writer, or being an actor, or an artist or dancer, or at the very least becoming good at certain things. But the only way to become that is to be that, to start doing the action consistently, day in, day out.
If you want to be a musician, practice everyday, consider yourself a musician. If you want to get in shape, exercise everyday, eat healthy everyday, do the things that you'd be doing if you already were in shape, not the things you do now that have kept you out of shape.
Many of us have ample opportunities to achieve our dreams, we just don’t act on them, we sit back and dream and never follow through. I found myself in a lull of writing recently, I wasn’t writing, and my excuse was finding new direction. But no excuses, I should have been writing anyways, even if it was just a journal or things I wouldn't publish! Writing is something I know I want to do, even if it's just for me, but sometimes we don't have our direction yet, and if we don't have direction, we're just wandering through life.
So let's talk about direction, how can we find ours? While I was working to find a new angle, the main thing I was trying to do was find a balance and determine my priorities. What do I really want? Who do I want to be? I think these are the first questions we should ask ourselves before pursuing a path. Where are we aiming?
For me I have a few things that take priority:
Beyond that I have too many goals:
Adding all this up it becomes a balancing act of sorts for me. I may have picked too many things to focus on, too many things to do all at once, but that’s kind of how I like it. I’m on my time to accomplish my side goals, and I make sure to put my best foot forward on my priorities. One thing that has helped recently in this balancing act is moving to a 30 hour work week.
I talked it over with my boss and he has agreed to a M-W workweek of 10 hour days, which lines up with my ideal lifestyle much more and gives me time to work on side projects. So lately I’ve been feeling really good. I’m still working through finding that balance, but things are starting to come together.
I’m getting to the point where I can find time to write a few articles a week, do a podcast a week, keep in better touch with people, and still live life with my family. Now that I’m getting in a good rhythm I feel confident I can become a writer, I can become a podcaster, and I can be the man I want to be. A father who focuses on health and wellness of all types, mental, emotional, physical, spiritual. Someone who still pursues their passions while taking care of my responsibilities.
The title says if you want to be something do that something, and that's what we all should be doing. Don't do things because someone tells you to or you think it's normal or the right thing, do things that will bring you to your goal, work with people in the field you want to be in, learn from them, learn everything you can about what you are aiming for.
I want to be a lot of things, I want to be myself and do things my way. I’m the only one who can be me, I’m the only one who can know myself and what I want. Everyone is that way. Everyone is a wonderful individual, and we’re all learning. Find out what you’re aiming for and do those things that will get you there, and never get discouraged, even if you fail, try again, even if it takes a day, a week, or a month to get started again.
If you stopped, START NOW.
From ya boi,
@jakeybrown