If you have a big goal, you must also have a plan. When you are looking at your time plan, whether you say you need to work on your goal every day before class or one afternoon a week, you need to show up every time. Never, and never skip a time you need to work on your goal.
Charlie wants to write an e-book, his goal is writing an e-book. So he says to himself: ‘I’m going to write on the e-book every time I’m on the train back to my parents’.’ That is good, but now he needs to stick to it. When he meets friends in the train and they are talking to him, he needs to stop them at some point, to work on his e-book. It doesn’t matter how long he works on the e-book, as long as he works on it just for a couple of minutes, he just needs to show up, working on his e-book, as he planned to do.
Why is showing up every time so important? Those couple of minutes he works on the e-book, will those be productive? Will he get anything done?
The answer is yes. He probably don’t get much done, but everything he gets done is one step closer to his goal of writing an e-book. If he only writes half a page, he is half a page closer to accomplishing the e-book. That half a page may contain one of his best writings he has ever done, because he wanted to be that fast, because he got inspired by talking to his friends.
But there is something else, if you show up, you think about your goal again. If Charlie works on his e-book, his mind gets reminded of the e-book, he starts to think about it again. He might get some new ideas when he walks out of the train later that day, when he gets to sleep that night, because he has been thinking about his goal again.
Show up every day, and you are one step closer to your goal, one step closer to awesomeness. Just be there, just show up, every day, is all you need to do.
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Great post. Showing up everyday is a great way to make sure we take bit size steps towards our ultimate goal. 80% of success is just showing up. Just don’t be tardy.
Jonathan! Thanks for the comment.
Show up, every day! 80%, that would be correct. Keep on going!
This is especially handy for anyone attempting NaNoWriMo or any other similiar writing event. Persistency is very important, regardless of what you’re doing! Great post!
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Stefan:
Sort of like…save only one penny every day and put it into your bank account at compound interest.
And see what happens to your money after several years–it will multiply. Then invest that money into something that will yield good returns on investments–take a calculated risk after consulting with a wealth expert. And then re-invest that money in stocks, real estate, bonds, etc.
After several years, lo and behold, you are holding a small fortune in your hand. And you accomplished all that just by showing up each and every time. And by plugging away.
Small steps can make a huge difference over time–that’s for sure. Include me in your will, please.
This is great advice and absolutely the key to getting things done. Thanks! =)
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