As rain pelts the ship and the wind howls between the sails, the intimidation put forth by the storm is unmeasurable. It’s the ultimate test of faith. Is our ship built strong enough to survive such an onslaught? The dark force laughs in our face as it prematurely declares victory, banking on the fact that our ship is fragile and easily broken. What the dark force cannot foresee is that our ship is more than a wooden arrangement of planks tightly pressed together to from an object that floats. Our ship is our ego. Our ego is a reflection of our will. Our will to succeed is what makes us strong, even unsinkable. By facing our fears and keeping ourselves grounded in reality, we set a steady, consistent pace for our journey that doesn’t allow us to get too far ahead or dwell on letdowns from the past. We focus on the present, what we can control. Our weapon against the dark force is patience. Our destination is prosperity.
Ambition is vital to achieving any goal you set for yourself in life no matter what the circumstances may be. Ambition translates to determination which is what keeps you from quitting when the going gets tough. Ambition can also work against you in many of the same ways. A fireman who charges into a burning building can be viewed as heroic or suicidal. It all depends on the outcome, and the outcome is usually decided in the beginning. Did he go in with a plan or did he rush in with only hope to guide him? A zoo keeper never hurries to interact with the new tiger that just arrived at the zoo. He introduces himself to the tiger in stages, builds trust, and eventually is able to interact. Pacing yourself is critical for many reasons.
Pacing yourself allows for accumulation of the necessary knowledge you need to interact with the business side of writing. Knowledge doesn’t just come from books and articles you downloaded on-line. Knowledge comes from the relationships you build (or fail to build). Knowledge comes with each sale or rejection. Knowledge comes from your readers, your critics, and the media. Knowledge comes from everywhere, and you have to be like a sponge and absorb it. The only way this is possible is by pacing yourself. Knowledge equals growth. A steady pace facilitates your growth as a writer and as a business person.
Like the firefighter and zoo keeper, the pace of your journey requires a plan. You should generate a business plan as soon as you decide to embark on your journey. The business plan should consist of attainable short-term goals as well as long-term goals. It’s worth repeating, attainable goals! This is where you may have to tuck your ambitions away for a while. This is also where it’s so important to keep yourself grounded in reality.
A business can take years to turn a profit, and an author can take longer to become recognized. These facts must be taken into account when developing your plan. A goal doesn’t have to be monetary. For instance, a first-year goal might be to build a strong client base of independent book stores. Each short-term goal is a stepping stone toward a long-term goal. Short-term goals will change as you grow, accumulate knowledge, and build relationships, but long-term goals remain unchanged. Like the wind from the storm, your pace may speed up and slow down at times, but the average should be a gentle, steady breeze.
Rarely does a breeze blow unhindered. So, will it be for you. The storm that currently beats against our sails is only one of the many obstacles that the dark force will use to throw us off course once it comes to the realization it underestimated the strength of our ship. In your new career, there will be many setbacks. There will be times when goals go unachieved. There may be periods of financial hardship, emotional stress, and frustration. Each time you hear the word, “no,” you might question yourself or your decisions. It’s the human thing to do, and it’s the right thing. Maintain your course! Adjustments are always necessary as long as the overall direction never changes. Stick to your decisions. It shows that you believe in yourself, and believing in yourself is the biggest advantage you have over the dark force. Believing in yourself sparks confidence which feeds your ego, inspires will and determination, and creates ambition. Soon, the storm that once was meant to sink your ship becomes the very fuel that steers it. It was all made possible by a trait the dark force can only dream of having…patience.
Nothing worthwhile happens rapidly. In nature, the hurricane is the most powerful force on the planet. It spins up slowly, growing from a central point outward into a well-organized entity. Your writing career should be no different. A gradual pace instills patience because as you gain more knowledge, you will understand the business from its many angles. The book store owner sees the industry far different than the mass market publisher. Putting yourself in their shoes not only helps with business decisions, but it teaches patience.
Patience is as much a benefit to you personally as it is to your career. Patiently executing your plan helps to keep your focus on matters that you can control instead of spinning off on tangents that you can’t. Stress and frustration are powerful allies of the dark force. Patience is your counter punch. That’s not to say never try a new idea. Creativity and innovation is essential to generating excitement in business. For example, you want to generate publicity by doing something charitable for your community. You would benefit and so would the community. However, when you approach the organization, they politely turn you away. At this point, move on. Never waste someone else’s time (and yours) by trying to convince them that they’re wrong and you’re right. This goes back to remembering your role. Those who turn you away today will welcome you with open arms once you establish a reputation. The ability to move on and not dwell calms your nerves so you can get back on track. It’s all about patience.
A sound plan is a map you should always revert back to. In fact, it’s a security blanket. It’s more than a path for the future. It’s also a record of the past. It’s very easy to get caught up in the negatives of the business world. It’s said that you can do a hundred good deeds, but the one bad thing you do is what everyone talks about. In business, a solid month can be overshadowed by string of bad days. It’s easy, even natural, to want to remedy that which went wrong. In such cases, patience has to be combined with discipline to fight such temptation. Re-focus on everything that went right, and suddenly what went wrong will become minuscule. It transforms from a crisis to a simple learning experience.
Through it all, it’s important to distinguish between patience and persistence. The breeze may be hindered from time to time, but it is never subdued. Persistence is necessary if you have hopes of anyone taking you seriously as long as you don’t cross the line from persistent to arrogant or even a nuisance. By combining knowledge with moderate level of persistence, you gain respect because you portray confidence in yourself, your product, and your business. Confidence is contagious, and without even realizing it, you are building key relationships, feeding the storm that pushes you farther on your voyage. And your doing it with patience!
The path will not be straight. It will be filled with the highs and lows that make each day unique. Your business plan is a collection of opportunities achieved and those lost. It is a wealth of knowledge. It captures every step of your career as you mature as a writer and a business person. It serves as a portrait of your ambitions from yesterday and a sketch for those of tomorrow. It’s a constant reminder of the patience it takes to succeed and the persistence it takes to be taken seriously. It is the blue-print for building the foundation of a successful career. Most important, it is guide to the destination known as prosperity.
Like happiness, prosperity doesn’t have to be monetary. While financial security is something everyone strives for, and likely the reason you’re on the voyage in the first place, prosperity through the eyes of the writer is often far more than money can buy. A writer influences people like no one else. Through a writer’s words, he can burn images into the minds of the reader that are permanent. Writer’s have shaped and recorded history for thousands of years. Becoming a writer is as close to being immortal as a human being can ever get. From the Dead Sea Scrolls to Shakespeare to Steven King, what greater honor is there than to have your words play a role in the lives of generations to come. When it seems the storm will never end, look at your career through the writer’s eyes, and the storm will soon pass.
The squall currently blasting our ship seems endless because the dark force is angry that he failed. We quickly learn that it’s not endless. Eventually, the squall fades, and the dark force regroups. Our voyage continues at a steady pace, patiently, toward prosperity. As the squall departs, the sun re-emerges on the horizon. It’s a quiet time dominated by the peacefulness of the sea and the security of its grasp. The question in our minds is what to do next? We’ve overcome the first challenge. We’re exhausted, and our very nature begs us to let down our guard to soak in the tranquility. This is no time for celebration, however. This is our opportunity to fortify our ship and gain an advantage over the dark force so his next storm will be no more than a minor inconvenience.
Tags: business plan, pace, patience, persistence, prosperity, rj prieto, writing
