Tag Archive - Motivation

Now’s a good time to stop caring

There’s a certain amount of indifference required if you’re want to get along in life, especially in the worlds of art and business. Not everything is of equal value, we all know this. But living like that’s true doesn’t feel safe because it means conflict. Resistance. But sometimes the best thing you can do is to stop caring.

Stop caring about what you think other people want you to be. A good many people live aimlessly because they’re waiting for someone else to tell them how to live. We’ve built a whole industry around it. I know, I’ve bought the books, too.

Stop caring about whether people will like you. Some will and some won’t. It’s not the end of the world and that’s good enough.

Stop caring about whether your story or business idea plays by commonly accepted rules. “Me too” ideas are never innovative. Think differently. Be brave.

Stop caring about how everyone else keeps score. Just because they measure their value in dollars, followers, and unique visitors doesn’t mean you have to. Decide what’s important to you and then fight the urge to second guess that.

What do you care about that you probably shouldn’t?

3 Lessons Learned from Thrillerfest

Those of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook know that I attended Thrillerfest V over the weekend. In case you aren’t familiar with International Thriller Writers (ITW), it is an organization started by, you guessed it, thriller writers for thriller writers. If you have any aspirations for being a novelist in the genre you must must must join ITW. The support ITW members receive is unlike anything I’ve seen with other author organizations. Needless to say, I’m hooked. I’m already planning my trip for next year and will hopefully be speaking on some of the marketing panels.

As a writer myself and a manager/agent who helps others navigate the storm that is publishing, I walked away from the weekend with several thoughts that, I hope, will encourage you. Continue Reading…

Purpose not just paychecks

A fascinating, and unsurprising, look at what makes us tick. If you get a chance, check out some of the other videos at the  RSA website.

Finish

Finish one thing today. Just one thing before you move on to the next. It could be something that really excites you. Those are the fun ones. Better yet, choose something that is like a splinter in your eye, a task that you’ve been putting off because it’s mundane but must get done. Something’s that’s clogged your To Do List for too long.

Do it. Execute. Get it off the List.

After you’ve done that, look at your List and see what you can move to next. Stack up victories in the “Done” pile and you’ll be ahead of just about everyone else around you today.

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