5 Strange Secrets Of My Success
Sania tapped me for this thing. I'm not a frequent visitor of sites with slogans like "Create Life In Your Image!", but I do jump at chances to be perverse.
Have you ever been to Los Angeles? I live here. If you get the chance, spend a day in Malibu (you know, the city Mel Gibson "owns" - hee hee) or take a walk down Santa Monica's Promenade (try to avoid bearing a passing resemblance to any star - it sucks). When you do, you too may develop the narrow-eyed view of the word "success" that I have. There's self-improvement, and then there's masturbation - the latter often masquerading as the former here.
SO, avoiding success-language kitsch, allow me to share my everyday top-5:
1. Fail Upwards
I make (among other kinds) a blogging "mistake" almost every day. Huge or tiny, they're all forms of failure, so-called. Regardless, things are still moving upwards (see #2).
2. Don't Sweat Persistence, Just Be Unreasonably Obstinate
I think persistence in reaching goals is great, but when it includes short-cuts and reconstructing your voice for highest profit - not so much. Therefore, blind stubbornness in doing what you've decided to do, in your own way, works best for me. Integrity or bust, if you will. It may not be the surest path to riches, but you can sleep at night.
3. Flee the Comfort Zone
I can't speak for others, but whether or not you end up looking foolish, this is where you learn the most. This applies to writing/blogging, making music, or anything creative.
4. Fake It
Otherwise known as "confidence". I think the greatest heroes are also the biggest fakers - ditto on the most confident. Real confidence is a key element to good self-promotion; that is, seeing yourself in the third person and projecting appropriate confidence based on mutually-appreciated objectivity (not bravado). Personal insecurities don't go away - self-consciousness, thankfully, can.
5. Conduct Inane Research
You know those random curiosities that pop into your head for about five seconds and then disappear? Yeah, I follow up on those things; whether it's whatever happened to the Karate Kid or how long psychotropic substances have been illegal. The funny thing is that as you dig deeper, you often mess up and actually learn something useful that can be shared with others.
Besides, you're not an American if your head isn't filled with useless trivia.
No taggage this time, but if you decide to follow suit with a post like this on your blog, drop a link in the comments or contact me and I'll try to include you here.
Have you ever been to Los Angeles? I live here. If you get the chance, spend a day in Malibu (you know, the city Mel Gibson "owns" - hee hee) or take a walk down Santa Monica's Promenade (try to avoid bearing a passing resemblance to any star - it sucks). When you do, you too may develop the narrow-eyed view of the word "success" that I have. There's self-improvement, and then there's masturbation - the latter often masquerading as the former here.
SO, avoiding success-language kitsch, allow me to share my everyday top-5:
1. Fail Upwards
I make (among other kinds) a blogging "mistake" almost every day. Huge or tiny, they're all forms of failure, so-called. Regardless, things are still moving upwards (see #2).
2. Don't Sweat Persistence, Just Be Unreasonably Obstinate
I think persistence in reaching goals is great, but when it includes short-cuts and reconstructing your voice for highest profit - not so much. Therefore, blind stubbornness in doing what you've decided to do, in your own way, works best for me. Integrity or bust, if you will. It may not be the surest path to riches, but you can sleep at night.
3. Flee the Comfort Zone
I can't speak for others, but whether or not you end up looking foolish, this is where you learn the most. This applies to writing/blogging, making music, or anything creative.
4. Fake It
Otherwise known as "confidence". I think the greatest heroes are also the biggest fakers - ditto on the most confident. Real confidence is a key element to good self-promotion; that is, seeing yourself in the third person and projecting appropriate confidence based on mutually-appreciated objectivity (not bravado). Personal insecurities don't go away - self-consciousness, thankfully, can.
5. Conduct Inane Research
You know those random curiosities that pop into your head for about five seconds and then disappear? Yeah, I follow up on those things; whether it's whatever happened to the Karate Kid or how long psychotropic substances have been illegal. The funny thing is that as you dig deeper, you often mess up and actually learn something useful that can be shared with others.
Besides, you're not an American if your head isn't filled with useless trivia.
No taggage this time, but if you decide to follow suit with a post like this on your blog, drop a link in the comments or contact me and I'll try to include you here.
Ditto on "inane research" into "random curiosities" - it's a great Monday morning brain-starter, too. 103bees is great for that, because it serves up among other useful traffic stats, a list of the questions that searchers have asked that brought them to your site/blog - and apparently 1.5% or something of all search queries are phrased in the form of a question. So there, instant inspiration! When in doubt, find the answer to a real reader's real question.
ReplyDeleteHi Domestika,
ReplyDeleteHm, I've heard 103bees mentioned a few times now; I'd better check it out. Real questions are great inspiration, I must agree. Thanks for that- and your thoughts, too.
-j
What I hate is, I innocently read one little blog post, and the next thing you know 3 hours have passed, because it seems every post links to one more great blog and...
ReplyDelete...Whoever is "Eric Burton", maybe it's "Burdon", that 1 second thought popped into my head a few minutes ago, so I'll take your advice and dig deep.
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteThose are my favorite times online. Don't hate it, embrace it. >:)
-j