Advice From A One-Earred Man

Great things are not done by impulse but by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh

I don't usually put a lot of credence in advice given by a guy who cuts off his ear and then kills himself but this quote by Vince caught my attention.  And boy, was he right.

Big news.  My book contract came in the mail yesterday.  I haven't read it yet.  I did open it to make sure the cover letter didn't say April Fool.  It didn't.  And if I never write the book (which I will) or if they decide not to publish it or they do publish it and nobody reads it or buys it, I don't care.  Because my "series of small things brought together" has paid off.  At least to me, anyway.  I have been rewarded because somebody read my proposal and my three chapters and said "Hey, this may be interesting" and they wrote me an email and then wasted a stamp and an envelope and I'll write the book and they'll send it to a publisher where guys with ink on their fingers will actually make a book and put it in boxes and send it to bookstores and high school clerks will open the boxes and put it on the shelves and people might buy it and I'll go on the Today Show with Katie Couric (no, I won't do that), Ok, NPR, Fresh Air with Terry Gross.  Ok, I'll do that and then I'll get a call from a big Hollywood producer and ...

All right, maybe not.  But somebody did say "Hey, this may be interesting" and they wrote an email and wasted a stamp.  So it is worth it to me. 

But if you want to feel stupid sometime, sit down and try to write a book.  Or a song.  Or a poem.  And there are so many other things to do like your job, your family, American Idol on tonight at eight. 

But most people want to be different.  They want to be CEO or Bono or the guy that wrote the DaVinci Code (who lives in the same town as a friend of mine.  My friend says the guy has a knock out wife--well, the rich get richer) or the next Apprentice.  But most people are not different and they get mad or frustrated because they are caught in dead end jobs or dead end relationships or dead end day to day living. 

But how do we get to be different?  And here I mean good different, not weird different.  But how do we get there?  What do we have to do?  And we're so busy with other stuff that we don't have time.  But most of us have time for American Idol.  It also explains the popularity of 'reality' shows.  We get to live the process and we know we could do better if only...

What, knew the producer?  Or the editor?  Or looked like Jessica Simpson?  In looks, there is not much we can do but in other things there is.  And sorry to sound like your Mom, or Vince, but you have to string together a "series of small things" to get a big thing.

Overnight success usually takes a long time.  And the job is so daunting.  So break it down into a "series of small things."  You can find a million reasons not to do something.  Find a reason to do something.  And, as Vince says, start small.

So here a  few small things to get you started.

If you want to make a million dollars, put a dollar in a drawer.  And tomorrow put in another and so on.  And read a book on asset allocation.

If you want a promotion, talk to somebody at work that just got promoted. 

If you want to write a screenplay, go to Screenplays For You and read one, or two, or three.

If you want to fix up your house, go to Home Depot.

And get an idea and then take another step.  And don't think about how stupid you feel doing it.  And don't listen to people that say you can't do it.  Because they will, believe me.  And if you fail, so what? 

If you try something and succeed, you will feel great.  If you try something and you fail, you will remember it and learn from it.  If you watch American Idol tonight, you will not remember it next week.

So be like Vince and get that series of small things strung together.  Or, put another way by Chairman Mao, the longest journey begins with the first step.

Gotta go read that contract.

   

   

Comments

[Henk]

If you put as much humor in your history book as in your blog, then I want to proof-read for you !

Congratulations !

[Chris Yeh]

Congratulations Bill! This is wonderful news.

[cahoots]

CONGRATS sir!!
good advice too...thanks.