The symptoms of Getting-Ready-to-Get-Ready syndrome include feeling like you can’t possibly move forward until you lose ten pounds, get a degree, receive permission, know the right people, have enough money, get more experience, pay your dues, or obtain the right equipment.
The trick to defeating Getting-Ready-to-Get-Ready syndrome is doing fifteen minutes of research. (And yes, this can be one of your fifteen-minute daily tasks.)
If you assume that you need to do something before you can do the thing you really want to do, please check that assumption — especially if the source of your information is your own mind. Google it, ask around, and, most important, ask someone who’s already done the thing you really want to do.
Chances are good that you’re over-complicating things.
There was the photographer who was convinced she couldn’t market herself until she had digitally optimized all her photos for her website, which would have meant weeks if not months of painstaking work. I asked her if she had one photo that she thought of as iconic, and when she said yes, I urged her to place just that one on her site. She was up and running twenty minutes later.
Lara was a highly intuitive performer who was feeling a pull toward embarking on a second career as a life coach, but she was feeling discouraged by the two years and several thousand dollars that certification would take.
Now, I admire and respect the people who’ve gone through coach certification, but it is not a prerequisite to being of great service to people.
When I pointed out that she already knew enough to at least get started with a few clients, she brightened right up.
Last I heard, she was running high-end retreats once a month in Beverly Hills — further proof that if you can deliver outstanding results, nobody really cares about your credentials.
And finally, there are the countless men and women who’ve told me that they can’t possibly get started on X, Y, or Z until they lose weight.
Honey, your destiny doesn’t care how much you weigh.
You can find a lover, sell your art, star in your show, and earn your fortune with the body you have right now. And it’s entirely possible that you will become so busy and happy working on your project that your body will self-adjust and become closer to your version of perfect.
After all, there’s nothing like joy to create health.
Taking a big step in the direction of your dreams seems like it should be easy, right?
After all – isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?
So then why do I get emails like this:
Hi Sam —
I just wanted to put it out there that I am feeling rather nervous and scared about coming to The Big Yes.
The old feelings of ‘lack’ and ‘scarcity’ and ‘putting everyone else’s needs ahead of my own’ keep popping up. Initiating changes has stirred things up – money considerations, etc. are causing doubts and guilt. Yikes!
Stuff at work is unsettled, some family stuff has come up…. (I could go on and on, but I won’t).
Any thoughts or words of wisdom to share?
M.
Do you know the feeling?
Yep. Me, too.
So I wrote back:
Dear M —
YES! YES! YES!
HOORAY for you for noticing the old patterns that keep you stuck!
Because, honey — that’s it. And know that this is ALL you need to move forward: the knowledge that all that old crap — all those doubts and fears — are just an express elevator to hell.
Your FUTURE is on the other side of all this discomfort.
Learn to welcome the discomfort.
It means you are trying something new.
It means you are growing.
It means you are just ONE DEGREE away from being exactly where you want to be.
The trouble is that this uncomfortable moment you are in right now is where most people quit.
The pressure is too much.
The money-thing seems so real. (SO real!)
The family thing flares up.
The monsters under the bed somehow double in population and – hey – who gave my Mom’s voice the megaphone???
Take it from me, babe – it’s all an illusion.
The money thing is an illusion (you know it will work out. it always does.)
The family thing is an illusion (you know they will be just fine no matter what and you staying stuck doesn’t help them one bit)
The monster thing is an illusion (you’ve known that forever)
So…deep breath.
Welcome to your future.
Time for some comforting reading (Harry Potter, anyone? Annie Lamott?), extra kleenex, get a lot of sleep and maybe buy a cute new outfit or get your hair done.
Call a supportive friend.
Journal.
Be here now.
You can do it!!!
All this fear and anxiety is just the SIGN you’ve been waiting for that you MUST do it.
Think of this as stage fright: you’re about to start starring in your own life.
It’s perfectly natural to have jitters.
And still — the show must go on.
(Can you imagine if you stopped the show now, just because you got scared? The audience sent away…the sets torn down…the chorus girls taking off their make-up…. it’s too sad to even contemplate. You MUST go on!)
HOORAY for you!
And HOORAY for you reaching out and admitting the TRUTH!
I can’t WAIT to see what happens next.
xoxooxoxo
Sam.
And if you’re interested in YOUR future, then please join me for a LIVE encore of one of the most popular free webinars I’ve ever done:
The Real Reason You’re Not Making Money from Your Creativity (it’s not what you think)
—> click here to register now
Wednesday, May 14
5pm PT/8pm ET/1am GMT
(check your timezone here: www.TimeZoneCheck.com)
We’ll send you the link ahead of time – all you need is a computer and good, fast internet connection.
—> click here to register now
The recording will be available afterwards, but there’s a very special offer that’s going to be made, and you’ll want to be there live. I’m not trying to be all hype-y, I’m just saying that I think you’ll be mad at yourself if you miss this opportunity.
If you have any questions, thoughts or comments please email us at Leonore@TheOrganizedArtistCompany.com or give us a call at (805) 881-3699.
Thank you so much for being a part of my circle….
And please do tell me how it goes for you, OK? I’m always interested to hear about your projects.
You inspire me.
You are…not like the others, are you?
You have always been kind of special.
And sometimes it’s been great to be you, and sometimes it’s been terribly lonely.
But you have survived.
Thrived.
Blossomed.
Bloomed.
And now you might feel ready to share your gifts with the world.
You could use an extra $100 or $1000 or $10,000 and you know in your heart of hearts that the world really does need your art.
(if you already know where this is going and you just want to register for my new free webinar, click here: https://sambennett.infusionsoft.com/app/form/by2)
If only…you could figure out how.
If only…you knew where to find the people who would buy it.
If only…it didn’t feel so horribly uncomfortable to market your self and your work and ask for money and deal with all that sales stuff.
And maybe you’ve even signed up for other courses or bought books or listened to audios on how to have your own business, but somehow…they weren’t really talking to you.
You started thinking that maybe you needed to be someone different in order to succeed.
Yep. I’ve been there.
And I am here to tell you — listen closely now — you can succeed right now.
Exactly as you are.
With nothing extra, no special tools, nothing to buy or learn or get certified for.
You don’t even need to be ready.
(if you’re feelng the WOW YES vibe, just go ahead and register for this new free webinar —> click here : )
I have built a multi-six figure business doing things that everyone told me wouldn’t work. I use art and poetry and humor and my own wackadoodle personality to attract the world’s most wonderful clients. And now many of them are out in the world making money and spreading joy, too.
We are lighthouses.
And I want you to be a lighthouse, too.
Here’s what some of my other lighthouses have written to me lately (BTW, I’ve been speaking at the ICON14 conference all week in Phoenix and I haven’t had a chance to ask them for permission to use their quotes, which is why I’ve only listed their initials – thanks for understanding.)
“I AM really stepping into a leadership, teaching and healing role in a larger way than I have before.” – R.F., Healer
“I get it now: I really can live the life of my dreams.” – P.N., Painter
“Your words set me free.” – E.B., writer
So register now for my new, free, interactive webinar:
5pm PT/8pm ET/1am GMT
(check your time zone here: www.TimeZoneCheck.com)
—–> Click here to register now: https://sambennett.infusionsoft.com/app/form/by2
No matter what’s got you feeling trapped, this eye-opening live webinar will show you EXACTLY how to break free of your old patterns, cut through your mental clutter and revitalize your creative life.
Plus I’ll show you….
– the two things you need to succeed big time that you ALREADY HAVE right now
– WHY you’re ready to move past old blocks now (once and for all)
– exactly HOW to get past your shyness and “put on the rock star coat” so that you can better serve the world
“I appreciate that your teleseminars aren’t drawn-out commercials. They have valuable content, and that led me to trust you and purchase from you.” -N.S., musician, CA
—–> Click here to register now
And I bet you can think of at least one friend who would LOVE this info – please forward this to them right now, OK?
Or use the buttons on the side to share it.
Thank you. And I look forward to being with you live on Sunday, May 4th.
Your work is you.
Your creative work is an expression of your soul, of your perspective, of your innermost self. It’s completely unique to you.
So there is no “template” you can follow, because no one has ever done what you’re doing before.
And any time you start to try to adopt someone else’s “six-figure” system, or try to abide by “conventional wisdom” you get all itchy.
And then you procrastinate and you tell yourself all kinds of stories about how no one would ever pay you to do this and how there’s no market for it and how you’re probably not that good at it anyway and how the technology sort of freaks you out and what if you succeed and someone steals your idea or what if someone calls you a fraud and then you start criticizing yourself about your low self-esteem and how you never finish anything and maybe you should just forget this crazy dream of making money from your creativity once and for all.
Right.
Like that’s gonna happen.
You can’t give up on your dreams because your dreams never give up on you.
They keep haunting you.
Pulling at your sleeve.
And then you see some no-talent-hack succeed and you think, “I could do that!”
You’re right.
You can.
And maybe 2014 is your year to try.
I’m hosting a brand-new teleclass on Tuesday, Jan. 2 that’s all about Unusual Marketing for Creative People, and it’ll show you —
- Why you have a hard time talking about yourself and your work
- How you can easily overcome the self-doubt and shyness that causes you to stumble
- The ONE SECRET that will unlock the mystery of “marketing” for you for all time… if you let it.
And of course PLEASE tell your friends.
After all, your friends are the coolest people there are, and they need to get their work out there, too, don’t they?
(Doesn’t it just make you crazy when your super-talented friend just won’t even TRY to get their painting, their writing, their healing work, their art, their whatever out there??? Yep. Me too.)
So please either share this blog with them or share this on Facebook, Twitter or Google + — here’s the link for them to register: https://sambennett.leadpages.net/unusual-marketing/
And of course I’ll make sure you get the recording and everything — but register first for free:
Unusual Marketing for Creative People
Tuesday, Jan. 2nd
12:45pm PT/3:45pm ET/9:45pm GMT
The recording will be available immediately after the event.
I can’t wait to help you solve the puzzle of how to get your work out into the world without feeling weird about it!
Remember: The World Needs Your Art.
(But they can’t get it if you never let it out of the house, you know what I mean?)
Any questions/thoughts, please comment — you know I love to hear from you.
Happy New Year.
P.S. What’s the real problem? The real problem is, you’re not selling widgets.
After all, you could talk about somebody else’s stuff all day long, right?
But when it comes to talking about yourself marketing yourself, selling yourself…you get all tongue-tied and squeaky.
Not to worry — there is a SIMPLE secret to solving this puzzle and I can’t wait to share it with you.
—–> REGISTER FOR FREE HERE
– ssb.
I was trying to talk one of my VIP clients into charging $500 + shipping for her painting.
She wrote back to me, “OMG, $500???? Really? They’re only 24″ X 24. You think?”
Yes.
Now, I have no idea where this imaginary correlation between the size of the work and the price of the work came from. I think it’s kinda crazy.
By that yardstick, muralists should be millionaires.
Here would be some examples of my criteria for deciding if my painting were worth $500 —
1) Is this painting more inspiring and transformational than $500 of therapy?
2) Does this painting raise my spirits more than $500 worth of wine?
3) If I look at this painting twice a day for 10 years, will it give me six cents worth of joy each time (365×2=730 x 10 = 7300; 500/7300 = .068 : )
4) How many compliments will I receive on this work once it’s hanging in my home or office? If I get one a week for ten years, is that worth a dime for every admiring remark?
5) $500 is one medium-sized car repair; it’s two haircut with highlights (at least in LA); it’s three or four college textbooks, it’s five nice-ish date nights out with the spouse… you see where I’m going with this?
It’s not about price, it’s about VALUE.
So….what’s the value your work brings?
Art by Elisabeth Hoffman, www.hoffmannfineart.com.
The What If…Workshop: where imagination meets practicality. It’s only $147 and it starts next week 11/18/13 — check it out here (link funky? try pasting this into your browser: https://sambennett.infusionsoft.com/app/orderForms/What-IfWorkshop )
And I’m so excited about this new class that I wrote you a poem…
What If…
This last year was the year
for sure
where you were
getting organized
getting the book done
getting the clutter cleared
starting yoga – again –
and really connecting with your
Inner Voice.
Really figuring out what you really want.
Really asking for it.
Really getting it.
But it seems like every time you tried to
make a move
someone needed you
there was a crisis
the dog got sick and
the roof broke open and
he lost his job and
those tests at the hospital what a
long night that was and
the money just wasn’t there – again –
And then
and then
and then
the voices in your head got started:
Who Do You Think You Are, Anyway?
Everyone’s Already Doing That.
You’re Not Qualified.
The Technology Is Too Hard.
Plus
You Never Finish Anything Anyway.
And so you stand there with the crumpled remains of a year in your hands.
Your hands that ache
to write
to play
to draw
to dance
to work
to share
to shape
to cut
to color
to create.
Your heart cries out.
Your hands cry out.
Please don’t let it be too late.
Wait.
It’s not too late.
It’s never too late.
As long as you draw breath,
it cannot be too late.
Start now.
I mean RIGHT NOW.
Write one sentence right now.
Keep one promise to yourself right now.
Do something just for you right now.
Be undistractible.
Because this is your year for sure.
©2013 Sam Bennett
Where imagination meets practicality: dreaming, prioritizing and doing for creative wackadoodle geniuses like you and me.
4 sessions:
Monday, Nov. 18 – Monday, Dec. 9
5pm PT/8pm ET
– You do not have to be there in person.
– All sessions are recorded & available for download so you can listen again & again.
– Call in from wherever you are OR listen online.
– This ALL-NEW curriculum is perfect for you if:
You want to get clear about what you should do next & the “next steps” that will get you there.
You want to get out of your own way.
You are sick of perfectionism blocking your happiness & productivity.
You’re ready to quit doing things the same old way and try something new.
You’re in the mood to experiment.
You’ve been meaning to take a workshop with me, but it just hasn’t been the right time, right offer or right price up to now.
And of course, satisfaction is guaranteed or your tuition cheerfully refunded.
—> find out more about The What If…Workshop here
Did I mention that it’s only $147?
See, that’s because I know I’ve been offering a lot of higher-end stuff this year, and it was important to me to close out this year with a no-brainer offer that anyone, at any level, could participate in and get GREAT BENEFIT from.
Let me know what you think about it, hm? After all, YOU all are my “market research” : ) and your feedback really matters to me.
—> find out more about The What If…Workshop here (click now because it starts next week! EEEP!)
P.S. What’s YOUR “What If…”? I bet you could help a lot of people by sharing it in the comments below….
