photo by steveweaver
I’m not much of a performer. Of all my acting endeavors, playing Gretl von Trapp in The Sound of Music — a role that required small stature, little speaking, and a couple one-line solos — was the closest I got to a starring role. The last time I performed a poem in public, I downed two beers and inhaled a cigarette five minutes before stepping on the stage. I hate beer, and I don’t smoke. But I needed something to help calm those knocking knees.
My shining moment in performance, however, came when I least expected it. I was 12 years old, and my friends and I had decided to spend the summer in theater camp. It was opening weekend of The Enchanted, and I had the distinguished role of “Girl #3.”
Half an hour before the show began, the director marched backstage and revealed a minor crisis: Executioner #2 was at home with a fever. His understudy was at home with his head in the toilet. A nervous chatter spread through the room. The funniest scene of the play was the rap song performed by the executioners — how could we fill the gap?
I sauntered up to the director and joked that I could fill in for the Executioner. I sure did crack a smile on her face, though it wasn’t one of amusement — “Wonderful,” she said. “Go review the script.” And with that she walked briskly away, presumably to deal with another minor crisis.
I was silent for a moment, as I imagined the mortification that surely was to come. Me, rapping? On stage? Dressed as a man? Sure, I knew most of the verses by heart after sitting through countless rehearsals, but the anonymity of being Girl #3 suited me just fine. But at this point, I didn’t really have a choice. I had to take the plunge.
I actually don’t remember what I did on stage. As I cavorted around with pigtails jutting out from under my solemn executioner’s hat, adrenaline rushed through my body, letting instinct take over and pushing consciousness aside.
But when the reviews came in, they were glowing. My friends were on the floor laughing, and the audience members (read: the parents) were terribly disappointed that they did not have their camcorders. I got my 7 minutes of fame.
Ready, Fire, Aim
So why should you care about my wholly unimpressive career in acting? What was the point of that lengthy story?
The only reason I gave a Tony-worthy performance that night was because I took the plunge. I didn’t pause long enough to let doubt paralyze me, and I didn’t get so caught up in practicing that I lost momentum. I looked at the script, made sure I had the material down, and went for it.
The popular phrase to describe this approach seems to be “Ready, Fire, Aim.” Sounds good to me. Brian Clark expands upon this idea on Copyblogger, focusing on its application to business and social media. Chris Guillebeau also advocates it as his plan of attack. The idea isn’t to jump in headfirst without a shred of preparation. Rather, you:
1. Make some sort of plan. Get your ideas and your goals down on paper.
2. Execute that plan. If you wait for your plan to attain perfection, you’ll end up doing a whole lotta nothing. Launch now, even if you’re still feeling things out.
3. Adjust and improve. Plans are allowed to change, so learn from your mistakes and triumphs.
4. Re-execute. Keep creating and launching. This is a lather, rinse, repeat kinda cycle, so feel free to keep fine-tuning until you’ve created your ultimate [fill in the blank] .
The key is that Step 1 does not mean to research every possibility and try to devise a fail-proof scheme. You won’t know the most effective way to proceed until you actually do it, and you’ll probably waste a lot of time and miss a few opportunities in the process.
Solid Proof
I can vouch for the business benefits of the Ready-Fire-Aim approach. When I began my freelance writing business, I needed an income. I didn’t have time to drag out the planning process, so I launched, and then adjusted along the way. Of course I made plenty of mistakes, but that’s how you consistently approve the method to your madness.
I got my spot in the zany world of online freelancers, and I slowly and steadily showed my worth. If I had fretted and planned and re-planned before launching the business, I might not have enough baht in my wallet to splurge on a glass of wine (a luxury indeed here in Thailand), and I certainly wouldn’t be taking a trip to Indonesia at the end of this month.
But the Ready-Fire-Aim approach has an appeal much broader than merely business matters. My decision to move to Thailand may have seemed somewhat capricious to some, but it has brought about a slew of wonderful things in my life. I got a decent idea of what to expect, saved a modest safety cushion in the bank, and flew to Thailand. When you plunge right in, you have no choice but to learn and grow. Worst-case scenario, it completely sucks, and you move on with life.
My final example of how well Ready-Fire-Aim has worked for me (as I imagine you’re getting a bit weary of hearing all about my fabulous successes) is in my creative writing. The fundamental habit that transformed my devotion to writing was simply to make a daily writing routine.
Before, I would sit in front of my laptop and wonder how exactly I was going to extract a stream of brilliance from my brain. As you can perhaps imagine, this led to absolutely nothing. I had no momentum, I was scared of writing crap, and I just kept sitting there plotting possible sentences in my mind with my fingers motionless on the keyboard.
On the other hand, when I write regularly, I gradually learn what works and what doesn’t. I go back and edit, and I constantly try new things.
But none of this can happen unless you spit it out. Whatever you’re creating, launching, or giving birth to, just make it and get it out there. There’s always room for refinement, and your changes will be all the more effective if they’re grown from real-time experience.
So, has anyone here taken the plunge? I’d love to hear your own stories of victory in the comments. Or, if you want to blow my whole theory out of the water, tell us about your utter failures.
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{ 88 comments… read them below or add one }
What great examples of “ready, fire, aim” Zoe! The rap story as a twelve year old – what a great memory – and one that wouldn’t have happened had you not taken that step forward. Awesomely cool!
So, where have I “taken the plunge”? The first thought that comes to my mind is with my blog. I thought much about it – but never really planned anything. It was a seed that was planted in my brain, but not really growing. Finally, one day I just said – let’s do this – let’s try to create something. I took out a domain name, chose a host for my site, and then just started working at it. It has been an amazing journey the last several months – and one that may not have happened had I stayed in the “planning” stage. Or would have taken much longer to have developed to where I am today. Now – I follow the strategy you describe about making some sort of a plan – but not spending too long in the planning stage. And then I move on to the execution of the plan. Sometimes I fail. But that’s ok. Because I see the failures as opportunities to learn and grow. And, again, it’s all been an amazing journey. And much of it wouldn’t have happened had I not just taken the plunge.
Here’s to much continued success for you in your writing endeavors Zoe!
Lance´s last blog post..Guest Post: What’s Your Best Effort?
Hi,
Came here via Chuck!
I like this idea. There are certainly times where meticulous planning is essential, but sometimes just doing something is the best approach.
I work as part of a nightclub security team. A couple of years ago, we used to have 3 managers, two of whom were almost polar opposites. One of them always made the right decision… eventually. He would, however, sometimes take a long time over doing it, leaving staff and customers alike waiting on him for comparatively significant periods of time.
The other made her decisions on the spot, often based more on instinct than any coherent thought process. She would then stick to it whatever. Because she decided so quickly, however, she occasionally made bad decisions.
Who was the better manager in this situation? The second one. It’s all well and good making good decisions, but sometimes putting off the decision is a decision in itself, and it can actually be better to make a bad decision now than a good one later on
Chris Rigby´s last blog post..Link
Chris makes a great point. As a teacher, I have learned that lesson about making decisions. Telling a kid “I’ll think about it” when he asks to do something is just about like saying yes…
There are lots of other ways I’ve had to dive in, too, especially in teaching. One of the best pieces of advice I was given my first year was “fake it ’til you make it”. No matter how hard I plan, there will always be something that comes up that I didn’t foresee. Another good reason to dive in.
The thing about diving in is that it requires some degree of confidence. I wonder if that’s the gem in finally diving in– because, for me at least, the same confidence that convinces us to dive in is exactly what we need to help us succeed.
Oh, and I wouldn’t like to be the person on the photo – he looks like he’s about to land on that rock!
Chris Rigby´s last blog post..Link
@ Lance – I’m really happy you brought up your blog as an example. I have a post in the works about the birth of this blog, because I definitely agree with you — blogging is the perfect arena to just jump in.
@ Chris – Yep, indecision is often worse than a bad decision. Maybe not in every scenario, but going on instinct can really help you feel if that’s the way to go.
@ Melissa – You took this idea one step further, and I think you’re completely on track. Without confidence, it’s pretty difficult to make that plunge…
I took this plunge when I decided to write an English blog. The reason for this was that the audience of my german blog was partly English-speaking, and so I thought it would be nice to write in a language everybody could understand. It took some time until I realized that I could not simply translate German text into English – I had to write in a totally different way. Who knows if I would have taken the decision to write in a foreign language if I had known that from the beginning! But I learned it on the way doing it and I never regretted the decision.
Ulla Hennig´s last blog post..Checkpoint Charlie
Your post could NOT have come at a better time for me!!! I am a direct sales manager, and I have a training tonight (go ahead- ask me if my outline is completed yet). Part of my training will be on goal-setting, and you know what? The Ready, Aim, Fire approach is definitely the way to go. Just do it! What is the worst that could happen from taking that first step? You go down the wrong path? So what- turn around and go back!
I can be as guilty about over-analyzing as the next person, and I’ve tried to wait for that “perfect moment” to start something… ANYthing! For me, at least, that moment usually doesn’t appear, and what has that wasted? Precious time that I can never get back.
Mondays are really crappy days for me, and your post was exactly what I needed (in more ways than one!)! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Tracy´s last blog post..Another Blue’s Clues/First Birthday Layout
A about 12 days ago I had the idea for our blog group. I stayed up late writing about it that very evening. Even now, there are plenty of balls in the air that I’m not sure about, but I’m just trying to press forward.
Good post, Zoe–thanks!
Chuck W´s last blog post..We Have Our First Contestant
What a great first post to read as part of Chuck’s group project. Very fitting.
I know that in my head this ready aim fire approach is the way to go. It’s actually stepping out of that comfort zone and DOING IT that is my problem. I occasionally get what I think are solid ideas for paths to take in my life, but rarely do I actually do anything about it. It’s a constant battle and goes to show that I (and all of us I guess) are a work in progress.
Earlier this year I brainstormed with a fellow blogger that a good way to keep his new year’s resolution of weight loss on track would be to use the web to make himself more accountable. He could do a weekly weigh in video or similar. While I did not make a resolution I stood to loose a pound or 40, so I lept in and shot a vid myself. Had never done more than point the camera at the kids opening birthday presents before, but just ran with it. Small potatoes, but the videos got a really positive reaction on my site and I dropped 36 pounds.
I have stopped making them – and have put 20 pack on. Time to take a leap and turn the camera back on maybe!
PG´s last blog post..Choo-Choo! (275/365)
What a great post to discover on a dreary Monday morning! This is inspiring. I may actually DO something today!
Found your blog via Chuck, and must say I’m enjoying it! Love the design and the writing…. and looking froward to reading more!
Zoe,
Great job, and so true. I kind of live my life in the Ready,Fire, Aim mode.
Usually works.
Joel Libava
Joel Libava´s last blog post..Franchise Fears; Still Fearful About The Economy?
Here via Chuck – I think the premise of ready, fire, aim can be useful in many case scenarios. It is how I approach my fiction writing, and was how I was taught to do so. Approaching everything with a sense of levity, though, gives me pause. Mark it up to my age. I am 65 and have been writing all my life. I have made good money these past few years as a freelance writer, but the economic downturn has put the hurts on me. So now I must plan carefully to create further streams of income and divsersify to a point where I am once again back to previous levels. Being rash can be a good thing, but I think it all depends on the circumstances. Your thoughts? Great post, BTW…
Alden~
Alden Smith´s last blog post..Making A Living In This Economy
There’s a proverb in the Bible that states “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
I’ve found that in the right community, where people can agree to “Ready, Fire, Aim” together… everyone’s aim improves.
I feel blogging has been a way for me to take the plunge, so to speak. Making my faith public to those who don’t share it, as well as taking stabs at understanding the Bible when my thoughts might be read by others who share my faith but have much more knowledge of the bible or its history.
That’s more of an internal plunge I guess.
On the external side, though I don’t do it near often enough, I LOVE improv acting. Going on stage, with no rehearsal, no knowledge of the part, the scene or the story and thrilling in the confidence of knowing that no one else knows either but that we’re in it together.
-Mike
I’m here through Chuck.
I was raised by a motivational speaker and frankly, although this is exactly the kind of advice I often need, it is the sort of blog post most likely to make me cringe, blush or roll my eyes. It’s good advice, constructive, gives evidence and yet I hate to read it. I’m sure this is a sign of some deep-rooted psychological issue in the reader — or just the result of having this kind of thinking applied to every single aspect of my daily life as a child — and never really having it work out for me. I’ve read one other post here and it seemed to have a turn-over-a-new-leaf theme which is very similar. As I write this, I wonder if what I am writing is appropriate, but I signed up to participate and read your blog actively for 2 weeks. You write well, but I hope you will delve deeper than “just do it” into this infinitely interesting topic of creativity. All of that said, I am now strangely motivated to turn over a new leaf myself…
Working Girl´s last blog post..The Power of the Pussy Revisited
I have to whole heartedly agree with the concept. While I never actually set a determined plan into motion when I got started in my career. I did end up eventual writing a business plan to get to the next phase of taking it to a much bigger level.
Then I let that plan go in the same fashion of ready, fire, aim. Thus it’s easy to relate to the concept if you’re in a creative field. Funny how it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. But eventually you understand where to point for your mark.
Jody Whitesides´s last blog post..Only an hour
Zoe,
I found you via Chuck’s blog, and I must say, great blog! This is exactly what I needed to come in to see this Monday morning. I’ve been toying with the idea of going solo and diving headfirst into the world of freelancing, but my “yes, buts…” get in the way. Thinking about execution in the “Ready, Fire, Aim” format is much more appealing than “Ready, Aim, Aim some More, A little More, Fire.”
Can’t wait to see what else you have in store!
Ashley
Firstly, I love the picture at the beginning of the post. Ready, aim, fire is a great way to overcome any indecisions that you may have if you proscractinate over an idea. To live life each day as if it is your last is a philosophy I am trying to follow. To put things off til tomorrow is bad! because tomorrow may not come. I am not trying to be gloomy but attempting to make sure I have no regrets. Making mistakes is all part of us moving forward and improving.
Thanks for such a great post to start off Chuck’s new venture.
Mad Asthmatic
Mad Asthmatic´s last blog post..How lucky was I
I’ve never heard it called “Ready, Fire, Aim” but that name is very fitting. Many of my best writing and speaches have been when I had very little time to formally prepare or else it just came out. Part of why this method works is because we’re mentally involved in something all the time. Like your regular writing schedule, consistency helps mold the pathways of the mind so when it’s time to perform, the structure is there, we just fill in the gaps.
@ Ulla – I face that challenge when doing translation work. It’s not rewriting at all, you really have to write a whole new style. I love doing it though… sort of like deconstructing something and putting the pieces back together in a whole new way.
@ Tracy – Glad to soften your Monday morning! Good luck on your training : )
@ Chuck – This project is certainly a great example. You’ve created a monster… !
@ PG – That’s actually what I first used this blog for, too. I posted my writing goals to hold myself accountable for a daily word count. It really helped keep me on track, and sounds like it worked for you too.
Too much planning is not only for wimps, it strangles progress. You cannot move forward without mistakes, and even with the most perfect plan, you’ll make mistakes anyways…great advice.
Milena Thomas´s last blog post..I’ve Been Hiding
@ Christina & Joel – Thanks for reading through. It’s crazy to jump from a small group of readers to this huge group!
@ Alden – I must agree with you, that certain situations don’t work well with this approach. Your gut can probably tell you which way to go.
I think what Melissa pointed out in her comment really gets to the underlying point of this whole post — it really comes down to confidence in the end.
@ penitentman – I’ve never tried improv, but as you read above, acting’s not exactly my thing!
I think “Ready, Fire” describes my process pretty well, but it’s the “Aim” that I’m always struggling with! I’m not the most patient (or organized!) person in the world, so taking the time to step back and evaluate ways to fine-tune a process and make it better is a real challenge, for me.
@ Working Girl – I see where you’re coming from. I wasn’t raised by a motivational speaker, but a lot of motivation/transformation talk makes me roll my eyes. But as I focus more on my writing and doing freelance work, I just notice these kind of things work. After all, you did say you suddenly feel like turning over a new leaf…!
But I will be sure to talk about creativity in ways that aren’t personal development-ish.
@ Jody – Same here. My plans formed as I launched my business (blog too!), and it’s worked out really well.
@ Ashley – Let me know if you have any questions about diving into freelancing. I’m no expert, but I’ve been going through that process for the past year!
@ Mad Asthmatic – Procrastination is usually my biggest roadblock when it comes to my creative stuff. That’s why I love this approach, especially for writing projects.
@ Oktober Five – The few times I prepared for public speaking, my rehearsal was embarrassingly bad. But I just went for it, and once I was on the spot the words came out smooth and easy!
@ Milena – That’s how I see it, especially when it comes to working on something creative. Nice design on your blog, by the way!
” This is a lather, rinse, repeat kinda cycle” – I like your writing style.
I took a plunge of my own on December 14, 2005. This is the day my wife and I got married after only 5 days of seeing each other face-to-face. Let me back up…
We first met each other in February that year via myspace. You see I was living in Japan in the military, and she was going to school in Texas. I stumbled across her page while looking for people that went to the same school as me before I joined the military. Our relationship simply began with long emails back and fourth about our lives and about our recent horrible break-ups. From there we moved to instant messaging each other and finally one day I worked up the nerve to call her.
When I heard her voice on the other end it was a familiar yet unknown voice altogether. (It actually reminded me of an ex from high school.) But after breaking the ice with that phone call, our relationship began to blossom all the more. We also loved to write letters and send packages to each other, I still have a box full of her letters.
The best part about living 8,000 miles away from the one you love is how intimate you get to know the other person. And I know that seems completely opposite to the way our society tells us we should be intimate, but without the physical and sexual distractions we could focus on who we really were. But yes, it was hard as all hell.
So when we finally met face-to-face on December 09, 2005 it was both the most nerve-racking/exciting sigh-of-relief we had both ever experienced. And now in just over a month we will be celebrating our 3-year anniversary. Wow, time flies when you’re having fun.
kyle steed´s last blog post..connecting the less popular dots
I am also here via Chuck. What a great post. I’ve been stuck in limbo lately, not even giving myself the opportunity to make my usual quick decision because I’m not putting myself out there. Maybe I need to change that. Thanks.
Fancy´s last blog post..Will I never learn?
Zoe – thanks for the reply. Bet you are excited by all the attention you are getting here! I wanted to elaborate on what I commented on after reading your response to my post. My habit of jumping in with both feet without thinking about the consequences were tempered by Mark Joyner from his Simpleology classes. Such things as “failing to plan is planning to fail” and not having an eye on your target are what prompted my post. Because Joyner has been such a success in the IM world, I have to take his wisdom into consideration. He knows his stuff.
I too believe that you must often go on gut instinct. I have done this all my life. Doing so has made me a ton of money. The habit of “not looking before you leap” has been a strong one with me. Now, I clearly have a target in sight before beginning any strategy. Hope that clears up any questions in your mind.
A~
Alden Smith´s last blog post..Making A Living In This Economy
This is to Ashley,
Your right to jump in right away. When is it ever the right time to start a business? There are always reasons why you can’t do something. Have faith in yourself and stay positive. There are opportunities all around you.
A great article. One of my favorite peeves with small business is their constant dancing with in-action. Planners are always looking for the “right moment”, while doers just jump in!
Ed Roach´s last blog post..Here’s A Chance For Your Blog To Shine…
hey zoe,
“or, if you want to blow my whole theory out of the water, tell us about your utter failures”
here’s the thing though…i have a handful of failures i could discuss ad nauseam (tempting, but….no). but that doesn’t make your theory any less valid. what’s the alternative? squash your dreams? stay rooted to the same spot your whole life? never experience the thrill of great endeavors?
no thanks. ready, fire, aim is the way to live, no doubt in my mind. does it increase the likelihood of the dreaded ‘crash and burn’? sure, but it also all but eliminates the chances of a life extraordinary.
so step up to the plate folks, swing away, take your chances, expect the best. then do it all over again, regardless of the consequences.
cheers…jeb
jeb´s last blog post..Twitter on FP
As a writing mom I think I come to this writing space with a different attitude. I only have a finite amount of time to navel-gaze. Writing is my income and my outlet.
I suppose I took the plunge by foregoing a traditional paying job and benefits for a freelance life. Your ideas seemed to be aimed to folks with much more free time and available brain space than I can muster right now. I cannot swing a daily routine with my life, but I will attempt to take a stab at the re-execute portion of the plan.
Nicole Feliciano´s last blog post..Paper Shouts Holiday Card Contest
Actually, I had to learn to not Ready, Fire, Aim. *chuckle* I have jumped into a relationship so I could leave home, motherhood when I was still pretty much a child myself, another relationship to get out of the first…well, you get the idea.
However, you did an excellent job pointing out that some planning, thought, and foresight needs to take place. You just can’t get caught up in analysis paralysis. Planning, thought and foresight I finally have a handle no. Analysis paralysis will NEVER be an issue for me.
Urban Panther´s last blog post..The Lion versus the Call Centre
Welcome to Chuck’s project. It is such fun to get to know you!
I have done numerous things–more since I’ve gotten older–by just taking the plunge, even when that rational-careful side of myself was pacing back and worth muttering, “It’s not safe.” “Don’t do it.” “This doesn’t make any sense.” “DON’T DO IT!!!”
And I do anyway. And screw some stuff up. And learn from some and grow some more.
Presently I moved from a huge city to a tiny town. And love it. And I am about to make a job move in the midst of financial crisis. That persona is hollering in my ear once again, and I’m going to do it anyway.
Ready, aim, fire! Oh, yes.
G.
Grace´s last blog post..A Shared History
“When you plunge right in, you have no choice but to learn and grow. Worst-case scenario, it completely sucks, and you move on with life.”
What a great philosophy, I can think of loads of ways I can apply that
Many congratulations on being our first guinea pig, I’ve enjoyed reading your blog very much and I look forward to seeing it grow.
Great post! I love this idea – sometimes people forget that OVER planning can be as great as a sin as UNDER planning. A nice healthy medium can do wonders….. and taking risks? Always good (even failing is good).
Tabitha “Tabz” Smith´s last blog post..Why Twitter?
@ Kyle – Wow, your plunge is better than any of mine! Impressive, indeed.
@ Alden – I think that ultimately, it’s impossible to prescribe a blanket approach. Even though I wrote this whole post about Ready-Fire-Aim, we all know that approach can leave you in deep doo-doo in the wrong situation…! But I think it’s worth the risk more often than not.
@ jeb – True true. Brings to mind that whole cliché that you only regret the things you didn’t do… I stand by that one.
@ Urban Panther – Analysis Paralysis…I’ll snag that phrase! You present a totally different and valid perspective.
I’m another person that found you through Chucks blog. This post has me thinking about the ways in which I do and don’t take risks. I’m extroverted, so blogging about my personal life is easy for me, but I have lately noticed that the more I display myself on the internet, the less I “display” myself and connect with the world outside my front door. You have me thinking about ways to “take the plunge” in my life outside of the computer screen. I think a Christmas volunteering project is just the place to start.
I’m excited to keep reading for the next two weeks.
Jenna´s last blog post..(almost) Spookalicious Pumpkin Carving Movie Fest
Taking the plunge is so fitting for your next two weeks. How will you handle all the notoriety? I enjoy your writing style and tone: it’s fluent, creative, and sincere. You’re bound to learn a lot as we will who follow your lead. Best wishes.
I took a big plunge when I started my own blog January 1, 2008. I have managed to get out “a daily pensive mind fix” every day since then. It’s been a real thrill so far.
Paul C´s last blog post..Daffodils in Autumn
as a reader only of blogs, I was compelled to follow Chucks thoughts about finding good content. Glad I followed along as his idea blossomed. Zoe, your style is interesting and clear. Loved the examples to support your point, and how you broke the segments down for clarity. Looking forward to having great items to read in this community. ~T~
Zoe: I like that your ready, aim, fire approach included making a plan. My gut tendency is to fall into something head first (no plan) or to overplan and talk myself out of taking any action.
In my life, both of these approaches are super stressful and stop me for leading the extraordinary life I desire.
The next few months for me will be full of chances to experiment with “ready, aim, fire” Hopefully, I’ll remember to use it!
Monicarolevans´s last blog post..Halloween Fun
I am here through Chucks blog too, funny I just found his blog last week when he came up with this idea and a person that I follow posted about it.
with all that is currently happening in my life I find plotting and planning and then enforcing those plans with a good deal of ridigity for a period of time at least is what seems to be working. (TEENS make the way you look at and deal with EVERYTHING differently)
I think this idea is great for many things and I can think of several instances in my life that I certainly was ready fired off and then took aim, the biggest would have been the night I decided to stay 856 miles from home with nothing but 5 dollars in my pocket, a change of clothing, and my boom box and case of tapes. (it was Oct 26, 1986)
22 years later I find my self still here
I am facinated with this web progect and excited to see where it goes and slightly overwhelmed with the numbers and totally different folks but, I have always felt that if you don’t learn something every day then you are dead and thankfully I love to learn.
I can’t wait to see what happens next and I love the photograph that started this post!
Laura´s last blog post..weekend recap…
Hi Zoe,
I also found you through Chuck. I love the design of your page! I’m constently changing mine to make it represent “me” (while trying to keep the look smooth and sophisticated…its challenging). First all of, I’d like to commment on the picture in your post. When I saw it, my first reaction was “wow..what an amazing composition”. Then I looked a little closer and realized that from the angle the photo was taken, the person appears to diving straight into a rocky craig. Um, ouch. So my next coherent thought was “OMG – that looks soo dangerous!” I was intrigued and read on.
The picture fit very well with the content. Taking the plunge often looks fun from an outsider’s point of view, but can be scary when your doing yourself (after all, no one wants to crash on the rocks). You advice was well worded and timely (I’m considering trying to get into freelance writing myself).
I liked your post. I can relate all too well to being 12 and throwing caution to the wind. I’ve had some success with that, and some failures. I always learn a lot though, which I like to retell as anecdotes to my friends (or really, to anyone who will listen).
I also like your writing style – you give enough details about who you are and what your life is like to be engaging, without crossing into the realm of “way too much sharing”. I haven’t had a chance to read much more then this post, but I’m looking forward to doing so, and keeping up with your writing for the next two weeks.
Also, I’m so envious that you live in Thailand. That’s awesome!
Mishi´s last blog post..Searching for Billie
Great stuff. I’m a fan of the “ready, fire, aim” approach too. create something, get it out there, and then get feedback and improve it. when I find myself planning all day long I never get anything done. Thanks!
Blake´s last blog post..Will You Live to 100?
Wow, it’s really amazing to read all these comments and check out your blogs. The support and the feedback is so important to me right now.
I’m trying to keep up with the comments, blogs and tweets : )
@ Laura – I’m slightly overwhelmed with the numbers too!
@ Mishi – I just changed the design this weekend…I’m really happy with it. You read more deeply into that photo than I did — I’m glad I unknowingly picked one that’s more fitting than I realized!
Great post and I can see why Chuck chose your blog as a starting point in his endeavor! Your writing is so easy to read, yet very well-written. I am always afraid of writing “crap”. And I love your stories. I have some on my blog that I call my Hall of Shame.
I used your Ready, Fire, Aim approach when I began my blog. It’s just nonsense, really. But it’s fun and right now it’s been such a support to me.
Glad to meetcha, Zoe!!
Kate´s last blog post..Show me the way to go home
Wow. What an interesting looking blog. I know I will thoroughly enjoy this two week stay. I’ll probably never want to leave.
JenX67´s last blog post..Halloween Costume Parade
I’ve adopted this approach to my fledgling photography business, and it seems to be working, although if you’d asked me I wouldn’t have been able to put a name to it, or even recognized it as an approach.
I’ve dabbled in photography for a couple years and finally decided I wanted to get serious about it and really learn it. So for my birthday/Mother’s Day my husband bought me a DSLR camera and a couple lenses and I spent about 3 months shooting at anything and everything. Then someone said, “Hey, would you take my family portraits?” and I said, “Sure! Be happy to!” before I really thought it through, and voila. I’ve done three family portrait sessions now, a wedding, I’m shooting a wedding this coming weekend, and I have a couple more sessions in the works as we spead. I’m learning as I go, making mistakes and keeping myself honest. And best of all, I’m having fun and gaining confidence.
This is a great post.
Shutter Bitch´s last blog post..Plans, Advancing
As we speak. speak. Which apparently I can’t translate well through a keyboard.
Shutter Bitch´s last blog post..Plans, Advancing
Hi Zoe,
You raelly touched a good point.
Most people don’t achieve anything due to what I call the Too Much Thinking Disease. I recently wrote about this on my blog.
When you have an idea or you see an opportunity or you have to face a situation, you have to take action immediately.
If you start thinking about it, and you try to create the perfect plan and you continue thinking and thinking about how to do it then the doubts start creeping in and this stops you.
This creates a big confusion in your mind and then you end up doing nothing because a confused mind does nothing.
The solution is to take massive action immediately without thinking too much.
Thanks,
^PV Reymond
http://www.pvreymond.com/stair
Zoe,
It’s been about a week since I came here. I wondered what was going on: I didn’t recognize the site and I saw tons more comments than usual.
Looking really good here. I like the new site design. More colorful and alive.
This post is strong; looks like you’re also expanding the scope of your posts in conjunction with the new site design. I like how you linked out a good bit and incorporated other people’s ideas seamlessly into your own overarching argument.
Ready-Fire-Aim approach: I read about that awhile ago over at Early to Rise, and you’re right–too much planning and too little plunging is detrimental to success.
You’ve got some strong writing skills and an ability to write in an engaging, conversational manner.
I’m glad to see you getting much broader exposure and gaining a wider audience.
Good job.
Jesse Hines´s last blog post..The Importance of Writing Compelling Headlines: U.S. Presidential Election Style
Hey Zoe – love your work
I really connected with this post. My most recent (ongoing) leap has been to set up a Community Market in my town. I kind of leapt into it with only a great idea – made the mistake of talking to a journalist before I had done any planning, and before I knew it I was committed!!
I think if I had sat down and planned what I was going to do I would never have started. It turns out that there is actually quite a lot to do to get a market off the ground. I could certainly have spent a lot of time aiming . . . and I would probably still be aiming now rather than having fired off my first shot already and lining up my sights for the next one.
Nice post!!
Meg´s last blog post..5 Ways to Create Abundance in an Economic Downturn
The last six months I’ve made the plunge into freelance writing. I’ve been dabbling here and there for 10 years, but this is my first serious foray into the business.
I get noticed on the strength of a resume that probably looks better then it actually is (a recent prospect told me I was overqualified to be a copywriter), but I have virtually no idea what I’m doing. It was a matter of “you have to start somewhere,” and I figured I’d better sieze the opportunity while I’m able.
James A Woods´s last blog post..Vietnamese Parents Concerned About Violent, Titillating Manga
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