I saw a Jeffrey Gitomer seminar this Monday. If you haven’t been to one of his events and you’re trying to sell something, you’ve missed out on a huge opportunity thus far. So go catch him ASAP!
That said, one BIG IDEA I took from him is the need to write not just for myself but for my business. It’s not that I didn’t know this intellectually. I have this blog. Hell, I call myself a Freelance Writer for Pete’s sake. But the point hit me particularly hard because I’ve been missing the boat since January. So when I introduced myself to Jeffrey and told him what I do for a living, I was surprised that he wanted to see my stuff. He’d just told us all we were crazy for not blogging and here I was not having posting something new for months. What’s up with that embarrassment? That’s certainly not a kick-ass proposition. But you know what? Nothing’s stopping me from training for a 1/2 marathon right now and that’s all that matters. That’s right, I’m prepping for the Charity Chase Race 1/2 Marathon in Hickory in June and I’m going to finish!
But my confidence didn’t just happen. I didn’t just sign up to run and expect to show up ready to go on race day. I started training in January. Back then I weighed 290 lbs and could barely run 2 miles. Today I weigh 265 and completed 7 miles, non-stop this past Saturday at a 10-minute mile pace. I still have quite a long way to go to eclipse my personal goals but I’ve improved and my confidence couldn’t be higher.
Here’s the point. Long runs don’t just happen and neither does inspiration to write. I know I’m going to kick my 1/2 marathon’s ass in June because I’ve worked really hard. I’ve earned the right to be sure of myself. That’s why I know the right words will come, and more eloquently, over time – as long I write right now and keep it up. I’ve always known this, but facing 13.1 miles really helps me see in a way that can’t be more clear.
Inspiration and confidence usually start small and their growth is almost exclusively earned. That’s my insight and I can’t wait to transfer it to this blog.
