Why, oh why, do I have to try?
Also known as the power of persistence… Because when you try repeatedly, you put effort toward the end-goal. You get closer. And closer. And eventually, you arrive! This is why oh why you have to try. Keep on knocking. The door WILL eventually open!
Today I got a problem in my teeth and I just couldn’t let it go. It was one of those technical things. I find I love it when I can do things on the computer, and I hate it when I can’t. Is it this way for you?
I had finally gotten around to videoing myself reading from my book—something I’d been planning to do for a while to add as a teaser to bring more readers to my book, more visitors to my site, and so forth. I don’t have a video camera, I wanted a DIY way.
I’ve made i-movies before, but haven’t done much with the internal camera. I got the thing recorded, then found the longer it played, the more out of synch the sound was with the image. Tried and tried to research and implement solutions. But that part was like reading Greek and speaking Latin. In other words, I was totally lost.
Finally I hit on a solution: take the part that was in synch, cut the rest, blah, blah, blah–basically, a compromise. I was so proud to find a way that could work—not perfect, but functional.
I think this is the key to persistence: finding a way that will WORK. Seeking function, not perfection. So why, oh why do I have to try? Because when it finally works, I will have either learned something, relaxed my too-high standards, or both. It’s all good…
As of this moment, my computer is telling me I have the wrong id or password for my YouTube account, and while it says it is uploading to Vimeo, I can see no progress being made. Meanwhile, I’ve used up several hours of the day that I could have put toward writing.
But you know what? This, too, is creativity. Solving problems, finding solutions, is creative. When you remember that, it helps silence that “you’re wasting time being a thick-headed dolt” voice!
Coach’s Challenge: What is it you keep quitting because it isn’t going the way you think it should? Pick it up and dig in again. Ask yourself “how can I make this work knowing what I already know?” See what happens. And never be afraid to ask for help from someone who DOES know! (In fact, except for the very stubborn, that should be the first course of action!)
