Friday, December 10, 2010

Tenacity: GET SOME!



Warning: This may at times be an ANGRY blog. (but hopefully a little useful... in a kick in the butt type way)

I am saying all of this to YOU lovely readers, because I can't say it to the person who dearly needs it pounded into him. Badly. (yes, that was necessary to use TWO adverbs).


Remember when you hadn't given it a real try and you were sure you COULDN'T? And I told you you could and you didn't BELIEVE me? And I pushed and pushed and finally you were ready and you GAVE it a try? It was hard, right? But you DID IT. You worked your ass off, you persevered, and you DID IT.

I know it hasn't been obstacle free since then. There have been failures, but you practiced and asked for help... sometimes from me, sometimes from somebody more expert... and you figured it out. The failures became the sweetest masteries because they were hard learned... but learned nonetheless.

Remember when you [got sick/had a crisis/had a family obligation of great magnitude] and you had to quit for a while? Remember how torturous that was... to NOT be working on it for a while... to be set back by several months... remember how visceral the yearning to get back on track became... how it was a RELIEF to get going again?

And you DID. And you have worked and learned and improved since then. There have been more rejections... more small failures... but these are on a higher plane... you are getting there.


SO WHAT IS THIS CRAP?

I know this is bigger. I know this may last longer. But I FORBID YOU FROM SELF SABOTAGE!!!

When an obstacle comes into your way, YOUR JOB is to work AROUND IT!

When there is an inevitable delay, you are NOT to call it quits!

When you know you can't take the next step for a while, you DO NOT quit before you finish THIS step!

Your job, ALWAYS is to do the best job you are capable of every step of the way.

Your job is to plan for when you CAN get back to it and take what micro-steps you can in the meantime! [sidenote: I was reminded yesterday of a great wisdom first made clear by the fabulous Elizabeth Spann Craig: one page a day makes a novel in a year. If that is ALL you can do, it can still get the job done.]

You are FORBIDDEN from burning your bridges!

You will NOT give up!

*****

It may be clear up there, that I have a would-be-quitter in my life... a person who, when I gave him the kid-gloves version of that talk, told me I was insane. I pointed out what I'd accomplished with my insanity, and what he had with his realism... he hemmed and hawed about all the opportunities I'd had that he hadn't, to which I shouted,

“Bloody Hing! Opportunities are CREATED as often as not. They don't just arbitrarily come along... they come along by laying the groundwork, being READY and putting yourself if the PATH!”

He doesn't believe me. But you might.


So go forth my bloggy friends and CONQUER YOUR DESTINY!!!


*****

and if you are in a PLACE in your progress that you need some professional help for the next step, our friend Jessica Bell wants to expand her Editing Services. But she won't kick your butt... so I will!

27 comments:

Ted Cross said...

Well, since you insist, I might as well.

Sue said...

Whoo hoo, cheer cheer, clap clap. So true. Different field; similar issues. You've gone for the jugular a bit more than I do, but the sentiment is the same! Now to take the medicine for myself. Drat.

Jessica Bell said...

Thanks Hart for the mention! :o)

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Yes! The perfect pep talk, Hart. Call it tenacity, call it pure stubbornness, but it's the vital component to reach all our goals...writing and otherwise!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I'm not quitting!
Curious about your first photo though...

Old Kitty said...

Whao!! Easy on the coffee!! :-)

I guess people have their own way of conquering their fears and insecurities but a little external gusto may help too! Take care
x

Liz said...

hells yes Tart--this is my mantra every single effing night when I've poured beers, yacked about them until my hair follicles ache, swept and mopped the floors, wiped down the bar, cleaned both bathrooms and tiny kitchen, fielded rental questions, mug club requests, planned yet more events (Big Chill@theBig House!), schlepped beer to yet another holiday function, asked my Art Guy for yet more fliers for events (New Brewery-New Year-New Beer!), supervised sign install (soon!), fought with Comcast (again) over the Big Ten Network, tasted new beers in the tanks (best part, after smelling like a brewery on brew days), made more West Side menus, handled whatever teen ager crisis is brewing in my house, sweated through some yoga and, finally sat down to edit the Big Ass Project that is about to see the light of day.......onward! With a craft beer in one hand and a sprig of mistletoe in the other. Check me rant about it in a third dream level, Inception-style on the Wench's blog!

Sarah Ahiers said...

ooh i hear this. I have a friend kind of like this too. I mean, for reals, the only way you're going to accomplish your dream (or anything for that matter) is to actually make an effort. It's not just going to be handed to you.
Once i realized this a few years ago, things went a lot easier for me

Anonymous said...

Guess you told me. :)

Carol Kilgore said...

I couldn't be more with you on this if we were twins. Defeatist attitudes totally push my buttons. One of my extended family members wants to drop her course load to ONE COURSE for the next few semesters...and her parents are OK with it. I told her she'd still be going to school when she's 30 if she does that. I don't get it.

Su said...

Well said!

Natasha said...

I so hear you on this one. Most of the time, you make your destiny, by choosing what you want to do and what you don't want to do. Sure some people have more breaks than others, but many of those breaks are breaks because you grabbed them and didn't let them go.

Choose not do so something, if you wish. But give up- that's plain ridiculous.

And if that was aimed at a particular person, do you want me to come over and give him a sound kick?

Talli Roland said...

Gosh, I'm scared! Put away the whip! Seriously, though, everyone needs a pep talk like this every once in awhile. I'm going to print this out and file it away for those days when I do need some serious butt kicking!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Not giving up, just going in a new direction.

Jane Kennedy Sutton said...

Thanks, Coach! I needed that. I was thinking of playing today instead of working, but now I realize I'd better get busy.

Southpaw said...

Okay, okay, I won't give up. I won't even think about it, okay?

Hart Johnson said...

Thank you so much, everyone! Sorry I've been absent all morning, and at the moment, only have time to comment on questions, but I totally appreciate the support and am glad a few of you could use this!

Alex-that is the South Korean Army in the top pic--no clue the PURPOSE of the exercise...

Liz-you make me tired!

Rayna-I'm REALLY hoping the butt kicking goes out into the ether and is received without direct assault (though I am working a little to give it a push from another angle)

LTM said...

ugh! needed the boot camp today. The waiting's getting to m... :p

this actually made me think of that little ant w/the rubber tree plant. :o) <3

Golden Eagle said...

Thanks for this post. :)

Colene Murphy said...

RAWR!! Get 'EM!
Everyone needs a harda** in their life for kicking them in the pants to accomplish their dreams. I hope this person will realize how lucky they are one day! And listen to you!

February Grace said...

Wow. A page a year makes a novel. I wonder if that would work for revision...

thanks, Tart! Consider this butt thusly kicked in the best possible way :~D

~bru

February Grace said...

D'oh. You know what I meant (just imagine me slashing out 'year' and writing 'day' above it...)

I need a nap. I know it's eight-thirty at night, I still do.

~bru

Hart Johnson said...

Bru--absoLUTELY it counts for edits! (and I gotcha!) Binges are nice and all, but in the end, persistence wins.

Anonymous said...

Hart, have you been spying on me again?! I loved this! --- Ascella ;)

Rachael Harrie said...

Phew, I feel quite pumped up and ready for action!

Rach

lisahgolden said...

We all need this butt kicking once in a while. If I don't get to work again soon, I'll be emailing you for another version of this.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Thank you. I needed that! :)