No More Do-overs!

I have a game on my phone that I play a lot called Basketball Shot. Basically, you flick the ball in the hoop as fast as you can, and try to score as many points possible in a set time period. Each level has a score you have to beat to advance.

Well, being the geek that I am, I pretty much figured out early on that you want to pad your score as much as possible in the early stages, because as the game progresses, there is less time, but you still have to meet that level’s score. So, I have benchmarks set that I have to meet in each of the first three stages. If I don’t meet them, I reset the game and try again.

A couple of days ago, as I was about to reset the game for probably the tenth time, it hit me. I’m addicted to do-overs. If things don’t go well when I first start them, I either chuck the whole project and start again, or more in my nature, I move on to something else. Another way of looking at it — if it’s too hard, I look for something easier. Something I know I can accomplish without even trying.

I cannot tell you how many opportunities I’ve missed because of this mindset, and I’d bet you’ve fallen victim to it as well.

• Have you ever seen an ad for a job that you would love to have, but one of the qualifications would take you out of your comfort zone, so you didn’t apply?
• Have you ever turned down a writing gig because it would require you to do something you’ve never done before (interview a client, cold call business, write in a style format you didn’t know)?
• Talked yourself out of doing something you really wanted to do because it might require a risk of some sort (relocation, pushing other work to the side, others might gripe about it)?

Sure, you had your reasons for why you walked way from these opportunities, but were they good reasons?

So, I’ve decided: No more do-overs. No more walking away from opportunities because of fear of the unknown, or because it might be hard or I might fail.

In my head, the only real way to fail is to not even try, or worse, to try and give up because of what might happen. This is no longer acceptable.

I decided several years ago that, I was really only going to pursue things that made me happy. I guess I should have included the caveat that some of these things might be hard, but to go ahead and do them anyway. But I guess its never too late to change ones life philosophy.

So, no more do-overs or resets for me. I will do my first three stages as well as I can, and play the game out to its natural conclusion. If I win, great, if I don’t, at least I can say I stayed in the game til the end.

On the Horns of a Dilemma

Ok, not really — just always wanted to use that phrase as the title of a blog post. LOL

I am, however trying to make a decision — and I am enlisting your assistance.

In my writing life, I have three basic nonfiction passions: Small business consulting, social media and renters’/real estate assistance. I really enjoy writing about those three areas. There is some overlap between small business and social media, which is cool — it’s like killing two birds with one stone (I’m all about the cliches tonight, folks!).

So, I’ve been thinking of honing an area or two for my specialist bent, and I know it will be one, if not more than one of the three above-mentioned areas…

I just can’t decide which one would be the most advantageous.

So I’m going to explain my idea for all three areas, and then I’m going to ask you which area you think would be the best one to launch. Like I said, I’ll eventually write about all three areas, but I have to start with one.

Small Business Consulting

• helping entrepreneurs develop their business ideas
• helping entrepreneurs research and compose their business plans, marketing materials and grants
• general advice on starting a business (licenses, locations, determining target markets)
• Question and answer segments when readers have questions.

The format would basically be how-to articles, with the occasional blog post-type article.

Social Media

• All things social media — how to advertise on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
• How to launch a social media campaign
• How to find your target market
• How to build rapport with your current and potential customers.
• The dos and donts of social media
• SEO education
• Answering questions from readers.

The format would also be how-to articles, but more blog post-type articles.

Renters Rights / Real Estate Issues

This is actually more of a database of information regarding renter’s rights in all 50 states. I’d also include information about foreclosures, short sales, dealing with lenders and other helpful advice for people facing losing their homes — whether as renters or buyers. I’ll also take questions from readers.

And there you have it — my three ideas. I like them all, and yeah, I AM leaning toward one of them, but I really would like input from you guys so I know if I’m going in the right direction. So, please cast your vote and let me know what you think. I’ll share my decision once I get the results of the poll and decide.

Change Is In the Air

So, it’s the last day of the month, and as I review my activities for the month, three words spring to mind.

So Not Impressed.

This wasn’t a good month for me, on several levels, but I’ll focus on the work-related ones here. My volume of work was WAY down, and I felt it in more ways than one. Content writing slowed, partly due to a lack of things I wanted or felt I was qualified to write. This is the first month I failed to gain a new client, and my current clients have slowed. Not exactly how I wanted to end a fiscal quarter.

The things I did write, while they were good, left me rather unsatisfied. Most of the things I love to write about weren’t plentiful, so I found myself writing about things I could really not give two flips about. Again, what I did write, I wrote well and my clients were satisfied, but past that, meh.

So, I guess it is time to revisit getting back into the feature writing game. for a while there, I was making a pretty good name for myself, but I got tired of the merry-go-round or query in May for an article that might run in November and pay out in January. With all the technological advances, I’m sure the process is shortened, and I really do miss delving into a topic and doing interviews…I don’t know…

I just know I need to shake things up a bit. Doing what I have been doing worked for a while, but now I think its time to branch out. If not feature writing, then maybe the radio show idea I’ve kicked around for a while — or maybe something else entirey. All I know is that a change is a’comin’, so stay tuned!