All In
Source: http://modernhepburn.tumblr.com
So, last week we had a little discussion about how hard it can be to make a decision about the next steps in our lives. That post got me thinking about what happens once a decision has been made. I thought the hardest part of the creative process was to decide to follow it, but now I’m wondering if the harder part is actually committing to whatever choice you made 100%.
Being fully invested in your decision would probably make things a bit easier, if for nothing else than to show yourself and the Universe that you mean serious business. I recently had a conversation with a fellow writer who decided just a year and a half ago that writing was the thing she wanted to do, and hoped one day to maybe make a living writing words. While, I’ve also made a decision to invest more time in my writing, by you know… actually writing stuff, her dedication and commitment to her choice kind of floored me. She didn’t waste any time. Once she knew that writing was what she wanted, she outlined and nurtured an idea for a novel, went to writing workshops, studied the industry, networked, and wrote. She writes all the time. She talks about her novel and seems fully invested in making these characters come to life.
It was fascinating to hear, but equally daunting to face. She had confidence in her choice. Even though she wasn’t certain that she’d get published or if anyone would even like the plot, she liked the idea and seemed to really enjoy the process. And, in the depths of our conversation, it hit me: this is what giving it your all looks like. I was so used to waffling and refusing to commit to anything just in case I’d picked the wrong thing and the right thing suddenly appeared before me out of nowhere so I could be prepared to embrace it with open arms.
I’m starting to see decisions don’t work that way. Life doesn’t work that way. There are plenty of things you can do with half your heart or attention that don’t affect the order of things, but when it comes to the big things like your dreams, I am pretty sure you need to be fully invested.
As someone who hasn’t fully invested in much of anything, I don’t know how to describe to you what being “all in” looks like. If I had to guess, I’d figure it would look a lot like the woman I mentioned earlier in this post. Being “all in” probably entails the following:
- Be confident in your decision. Even if you aren’t certain it’s the right choice, stand by it anyway.
- Do something – lots of things actually. Research, reach out to others in whatever field you’re pursuing and ask for advice or even mentoring, try and fail and try again, do more things.
- Grow some of that thick skin everyone is always talking about. I don’t have any of it, but apparently it helps to not let every little negative thing get you down. It helps to have perspective and to learn which battles to fight.
I’m sure there are plenty of other components to fully committing yourself to a dream, a person, or a project and I’d love to hear your stories about a time in your life when you decided to fully invest in yourself and your dreams. I think we could all really benefit from hearing different perspectives.
What one thing have you chosen not to give up on? What about that thing made you decide to fully invest? Do you notice a difference in the moments when you are fully present and giving it everything you’ve got?
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Amazing post. You’re right – I think it’s necessary to be open, but it’s also necessary to be actively engaged. This post may have been just the reminder I needed to get back at it. As I’ve posted about here (and elsewhere), I hit a bump and while I dealt with it, I haven’t actually returned to work. Today is the day. I’m committing.
Well, thank you very much! It’s a topic I’ve been thinking a lot about lately and I was hoping sharing my thoughts would encourage others to share their stories. I’m glad it was helpful!