I was having lunch with a friend of mine today. It seems our lunches and get-togethers happen less frequently because his day job keeps him busier every day. As he acquires new and better skills more tasks seems to be handed to him and more of his day is consumed staying above the learning curve and handling the bigger work load. Has this happened to you?
The thing is, that while he loves the company he works for, respects and admires his boss, and enjoys the people he’s worked with for these many years, he also has another passion, his music.
Unlike some people who have music as their hobby, a way to unwind, or a fun talent to have when getting together with friends (but it doesn’t go much beyond that), my friend has a real gift for his music. In fact, he is so good he could be a music star today.
And he knows this. In fact, when he thinks about it and he sees how many days, weeks, and months fly by because he is so consumed with work that he has to put this aside, he actually feels a loss.
Now I do understand there are people who have had to put their passion for their craft aside to provide for family and to be able to survive in the real world. That’s not what we’re talking about here.
What I mean is that there is a real chance for him to have his music and performance AS his career. And he knows it too.
In fact, (this is his phrase), he feels sometimes like he is “betraying” himself, the longer he goes without truly pursuing his dream.
Part of the problem is that he can’t seem to figure out how to do the one while using the other to still survive. But the other is swallowing up ALL his time and energy, and even though he really likes the work he does and he knows that he is a valuable asset to the company, he also knows he should be spending much more time on his music than he currently does.
So, we talked about why this is happening and how to make a difference and out him on the right track again.
The first part of the equation of why his dream is getting lost is that except for the occasional talk with me, he doesn’t really share with others about this passion. It gets pushed way down on the importance ladder. So the first decision we came up with is to start building a bigger group than just myself where he could check in with people about this particular dream (goal) and let them know what he’s up to on sa regular basis and get their feedback and input.
The second thing that holds him back from pursuing this with passion and drive is that he needs to build a “team” so he isn’t pursuing this all on his own. So how does one build a team when they don’t have money, time, or resources to do this? Glad you asked.
What he needs to do is to figure out what exactly he needs to make his music and performance a reality. Obviously top on the list is to start performing out at venues and get the bugs worked out in his music and performance. While he is at these venues he could have a friend come along and start gathering names and email addresses to build a following.
Next, he needs to make a decision to get some tracks recorded, nothing big or fancy but something he could start passing around and sending out. And he needs to start inviting professionals who are in the industry to come and see him perform.
How does he do all of this and get other people to help him do it, successfully? He has to ask.
Asking others is the one most important thing people miss every time when going after their dreams.
Most people going after their dream, vision, or goal by themself fail to do this one important thing; ask others for their help.
This can come in the form of advice, opinion, asking if someone knows how to put a web site together. How to create an email campaign. Does anyone know someone in the music industry who could come, listen and give feedback? Get someone’s opinion about the best venues to perform in. Where to go for an inexpensive recording of his music. And much more.
My entire successful, thriving business was built on asking. Asking opinions, asking advice, asking information by others who are more seasoned than myself, getting their input on how they did it. Asking what the best steps are? Asking how long it takes to be successful? Asking where do I find my audience? Asking how do I best service them? Etc.
This simple yet POWERFUL little step is missed by more people going after their dreams than any other step they take. I often find the people I meet who are going after their dreams are smart, driven, creative, and motivated, yet they don’t take this one little action because they feel no one will help them.
I personally love when people ask my advice or opinion. It makes me feel like I’m a part of their quest and their dream. And I get so invested because they put importance on asking my opinion that I want to do everything to see them REACH their goals.
So the next time you want to take on a BIG dream (and you should dream big) and you feel clueless where to begin or how to reach it, start a mantra of asking. As long as you are genuine, sincere, not selfish and don’t put others down, people will always want to assist you in making your dreams come true.
You can find out more out this at: www.Finish-What-You-Start.com
Craig Copeland is an author and a speaker for several years and has recently begun speaking at seminars through his company the Reach Now Institute based on his new book "Finish What You Start": Unlocking The Success Secrets of the Top 1%.