We are raised to be scared.
How many times have you expressed admiration for the success of the likes of Warren Buffett, Kerry Packer, Coco Chanel, or Oprah, only to be reminded that they are the exception?
As you got older, how many times did you find excuses for why you can’t or won’t be the exception too? How many times have you let people – friends, family, clients – dictate who you are and what you do?
We are raised to be scared. So when that great idea forms in our head, the idea that will allow us to decide who and what we are, we make the decision to act on it…tomorrow. Six months later. When we have time.
The time is now.
The only validation you need is the desire to do better. To be better.
Delay today and you delay indefinitely. Don’t believe me?
Mash + Co are a company chartered to enable and inspire women to be more creative. In 2014, they found that 77% of women said they had lost their ability to think creatively.
They get busy, scared, or both, and they put off their great work until their creative soul is consumed by inaction.
The time is now.
One of the lies we tell ourselves is that we are wasting time by putting energy into concepts that will take hard work and determination to nurture and grow, rather than the guaranteed, routine activities that fill our daily lives.
That’s fine for people who want to stay on the level they’re at for their entire lives. But you’re here, reading this, so that’s not you.
For those ready to undertake their great work, but not sure where to start, the solution is simple.
We call it 8 Percent Time, and the concept is simple.
Culminate all the time you work a week, and divide it by 8. The number you end up with is the amount of hours you should be spending on your great ideas.
For instance, if you work a 60 hour week, 7 – 8 of them should be dedicated to the great work. That’s little more than an hour per day.
As you go, you’ll find that challenging your brain every day will improve your thinking across even the most mundane tasks, and soon enough you will be the only one defining your life.
The time is now.
If you still need convincing, watch the video below. In it, Jim Coudal of Coudal Partners explains how he created an ad agency without any clients. It’s a fascinating watch.