We live in a culture where everyone seems to have a side hustle. Some might affectionately refer to this late stage of capitalism as the “gig economy”.
Your car. Your computer. Your old junk. All of it is a path to getting ahead. Heck, your novel is one too.
It seems that most people seek out a side hustle for one of two reasons. That gig is necessary either as a means to get by financially, or to prove that they are capable of doing more with their time.
Because that’s what’s important, right? Doing more with our time.
Every morning, each of my neatly lined-out Google folders is full. There are hundreds of urgent messages.
There are new products. Sales alerts. Deals galore.
After I wade through that layer of pure product salesmanship, I get down to something else. There is a rich sub strata of classes, programs and coaching, the bundle of email that seems interested in improving my life. You’ve seen them:
“50 Tips To Being A Better Blogger”
“How I Gave Up Beer For 30 Days”
“Take This Webinar To Learn How To Be A Better Parent”
If you look at what’s in my inbox, I have got a ton of support. Yet each day around seven am, I walk down the stairs, into my office and I’m on my own.
That’s right. Doing more is up to me.
For some people, that reality is tough to reconcile. That yawning void of solitude on the other side of voluminous support is frightening.
It’s enough to make one want to give up.
I read those emails filled with tips. I’ve bought quite a lot of these classes. I have subscribed to on-line regiments in hopes of giving stuff up. I sit even through a few of those free webinars every month.
Every time I do, I come out thinking the same two things. First off, I am grateful that there is so much available to me. Second, I am keenly aware that my learning style, work process and temprament vary wildly from those teachers.
What is reality? I can’t possibly do all of those 50 things to being a better blogger. Giving up beer for 30 days? Well, I could be more moderate, but abstinence?
Being a better parent? Awesome. Have you met my kid though?
If you’re going to write this manuscript then you’re going to do it, more or less, on your own.
NaNoWriMo Tips: Your way is the right way.
Continuous improvement should be everyone’s goal and need. The trouble is, there is a lot of money to be made selling quick and easy methods.
Your need is to understand how you work before you jump into something.
What our “get good quick” culture overlooks is individuality. The “get good” part seizes on our desire for betterment, but “quick” glosses over the idea that there are as many different ways to learn under the sun as there are learners.
What often times gets overlooked is that age-old disclaimer that “your results may vary”. Your goals may vary too.
Maybe you want to be a better blogger but can you implement 50 new steps to make it this professional thing? Moderation is great. But give it up for good?
Let’s also get real: there is no such thing as a silver bullet for parenting.
What is your way to get good at something? Whatever your way is, it is fine. Because it’s yours alone. Keep doing it.
Keep getting better at that and you’ll never lose. NaNoWriMo tips start with you, the writer, listening to your inner voice.
Do you have NaNoWriMo tips that you would like to share? If so, leave them in the comments. I would love to hear more…