Sterling Terrell

recovering economist

Everyone Wants Something

Everyone Wants Something

Everyone wants something, sure.

We about take that as a given.

But there is a difference in wanting something and being willing to act on it.

For example, someone might say that they want to be a writer.

That’s all well and good as long as they are just talking about it.

Acting on that notion, however, changes it.

The day that you quit talking, make your intentions known, and start writing for two hours a day, is the day you realize what is at stake.

PERHAPS ONE OF the reasons I’ve avoided having a clear ambition is that second you stand up and point toward a horizon, you realize how much there is to lose.

–Donald Miller, A Million Miles In A Thousand Years

How To Be Called A Writer

How To Be Called A Writer

Want to be called a writer?

Easy: Write every day for 30 years.

See, I found another artist talking about action.

Maybe it is that I am following more artist/writers nowadays – but I see this idea everywhere.

And honestly – it blew my mind the first time Jeff Goins pointed it out and I grasped it.

  • You want to be a writer?
  • Well, guess what writers do?
  • Writers might go for a walk, take out the trash, take the kids to school, and stop at McDonald’s for breakfast.
  • But writers also get up every day and write.

If you write for an hour or two for a few weeks and stop – everyone will say you went through a phase.

If you write for an hour or two every day for 30 years – everyone will call you a writer – regardless of how many books you sell.

“The risk of not committing is greater than the cost of making the wrong choice. Because when you fail, you learn. But what happens when you don’t commit, when you choose to not act? Well, nothing.”
–Jeff Goins, The Art of Work
Sterling Terrell