[Courses] [Spineful Living, lesson 8: Just Talk, Just Ask, Just Do]

[Charlotte Oliver]

>"Just ask" is the next step, or "Just do", depending on what you want. When
I 
>tell people I write for a living, almost every one of them says "Wow, I 
>always wanted to be a writer, but..." and then there's the usual reasons:
no 
>time, need a nice computer, need to take a bunch of courses... if you
really 
>want to do something, then you just do it. I know it's a cliche, but it is 
>true. In my case, that meant sitting down at the typewriter and writing. 
>(Yes, typewriter! If you're too young to remember typewriters, look them up

>in Wikipedia.) 
>
>I wrote during work breaks and in my spare time. I read books on writing
and 
>how to sell my work. Originally I wanted to be a fiction writer, but then a

As someone who woke up an hour earlier this morning just to start typing out
the first chapter of her novella, I particularly laughed at reading this.

Yes.  Just do.

I had an aunt tell me something that I frequently remember and think about.
She told me that I tended to be the sort of person that generally
accomplished things that I set out to do, when other people talk about doing
them someday.  I'd never thought of myself in this way, but having someone
else point it out really meant a lot to me.

Whenever I get discouraged about something, I think back to sitting by the
lake that day and having that conversation.  Then I look at what steps I can
take *today* to get to whatever I want to accomplish and I start working on
them.  If you keep at it, eventually you get to that thing you wanted.

Just do.

What I find interesting about this concept is that it tends to be circular.
I've just accomplished a major goal in my life that's been driving me for
the last six years (earning a bachelor's degree while building a career), so
now I'm back to step one.  What do I want to do now that that's done?  What
do I want?  (And what the heck do I do with all this spare time I suddenly
have? :) 

Thank goodness we have archives, so I can now go review the next steps to
take. :)

Happy doing -
Charlotte