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| Business Success (Photo credit: Augur Marketing) |
Throughout this A to Z series I've read a number of comments that essentially have said something similar to "I'm scared", "I don't have the skill to do that", "I couldn't do this on my own", "I don't know anyone who could help me", "I can't afford to do this", "I don't think I could do this", and so on. Self-defeating excuses like this call for a push to try harder.
I understand that it might be easier for me or someone else to make the suggestions than for you to actually attempt some of the suggestions I've offered during the April Challenge. Isn't that often the case? Sayin' ain't the same as doin'. Nevertheless if you aren't at least trying to do something then nothing is apt to be the result.
Only you know for sure whether or not you've tried hard enough. Be honest in your self-assessment. In the end it's your promotion and you are the one who has the most to benefit. If you've tried a promotional tactic and it didn't work then you need to be brutally honest with yourself. Did you give it your all? Could you have done more? Should you try again and this time try harder?
Never starting is worse than giving up. Believe in yourself. Turn off the negativity and the excuses.
Try your best and always try harder. And then when that doesn't work, try again or try something new. Your success is ultimately your own responsibility. How badly do you want that success?
Do you tend to give up easily? Are you persistent in trying to reach a goal? Who do you think is most responsible in helping you attain success?
I am NOT a negative person, when nit came to my book being published I turned to Amazon.com as I did on my other two books, but this time their ways of selling have changed.....not for the better. I can't understand what they are all about in some parts of the selling process. Not all people have a business head, I coped with my first two books but number three which many years, months, weeks and days of hard slog looks like for nothing , and that is me NOT being negative.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
What's the saying? The harder I work, the luckier I get?
ReplyDeleteI find if I'm procrastinating about something in promotion work, which means I'm terrified of it, … it helps to break it down into small pieces - make one phone call, write one email, work on a press release for 10 minutes etc .. then eventually I get past the fear and get on with the job in hand.
Great post Lee
Fil following along on the A to Z challenge
Fil's Place - Old Songs and Memories
No I don't give up easily. I might slow down at times but not give up. Also I feel that to attain success it is important to try harder and in a smarter way and never give up. Success comes with discipline and will to succeed.
ReplyDelete- Kripali
(AJ's wHooligans)
Sumptuous Living
We are responsible for ourselves.
ReplyDeleteThere's always someone out there who can help. You just have to look and ask.
great suggestions, keeping up yourself motivated is required to do any damn thing in this world,don't escape situations just face them.
ReplyDeleteT for Turbulence
Yvonne -- I have a similar problem. There are so many convolutions in trying to do things on the internet that it does become complicated. I started to sign up to sell things on eBay and Amazon and got so confused that I just skipped. I suppose they are try to cover all legalities but why can't they make the process simpler? I can understand your feeling of frustration.
ReplyDeleteFil-- Excellent approach. The saying is a good one and the methodology makes a lot of sense.
Kripali-- Very true words and keep at it.
Alex -- Sometimes it can be difficult finding that person who can help and that's when we have to keep looking and keep asking.
Cifar -- Persistence is important.
Lee
I try to tell my son that if he thinks he can't, he can't. It is mind over matter. Because when you go into something new with a negative attitude, you've already failed. The power of positive has been my theme for the A to Z for two years now. :)
ReplyDeleteJamie Dement (LadyJai)
My A to Z
Caring for My Veteran
I'm sure there's been moments I've given up easily and other times I've tried my hardest. I think my biggest downfall is I get distracted by something and what I need to be working on falls by the way. ^^;;
ReplyDelete~Patricia Lynne~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, YA Author
Persistence is key with anything. Those who succeed may not be the best... just the ones who didn't quit.
ReplyDeleteIf you say you can't, you can't. And I'm guilty of doing that. I've often put on my glum-outlook and proven myself right.
ReplyDeleteThen I remember that what I put out into this universe is exactly what I get in return. Just changing that can't to a can makes things possible.
I'm still working on attitude, but I'm getting better at keeping the positive one.
Seems to me, if you are a member of this blogging community, you could always ask for help from the other members. Everyone helps everyone here.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there are some of us who simply don't care anymore.
ReplyDelete[When I wrote "us", I didn't necessarily mean me. I did, but it wasn't "necessarily" so.]
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Trying harder sounds like a lot of extra effort, but if you insist... ;) if you're giving up you obviously don't want it as much as you thought it did, no harm, you'll find something you strive for :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for tossing this out Arlee...perseverance and persistence is key. Even with all of this, failure or making mistakes is bound to happen, from which we can learn.
ReplyDeleteAlso, for many of us it is hard to reach out and ask for help - which is usually willingly given. But you can take a horse far - and no further. It is up to the individual to keep trying - trying though it may be.
Garden of Eden Blog
Jamie-- Negativity drains energy and motivation. A person can get farther more easily with a positive outlook. Then if you still fail you can feel better about your effort.
ReplyDeletePatricia -- Lack of focus can be a deterrent to success.
Robin -- Mediocrity does not preclude success.
C.Lee -- The "I can't" attitude creates an immediate barrier to overcome. I've tried to replace this excuse with "I don't want to" because in reality that is usually the truer statement.
Jo -- Not just the blogging community either. There is always somebody who enjoys lending a hand to another.
StMc -- I think I get the gist of what your feeling. There are some things I don't care that much about anymore. Others for which I have lost enthusiasm.
SJP -- The bottom line is personal honesty. Do you really want to succeed?
Susan Scott --- If we let one failure beat us down, then it's hard to try for the next success. Failure must be put into perspective and as you say become part of a learning process.
Lee
Words to live by! Thanks for the reminder ☺
ReplyDeleteI'm much better at trying harder with my writing than with my promotion.
ReplyDeleteHello Mr B I have been scratching away at my A to Z doing my little drawings and stuff. . . . I cant try any harder . . . . Honest.
ReplyDeleteI am off to hide in a cardboard box for a bit. . . .
Hello, I’m nominating you for the Versatile Blogger Award :) You don’t have to accept it if you don’t want to, just so you know I thought of you. http://jazzedaboutstuff.com/2014/04/23/kudos/
ReplyDelete"No! Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." - Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back.
ReplyDeleteSelf-doubt is emblematic of our writerly ways I think.
Thanks for hosting 2014 A to Z. Really appreciate all that you are doing.
I must say that this month has been hard for me. Finding topics not to bad, getting everything written, a little harder, facing some of the topics had me in tears. I had a lot of traffic at the beginning, but not as much recently. I think it is probably because many of my posts were pretty lengthy, but I think the topics deserved it. I would like more feedback, but overall, I am happy with what this encouraged me to do. Have come in contact with some pretty cool people, so that makes me happy as well!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wise post.
ReplyDeleteDebbie -Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSusan GK -- So maybe this is directed towards you?
Rob -- You've been doing pretty well I think.
Jasmine -- Thank you so much! I stopped doing awards some time ago, but I appreciate the thought.
Huntress -- Writers and other artistic types tend to have a more reserved nature I think. That's why self-promoting can be so tough.
Melanie -- I think that sounds like a success. And you can always return to the topics and write more on them so more will see them later. You can link back to them in a posts that discusses other aspects.
Liza -- Is you callin' me a wise guy?
Lee
Hey Lee,
ReplyDeleteThere are always those who are willing to help. We can find that the catalyst to try harder can come from surrounding ourselves with "yaysayers" as opposed to naysayers.
And I always try hard. For instance, I try to be different and don't follow the crowd. Invariably, you are the one who is most responsible for attaining success.
Be well and thank heavens this alphabet thingy is almost over.
Gary
You are so right. We are in charge of our own success to a large degree. Giving up or never trying shouldn't be our default if we want to succeed. I am amazed when I look back and see the things I have been able to accomplish but never thought I could. Got to believe in yourself and keep trying. Thanks for the encouragement, Lee. Maria, Delight Directed Living
ReplyDeleteGary-- A positive environment will provide much benefit in the encouragement and help it offers. Those naysayers want others to join them in their negativity and actually it's an easy thing to do if you give in to it.
ReplyDeleteMaria -- It's difficult for others to keep on believing in you if you persistently don't believe in yourself. People lose patience when good results not only don't come but are discouraged.
Lee
For the longest time I gave up rather too easily while doing things because being such a perfectionist I was afraid of failing.
ReplyDeleteI didn't start seeing things to the bitter end until I decided to get serious about my writing 5 years ago and things haven't been the same since.
A-Z Challenge at Father Nature's Corner
GB -- I need to do more of that. It's not my perfectionism but taking on too many things and able to see them all through to completion or just not having the resources needed to finish.
ReplyDeleteLee