If you want to be a writer, you have to do what writers do.
If you want to be a pro-athlete, you have to do what pro-athletes do.
If you want to be an entrepreneur, you have to do what entrepreneurs do.
Then, and only then, will you BE a writer, pro-athlete, entrepreneur, or whatever.
Let me give you a specific example from a recent article I wrote:
"Most want-to-be authors think writing a book is all about sitting down and punching out some pages when they have some free time.
No, no, no! To be an author, you have to BE an author.
What am I talking about? Anyone can sit down in their free time and write. But to be an author you have to do what authors do. And when you do what authors do, you ARE an author.
So, what do authors do? They write everyday!
You see, if you just sit down and write a book in your spare time, it's going to be hard. It'll be hard to find your writing voice. It'll be hard to get momentum behind you. And it'll be hard to get your good writing out.
Authors write everyday because it takes practice to get good. Writing every once in a while is no way to get good. You have to practice, practice, practice.
Authors also write everyday because not all their writing is good. The "good stuff" comes out after the "bad stuff" is gone.
That's why the want-to-be authors never finish their book. They write and become frustrated because they can't seem to find the words that make sense. It's not because they don't know what they're talking about. It's because their "bad stuff" is coming out and their "good stuff" hasn't yet come.
It will come if you let it. That's why I strongly urge you, if you want to become an author, to write everyday!"
You see, to BE a certain type of person, you have to do what they do everyday. In the above excerpt, I talked about one thing authors do. In the real article, I went on to give some additional action steps to BE an author.
Since I don't know what you want to be, here are some general action steps to help you BE what you want to be:
1. Find someone who IS what you want to BE. People who are not doing what you want to be have no authority to give you advice.
2. Ask them how they do what they do. Ask specific questions, and find out what they do on a daily basis.
3. Start doing what they do...everyday!
To be a writer, a pro-athlete, an entrepreneur, or whatever, just emulate what THAT type of person does daily and you will soon BE that type of person.
