And the Number One Excuse Is ...
“Nothing is impossible; there are ways that lead to everything, and if we have sufficient will we should always have sufficient means. It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible.” – Francois De La Rochefoucauld
There’s one excuse that I hear most often from aspiring writers.
Can you guess what it is?
It’s not about not having enough time. It has nothing to do with productivity or motivation. It’s not even about getting clients.
The excuse I hear most often is: I just need to …
… finish one more program
… read one more book
… attend one more webinar
… practice my writing a little more
… get my freelance website up
There always seems to be an excuse of one more thing that needs to be done before they can get out there and start getting paid to write.
Well I’ve got news for you …
If you’re using that excuse today, you will be able to use it forever.
Because there will always be another program you can take.
There will always be another book you can read.
There will always be one more thing you can do.
It’s the perfect excuse!
So if you’re using it, I want you to own up to it, and then squash it right now. Especially if you’re taking any of AWAI’s programs …
Because at AWAI, our programs are written by experts who successfully do what they teach. Everything you need to learn the writing skill AND get paid for it is included.
Sure we have additional programs that will strengthen your writing, help you target a specific niche, learn to get clients, etc.
But you don’t need to take them all before getting out there and promoting yourself as a professional writer.
You just need to learn ONE way to make money writing before getting started on your path to living the writer’s life.
Now don’t get me wrong …
Just as the most successful writers in the world will tell you, you’ll never stop learning.
But that’s the point.
There’s no end to the learning process. So you can’t wait to “learn it all” before getting started.
You just need to know enough. And if you have any one of AWAI’s writing programs, you have enough.
Your action plan …
If you’ve chosen a writing path you’d like to follow, I want you to take the next step. Finish the program you’re working on right now and then start looking for clients and promoting yourself.
If you’ve gotten caught up in the excitement of the number of opportunities there are for writers to make a great living, and therefore have chosen a few paths, I want you to pick one to start with right now, and focus 100% of your attention on it.
Then once you gain some momentum in that field, you can go back and add another writing opportunity to the mix.
Ultimately you don’t need to be tied to just one opportunity. But when starting out you’ll want to follow through on one opportunity at a time so that you get some momentum going before you distract yourself with another one.
And if you’re still at step one and haven’t chosen a path to the writer’s life yet, there are two paths I recommend you consider …
To start, if you want something that will give you great flexibility, you can never go wrong with copywriting. Learning to write persuasive copy will give you a financially valuable skill that will allow you to consistently earn a much higher than average income.
Take AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, and when you’re finished, start promoting yourself and working as a copywriter.
From there you can decide if you want to become a B2B copywriter, a web writer, a resume writer, a grant writer … the skies the limit. Because no matter what path you end up taking, a copywriting foundation will only make you more successful.
The second path I’d recommend right now is one that’s in huge demand already and has promising growth for the future. And that’s becoming a social media expert.
What I love most about this path is that like copywriting, the knowledge you gain can help you create many revenue streams for yourself – which ultimately will help you get to the writer’s life that much faster.
So there you have it …
If doing one more thing is the excuse you’re making, finish up the one thing you’re doing right now, and then take the next step towards working as a writer.
And if you have a different excuse, share it with me here and let me know if you’d like some help coming up with a solution.
I don’t want anything standing in your way of living the writer’s life.
Until May 30th: Enrollment Open for Circle of Success
Join Circle of Success, AWAI’s most comprehensive learning program where – among other things – you have complete access to all AWAI resources for life … plus all kinds of help, support, and training aimed at getting you from where you are now to “A” level professional copywriter quickly.
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Confession: I use all of the above. Add to it a 'day job' and providing elder care for my parents and that makes seven excuses.
If I'd quit making excuses, I could quit the day job and hire help for the parents!
... but I ordered a great book by Bob Bly that I MUST read before I do anything else!
ernienet – January 28, 2011 at 6:47 pm
Rebecca ... I confess, I've guilty of using every excuse you've listed and more. I do feel like I always need something else before I actually get down to writing. I also have a perfectionist personality and that doesn't make it any easier to overcome my excuses. Thank you for this -- here it is, in your face, article. =)
Guest (Teia) – January 29, 2011 at 4:56 pm
How true, Rebecca. Not feeling like we've learned enough is huge. There is that insecurity of doing something in which we know we're (I'm) not as good as you or Michael, or Nick, or Joshua, or whomever.
Thanks for the reminder and the gentle kick in the pants.
CathyC – January 30, 2011 at 7:34 am
Ouch. You've hit me squarely with this one. I just ordered the Accelerated Course, and I want to get Heather's course on SEO Copywriting, too. My goal is to complete both courses in the next six months and get out there and start doing it!
DarleneN – February 13, 2011 at 4:09 pm
your talking to me i need to stop with all my excuses
whit – April 3, 2011 at 9:29 pm
Hey everyone! We just got our alerts working last month on the comments, so I'm only just getting to these now. Sorry about that!
@emienet - you're not alone. I'd say the #1 thing that holds back the majority of aspiring copywriters is one or more of these excuses. But now that you've "called yourself" on it, I hope you'll take a step forward!
@Teia - I'm glad you liked the article, and what you describe is EXACTLY how I describe my own challenges. Although one thing I've found recently is that I often avoid sitting down to write when I'm starting with a blank page. So now what I do, is plan my writing projects out in advance - I set up the documents, write the project info at the top of the page, and include any other info or ideas I have. That way when I do sit down to write, I have a good start on my task. Hope that helps!
Rebecca Matter – April 4, 2011 at 1:26 pm
@CathyC - wow, what an amazing compliment to group me in a sentence with Michael and Nick. I can tell you that I'm in exactly the same boat though - I don't know as much as they do, and probably never will, since they'll continue to learn as well. But I write anyways - and personally get better each and every year. I look back on my old stuff and cringe now - even though back then it truly was the best I'd ever written. Just take a step, and get moving. Don't worry about what you don't know, be proud of what you do know and can do with it, and feel excited about the never-ending journey that lies in front of you. It's an exciting one! You just have to start out down the path to experience it ... :)
Rebecca Matter – April 4, 2011 at 1:29 pm
@DarleneN - sounds like you have a very realistic game plan! I hope you're sticking with it and moving forward. Keep me posted and definitely let anyone at AWAI know if you get stuck along the way.
@whit - excellent to hear! That's my goal whenever I sit down to write - to connect with a single person and hopefully help in some way. Here's to your success!
Rebecca Matter – April 4, 2011 at 1:32 pm