I met Michael Nelson in Tokyo, Japan. He's built an enjoyable life through hard, focused work in dealing precious metals. I asked him to write up something about how he got there, and what he'd recommend. He graciously wrote this up for us --
The Real Truth About Dreaming Big Dreams by Michael Nelson
I’d like you to imagine the last time you had an amazing idea.
Got it?
I’ll bet you felt motivated after that. Maybe you stopped what you were doing to explore it and sketch out a plan of action. You might have even made a few phone calls and priced out some of the key components or tools.
But what happened to that brilliant idea? Where it is now?
If you didn’t complete it and you’re not working on it, there are only two possibilities:
1) You diligently and consistently took action to see if the idea had any merit. After carefully thinking, you decided that your resources were better invested elsewhere.
2) You gave it half-assed effort and now you’re busy looking at some new idea instead. The original venture is no longer as exciting as you’d hoped, and so you’ve moved on.
If the second option sounds like you, don’t fret. It’s still better than what 95% of people do: you’re taking some action and trying to move forwards.
Most people just sit and watch the world go by. But if you’re taking action, why are you still having trouble getting ahead?
The key to understanding can be summed up in one vital tenet:
Your ambitious drive for novelty and creation will kill your dreams, if you let it.
Bluntly, jumping around to the next great thing will not get you paid.
The answer is simple: Finish what you start.
And as simple as it sounds, consistency is an omnipotent elixir for greatness. Those who succeed are the ones who keep going even when it stops being “fun.”
Unfortunately, the mainstream thought says that when you find the one thing that you’re supposed to work on, everything will just click, like magic...
Bullshit.
Anything worth doing will have challenges to overcome. Sometimes it’ll be tough, and sometimes you’ll want to quit or take a break for a few weeks to work on something else. No one would blame you if you do, but you’ve got to require more of yourself than that. If it‘s truly worth doing, then stay the course and make it work.
Jumping around to every new idea that crosses our minds might be fun, but it won’t make us rich. Big dreamers get the initial attention, but it’s the dedicated few who see their creations to completion and really change the world.
The truth about dreaming big is that anyone can have a great idea. Simply thinking of something great doesn’t mean you’re better than the rest of the world. Consistency to stick with it and make it happen is where the riches, success, and true fulfillment come from.
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You can find Michael at "Installing Awesome" -- he's also a regular commentor here, so please ask your questions and leave your feedback in the comments. How focused are you? How much do you get stuck chasing down novelty?