Last year I wrote a book on goal setting. I am now in the process of editing that book. As I edit, I will post excerpts here on my blog. This is from chapter three:
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Commit to a small amount
Sometimes it is hard to commit. I get that. I have a hard time committing.
I love lots of things. I could go in many directions. I could start a blog about any of my favorite things.
Here are a few of my favorite things:
- Latin
- Pizza
- Books
- Hiking
- History
- German
- England
- Camping
- Swimming
- Etymology
- Longboarding
- Mountain Biking
I arranged my favorite things according to size. They are not arranged in order of importance.
Were I to arrange them in order of importance the list would look more like this.
- Mountain Biking
- Pizza
- Hiking
- Longboarding
- England
- Swimming
- German
- Camping
- Books
- History
- Latin
- Etymology
If I could figure out a way to make a living blogging about mountain biking, you would never attend another language class on my website.
I would be out mountain biking and blogging about the trails.
Latin is actually pretty low on my “favorite list.”
I like Latin. I really do. But, I would much rather be outside playing than inside looking at a Latin book.
And, yet. I have made my living with Latin for decades.
Why?
Simple. Years ago, I looked at my options (the list above) and picked one.
I decided to go all in on one thing. I wanted to see what would happen if I became a famous Latin teacher.
Looking back, Latin may not have been the best choice.
I imagine there is more money in blogging about mountain biking. Of course, I am not sure. I am guessing.
I decided to go all in on Latin. I figured I would give it a few years. If after a few years, nothing happened, I would simply pick something else.
Go thou and do likewise
If you are having a tough time choosing a direction, why not try what I tried?
Make a list of everything you love to do.
Make a list of everything you are good at.
If you are not sure what you are good at, ask yourself the following question.
“Do people come to me for advice on any particular subject?”
If they do, people may already see you as an expert in that field.
Look again at your list. Pick one thing.
Go all in on that one thing for a while.
If, after a few months, or years, you feel you are getting nowhere, choose something else and repeat the process.
At least, you will level up in certain skills. Even if you never create a blog or a product around that topic, you may be able to leverage your special knowledge into a higher paying job or a better career.
Try another approach
Still having trouble choosing a goal?
Take an honest look at your life. Are you living the life you want to live?
If not, come up with the life you want. Get specific.
Write down whatever you want to write down. Be honest with yourself. No one else is going to see your list.
Do not aim small here. Aim high.
If you aim high, and fail, you will hit more than those who do not aim at all.
Now, come up with the one goal that will take you to the life you want to live.
Break that down to monthly goals, then weekly goals and daily goals.
We will do this in detail in the coming chapters.
Take daily action toward your goals. Do not allow yourself to make excuses. Commit.
Give it some time. In a few years, you could be living the life of your dreams.
Even if you are not, you will be closer than if you had taken no action at all.
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Almost every Saturday, I send out a Tip of the Week. It’s just something I have picked up along the way that may make your life a little easier. If you would like to hear from me (almost) every Saturday, just go to the home page of my site and plug in your name and email. You will also get a free copy of my book on learning Latin (and almost anything else). Just go here: https://dwanethomas.com/
If you are interested in learning Latin, you can go through the classes on my site 24/7. I recommend the book Lingua Latina by Hans Ørberg. If you tackle the book and find yourself bogged down, you may find the classes on my site helpful. To join, just click here: https://dwanethomas.com/join/
If you want a more professionally filmed experience, check out the best-selling DVD series: Visual Latin.
Or, if you want to skip Latin, and just jump right into learning English words from Latin and Greek roots, you may enjoy the series Word Up! Warning. Word Up! is a bit wacky. You will learn a lot… but, you may find yourself rolling your eyes, too.
By the way, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Not trying to pull a fast one on you. I only promote what I believe in.
