What do you do when you stop?
Maybe you are writing a book and, for whatever reason, you just stopped. Life got in the way. Your routine got busted up because time became scarce, you lost your momentum or you spent too much time researching cryptocurrency.
Maybe you know that your network is the most important part of your business but you stopped connecting. As you look back, you realize that the majority of your clients come from your network, your relationships and word of mouth. Yet, you spend more time putting out fires in your business and focusing on the tasks than you do actually spending time in conversations getting to know people better.
Or maybe, you looked in the mirror this morning, turned sideways and scrunched your face while you remembered that you haven’t exercised since you don’t know when. You tell yourself all of the time that tomorrow is the day that you will get started again. But I might as well have that slice of cheesecake tonight because tomorrow is the day that you get back on track.
But what happens when tomorrow never comes?
What happens when you face that moment when you realize that if you don’t get started now, you may never get started? The angst of delay is more painful than the consequences of quitting. So instead of delaying, you quit. Because now you don’t have to think about it anymore. You can make up any excuse you want- I didn’t have time, nobody cared, the dog ate my homework- and people will accept it because nobody cares as much as you do. And if you don’t care, why should they?
So now this is where I fess up. Because of whatever excuse I made up, I stopped writing these weekly newsletters. I can blame it on being on an extended vacation. I can tell you that the business and the podcast and the live events took over and I just didn’t have time. I can say that I’m going to get started next week just like the person delaying working out. And I did that. I did all of those things. And even though I got emails and questions about them not going out, I always had a good enough excuse.
But an excuse will never push publish.
But starting after stopping is much harder than just never stopping at all. Will Smith said it well- it’s easier to stay in shape than it is to get in shape. And when it came to this weekly newsletter (which I love doing, by the way), I was way out of shape. I allowed one week to turn into two, two to three, and then, before you know it, you are teetering on the edge.
This newsletter was the hardest to write out of all of them because I allowed myself to become rusty. But I can tell you that even while writing this, I have ideas for two new newsletter ideas that I believe will be solid. I am creating a block of time to write, edit and schedule the upcoming stories. And I am not going to allow stopping to stop me.
I have a feeling that you also have stopped doing something you love, something that is important to you or something that others get value from. I want to give you a simple message that I got from watching one of the Iron Man movies with our family. It was a simple message but one that was as profound as it was short. I am taking that advice, and I hope you do too. And here it is.
Stop Stopping.
P.S.- I am making a commitment to be back here next week and every week. But I want you to do something for me. I want you to email me back and tell me what you are going to stop stopping.
Thank you for your grace, patience and understanding. And I’ll be back with you next week!
– Vincent
