A simple recipe for failure... and one for winning:)

Over the next five days, I’m going to give you a 5-part recipe for total and complete disaster.

It is a sure-fire way to fail, be miserable, and never, ever reach the writer’s life.

And…

I’m also going to give you the reverse…

A simple 5-part formula for winning the writer’s life. You’ll use these 5 ingredients to get great clients, work less, make more money, and fill your life with things that matter most.

Because I remember how it was to get started… and really, really, really want to land clients and win… I decided to share these five key ingredients with you.

Is that OK with you?

Yes? Cool… then let’s begin.

Once upon a time there was a young father who was terrified of heights.

But he wasn’t terrified of being a daddy. In fact, it was the most important thing in his life. He really wanted to help his children succeed in life.

He thought, “If I can let them see and experience wonderful things, they will be able to do better in life.”

So, he took his family all over the world.

One day, they were at the Grand Canyon - a place with lots of heights.

That day, there was a camera crew there from a reality TV show.

They were offering a $1,000,000 prize for anyone that would walk out on a narrow, rocky ridge that shot out into the canyon.

No safety net. No railings. No fence. Just a mile straight down.

Walk out and back and you get the million bucks.

The camera crew approached the daddy of our story and pitched him the idea.

As you supposed, he didn’t even flinch. “No way!!!!!”

He hated heights and no amount of money was worth that terror.

About 20 minutes later, this same daddy realized that his little 3 year old daughter was missing.

Frantically they searched everywhere… until finally, they found her… you guessed it again… out on the narrow ridge.

She was sitting down on about 2 feet of dirt, with a sheer drop off on either side. Crying, “Daddy, help me! Please daddy!”

Without thinking the daddy jumped the fence, braved the ridge and rescued his daughter.

What changed?

The same thing that must change for you if you are going to succeed as a writer.

Have you ever faced a fear that held you back from victory?

“I’m not sure my writing is good enough.”

“What if no one uses freelance writers?”

“If my boss finds out I’m moonlighting, I could get fired.”

“How am I going to balance my time to do this, I’m already stressed to the gills??!!!”

“I have no idea how to market myself. It terrifies me to approach people!!”

Sure, all writers have these kinds of jitters.

What changed for the daddy in our story?

Purpose.

Seeing his daughter on the ridge gave him a purpose that was more powerful than his fear.

If you haven’t hit your stride yet… if you sense that something, somehow, somewhere is holding you back from really crushing it with this writing thing… then you need the first ingredient to success:

Purpose.

Not motivation. That comes from purpose.

Not will power. That flows from purpose too.

Not better organization skills, writing skills, or any other skills.

You get the right purpose and you’ll whip up all those skills in no time flat.

So, how do you find your purpose?

Here’s a simple exercise that will help.

If you read this next part and think, “Oh, I already knew that!” or “Yeah, yeah, heard it before!” or “That’s too simple. Can’t be that simple!”

Then you need it worse than anyone! Just humor me and do yourself a good deed… read the questions and answer them.

Deal?

Ok, here we go…

3 questions. Read the questions. Set a timer for 3 minutes. Hit start and write as fast as you can.

Go from the gut!

Don’t worry about grammar or spelling or formatting. Just write like the wind.

Cut a vein and bleed. Get vulnerable. Get real.

Let your inner voice take over.

No one is watching. Cut loose.

No one but you will read this. Open your heart and give it your all.

Here we go…

Question #1:

“Self, tell me about me. Who am I and what value do I bring to the world?”

Read it. Time it. Write!!!

Question #2:

“Self, if I don’t achieve my dreams as a writer, what pain will I and the loved ones in my life experience?”

Got it? Go for it! Write!!!!

Question #3:

“Self, when I achieve my dreams, what joy will I and the loved ones in my life experience?”

Last one… give it your all. Write!!!

Somewhere inside the answers to these questions is your purpose and passion. Find it. Honor it. Live it.

If you wrote something that surprised you, spend time thinking about it. Begin shaping your life around this purpose.

All of us have intrinsic value as human beings.

And all of us have a purpose to relieve pain and bring joy to others.

Find out how you’re going to do that and get on with it.

No fears, no doubts, no hesitation can withstand the brilliant light of a burning, real purpose.

Purpose.

That’s the first ingredient for success.

Without it you fail. With it you win.

Courage, commitment, will power, skills, focus, learning… all of it flows from purpose.

Get this right and you get everything else right.

So, go for it!!!

I’ll be back tomorrow to with Super-Duper Success Ingredient #2…

To Your Brightly Burning Purpose,

Joshua